The API France network made its choice of AGT Retail official at its annual convention, held in Barcelona from September 13 to 16. The network aims to open some fifteen centers a year, and AGT is an integral part of its development strategy.
The European brand is one of Europe's leading B2B distributors of automotive parts. It belongs to the DOYEN Auto Group and currently has 67 outlets in Belgium, 52 in France and 30 in the Netherlands. Its customers include garages, private individuals, businesses and local authorities.
Since 2009, API en France has based its development on a participative franchising model. Its sales total 80 million euros. The French subsidiary Ariane, in charge of managing, coordinating and developing the network, has made the strategic choice of AGT Retail. The aim is to provide franchisees with a high-performance, structuring decision-making solution to boost the commercial performance of the network's sales outlets.
Automotive repair is a complex business, with garages having to deal with a multitude of part numbers that can be changed during an intervention. For them, it's impossible to have an available stock in their workshop. To satisfy their customers, who are always keen to leave their vehicles immobilized for as short a time as possible, they work with API France, which delivers parts on demand.
Ariane's commitment to providing efficient tools and services to its franchisees led the company to turn to AGT.
API France's needs have been clearly identified by the head office:
- Monthly reporting that displays simple indicators such as sales, margins and expenses
- A certified income statement
- A monthly "business" view of figures such as commercial conditions and transport costs, which are key data for the business.
- A benchmarking tool for sales outlets within the network
Data will be fed directly into AGT Retail thanks to the solution's interfacing with API's business ERP, Win pro Pièces.
Solution highlights for API France :
- An efficient, fast and reliable tool for monthly reporting
- A solution for training franchisees in financial indicators
- A common language and references for measuring network performance and a culture of close monitoring of figures
- A benchmarking module that enables sales outlets to compare themselves and gives franchisees a taste for challenge.
- A system that gives franchisees autonomy over the monitoring of financial data, often the preserve of chartered accountants.
Thierry Donini , Store Manager, explains: " We quickly realized that AGT Retail was a high-performance, scalable solution that would help us grow. Beforehand, the publisher had presented us with some excellent references and allowed us to meet one of its customers, Culture Vélo, who gave us an insight into the overall benefits of the solution and its functional scope."
To date, deployment is in the pilot phase and feedback has been satisfactory.
He concludes, " We've found a professional partner with whom we're committed for the long term. We plan to implement other AGT Retail functionalities such as the business plan, competitor benchmarking or 3-year forecast simulations. "
Press contact:
AGT RETAIL
Press Relations
Christie Genteuil-Boisel
Tel: 06 63 16 35 21
Mail: c.genteuil@agt-groupe.com
