Australasia’s largest automotive aftermarket specialist company, Bapcor Limited, is undergoing a complete digital transformation of its customer-facing and back-end business systems.
This highly detailed project was instigated to introduce innovative business technology systems to best suit the retail, trade, wholesale and inventory management requirements of the country’s best known and respected automotive aftermarket companies.
Modern automotive service and repair businesses survive and grow through improved efficiency and profitability. Bapcor has identified the key areas for automotive business efficiency improvements through industry dialogue, developing a total automotive parts sourcing, ordering and quoting system for Burson Auto Parts (Australia and Thailand) and BNT (NZ) trade customers.
One of Bapcor’s most significant customer-facing technology projects has been the upgrading of EZYParts – Bapcor’s online parts ordering system for workshop customers. Bapcor’s trade customers across Australia, New Zealand and Thailand can use their computers, mobile phones or tablet devices to gain immediate access to pricing, stock/inventory levels and the location of the parts they need to ensure faster and more accurate part identification through the input of a vehicle registration or VIN number. Bapcor will continue to invest in this trade online customer ordering system to constantly develop, update and improve it for use by its workshop customers.
Bapcor also has introduced a new and exciting business-generating digital platform to support Australia’s independent automotive workshops. The company has developed its own online vehicle service booking platform known as ENJI. Accessible now at www.enji.com.au, this is a website that consumers can use for the sourcing of quotations and booking for automotive service and repair work.
Whether it is log book servicing or parts or consumable component replacements, this unique online platform provides consumers with quotations for the work required from vehicle workshops in their area. The application enables the customer to see the time required to complete the work and they can schedule a date and time, all without picking up a telephone.
Best of all, workshop listings on enji.com.au are available free of charge to all automotive workshops nationwide regardless of network or franchise affiliation. This online platform delivers customers to automotive workshops, taking away most of the cumbersome and often time-consuming office administration work associated with explaining, quoting and scheduling bookings.
The next step in this development is the integration of Enji with the EZYParts system. This will ensure that Burson’s workshop customers will have the parts that they need for every enji.com.au originated service or repair booking, and remove the manual process of figuring out the parts necessary and ordering them. Also, a convenient online payment service, along with UBER integration for the customer’s ride to work or home while their car is being serviced will also be available soon.
No stone has been left unturned in the planning for ENJI, a unique Bapcor customer support online platform that enables automotive service and repair businesses to benefit from the current and future generation of E-Commerce systems.
Alongside this company’s leading automotive trade business, Bapcor is also a major player in the Australian automotive aftermarket retail sector through its highly successful Autobarn and Autopro store networks, with more than 200 store locations. A new, responsive, highly detailed and user-friendly business to customer e-commerce solution has also been developed for the Bapcor retail store network. This makes the online sourcing of vehicle tools, accessories and parts faster and easier for consumers. Mobile phone access was a key design consideration of this online resource as this has proven to be the preferred search tool for retail customers.
When purchasing products, the customer has the option to choose either “click and collect” or to organize delivery. The new retail online e-commerce system complements the revamped Autobarn and Autopro store format, enhancing the overall customer experience.
Major technological advances have also been made by Bapcor with the opening of the company’s state of the art 50,000 square metre Victorian Distribution Centre in Tullamarine. Together with Schafer, one of the world’s leading goods-to-person technology innovators, Bapcor companies are now enjoying the benefits of this custom designed semi-automated product picking system which represents a technological first for the Australian automotive aftermarket industry.
The new Bapcor goods-to-person system accommodates no fewer than 85,000 totes, with the ability to pick 600 lines per person per hour. Along with major improvements in Warehouse Management System (WMS) efficiency, significant environmental benefits are also being achieved including reductions in energy and resource usage across lighting, water, packaging and transport. Bapcor will save an estimated $10 million per year in operating costs though this new facilities technology.
According to Bapcor CEO and Managing Director Darryl Abotomey, this proactive Australian automotive aftermarket industry leader is committed to constantly developing its digital transformation projects.
“The past two years have seen an unprecedented level of digital transformation for Bapcor across all of our business operations. We have embarked on a process of constant technological and online development to ensure that we are staying at the forefront of the game whether it is in the functions of our trade or retail businesses, or how we best manage our warehousing operations and supply chain,” Abotomey said.
“Along with all of these developments, several additional projects including our digital safety reporting system, ERP upgrades and consolidations, a modern retail point of sale system, inventory forecasting and management, expanded data warehouse and a new CRM system have all been completed or are being delivered shortly,” Abotomey added.
To find out more about Bapcor visit www.bapcor.com.au.
