US Autoforce (formerly US Tire and Exhaust) is on track with IBS warehouse management software
Automotive parts and services supplier US Autoforce maximizes its operations by keeping close tabs on inventory without sacrificing customer service.
Company background
US Autoforce is a division of U.S. Oil Co., a group of growth-oriented businesses that are leaders in their respective markets, focused primarily on the petroleum and distribution industries.
US Autoforce manufactures exhaust pipes and distributes tires, mufflers, and suspension and brake parts to its customers. Repair facilities and car dealerships form the majority of the company's growing customer base.
US Autoforce also procures mufflers, tires, brakes, suspensions, chassis and motor oil from about 40 different suppliers, which it in turn sells to its customers.
US Autoforce has some 275 employees, including salespeople, drivers and warehouse operators, and has an annual turnover of $75 million.
Business issues
Automotive aftermarket distribution relies heavily on human contact. Orders are typically placed over the phone, but a small fraction is received online. US Autoforce receives roughly 2,800 orders per day and up to 300 per hour.
The company has an active customer base of some 6,200 auto repair shops and dealerships.
Orders are fulfilled from six warehouses scattered across the Midwest. The warehouses run 24 hours a day, six days a week as deliveries and pick-ups are made.
In the past, US Autoforce used an in-house IT system to track inventory in its six warehouses. But there was a critical need to reduce costs through more efficient inventory control, and increase productivity through optimized picking. With the turn of the millennium just around the corner, the company felt it was time to find a superior IT solution.
Mapping data from the old system to the new was a major challenge. Due to time constraints, the full solution needed to go live at the same time.
Solution and capabilities
US Autoforce turned to IBS to modernize its warehousing operations. The company felt that IBS business software was the best overall package to address its needs. Modules for sales order management, Inventory Management and warehouse management provide US Autoforce with easy access to information for keeping close tabs on 26,013 square meters of storage area in six different locations.
The IBS software has been one of the tools we've used to keep our expenses down, and it has increased our productivity. In three years it paid for itself.
Al Jahnke
Database Coordinator
US Autoforce
The software enables sales reps to take orders on the phone and register the information directly into the system. This starts a process where a pick ticket is printed in the dispatch area and sent to the warehouse for items to be pulled from the shelves. IBS Warehouse Management software enables products to be picked more efficiently by zone and location.
Products sold at the remote warehouses are registered and added to IBS software's automatic replenishment report, then shipped from the main warehouse the next day. Bar coding and radio frequency technology make it easy to register the incoming inventory that will replenish the shelves.
IBS software has helped US Autoforce's customer service center through sales order management and a substitution database.
Customers can call up a manufacturer's part number by using another number with which they maybe familiar. US Autoforce can then provide acceptable stocked items from other manufacturers.
Additionally, a module for e-business allows customers to register their orders online. IBS NetStore gives them access to real-time product and inventory information and their own individual pricing levels.
Another IBS advantage that US Autoforce finds extremely valuable is the flexibility of reporting. IBS includes a Report Writer that provides the quickest and easiest way to prepare statistical, financial and management reports from the system, in any time period, in user-defined formats. This allows US Autoforce management fast access to the company's financial position.
Benefits and value
IBS software has enabled US Autoforce to maximize its operations by keeping close tabs on inventory without sacrificing customer service. The software has allowed easy, user-friendly access to information, thereby facilitating the management decision-making process.
The warehouse management software has improved efficiency by putting more popular parts closest to the loading docks.
When pullers go out to get those parts, they are closer to the trucks. This has lead to increased efficiency and saved Time in loading trucks.
US Autoforce has grown in net sales by an astonishing 37 percent since going live with IBS. The software is one of the tools used to manage this growth efficiently. It has allowed the company to reduce expenses while at the same time increasing productivity. In just the first 18 months of using IBS software, US Autoforce was able to save $3 million in inventory costs, without affecting daily operations.
The IBS software has been a tremendous asset to US Autoforce. It paid for itself in just three years – a proven track record of value and return on investment.
Company profile Name: US Autoforce Region: Midwest United States Operation: Manufacturing and distribution Products: Exhaust pipes, tires, mufflers, suspension and brake parts Number of employees: 275 Revenue: $75 million Website:US Autoforce
Issues
Need for flexible reporting
Need for online ordering
Need to increase productivity
Need to reduce inventory costs
Old IT system developed in-house
Y2K concerns
Solution
Modern, user-friendly, business software solution
The IBS software has been one of the tools we've used to keep our expenses down, and it has increased our productivity. In three years it paid for itself.
