The client is a regional automotive retail group specializing in vehicle sales. i3solutions built the company an in-house, web-based vehicle inventory management and search application through custom application development, replacing the costly third-party service the company had been paying to manage inventory levels and run a separate web-based search database. The application runs on Microsoft .NET with a single SQL Server database, consolidating inventory data from all of the company’s locations into one centrally managed interface. It eliminated recurring vendor fees, gave the company’s staff the tools to manage operations independently, and ensured real-time inventory updates.
Streamlining Automotive Services with Smart Digital Tools
Case Study
Streamlining Automotive Services
with Smart Digital Tools
The Customer
And Their Challenge
The client is a regional automotive retail group specializing in vehicle sales. To stay competitive, they needed to offer potential customers a straightforward way to browse their constantly changing vehicle inventory. Originally, the company relied on a costly third-party service to manage inventory levels and operate a separate web-based search database, an approach that was both expensive and prone to downtime. Recognizing the need for a more reliable and economical solution that could be maintained by their existing staff, the company set out to develop an in-house online vehicle search database. This new system would lower operational costs, reduce service disruptions, and ultimately give the company greater control over their inventory management.
The Solution
The company sought to enhance customer service and increase accuracy by regaining control of their real-time vehicle inventory levels, and replacing the costly outsourced solution. This inventory information is critical: it includes photographs, features, condition, and pricing for every vehicle across all the company’s locations.
To achieve these goals, the company partnered with i3solutions to develop a system that would reduce costs and simplify operations. The outcome was a web-based application that gives the company full control over their inventory data, eliminating recurring vendor fees.
The company’s staff can now take vehicle photographs and upload details directly from handheld devices. They can then use an administrative tool with a simple web interface to edit and approve information.
Built on Microsoft .NET and powered by a single SQL Server database, this solution brings together data from multiple locations into one centrally managed interface, an elegant response to the complex challenges of inventory control and real-time information management.
Technologies
Used in the Solution
Measurable Benefits
and Business Impact
This solution provides a variety of benefits, including reduced reliance on (and expenses for) outside vendors, streamlined importing and updating processes via a user-friendly interface, secure hosting of all data on the company’s own servers and website, and enhanced reporting capabilities for improved inventory management.
Empowered company staff with the necessary tools to manage operations independently
Eliminated recurring expenses associated with external vendors
Gained greater control over downtime by hosting information on the company’s own web servers
Ensured real-time inventory updates
Reduced turnaround times for changes and updates
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the new system replace?
A costly third-party service that managed the company’s inventory levels and operated a separate web-based search database. That arrangement was expensive and prone to downtime, so the company set out to develop an in-house online vehicle search database instead.
Can our own staff maintain a system like this?
Yes. The company needed a solution that could be maintained by their existing staff, and the delivered application gives the company’s staff the tools to manage operations independently.
How do staff update vehicle inventory?
Company staff take vehicle photographs and upload details directly from handheld devices, then use an administrative tool with a simple web interface to edit and approve the information.
Where is the data hosted?
On the company’s own servers and website. Hosting the information on their own web servers also gave the company greater control over downtime.
What is the application built on?
Microsoft .NET, powered by a single SQL Server database that brings together data from the company’s multiple locations into one centrally managed interface.
If you are paying a vendor every month to run a system your own team could operate, the recurring cost is usually easy to pin down and the alternative is easy to scope. A first conversation covers what your current service does, what data you would need to bring in-house, and what building and maintaining it yourself would involve. You get a straight read on whether that trade makes sense at your size. Start the conversation
There is a point where a monthly subscription for something central to how you sell stops matching how you actually work. Tell us what you are renting today and we will say plainly whether building your own is worth it or whether you should stay where you are.
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