Distributors & Jobbers Service Market Manufacturers

ABC Auto Parts Grows to 21 Stores with "All On One Box" Solution

ABC Auto Parts is one of the largest automotive aftermarket warehouse distributors in East Texas. With 350 employees and a fleet of over 100 trucks, the company serves as the distribution center for 21 company-owned stores in the Longview area. Annual sales top $440 million. ABC Auto Parts is a member of the Alliance Group.

The Challenge

ABC Auto Parts has been an Activant client since 1976, starting with a Series 12™. This system served the company well, but by 1998 they knew they had to upgrade to the next level so they could support an increasing number of stores.

As Pyle describes it, the problem was a matter of three issues, each related to the others. First, the stores were having difficulty in accessing inventory at the warehouse. This was increasing order time and affecting customer service. Second, the company was finding it more difficult to maintain pricing over different systems at the distribution center and the stores. Prices often did not match and the pricing process was taking too much time. Third, managers at ABC Auto Parts were not able to access timely, accurate data for effective management. "It was hard to get your hands on the right information," says Pyle.

Obviously, the time had come to upgrade to a centralized solution. Multiple platforms were creating inefficiencies, costly overstocks, and other difficulties. "The whole deal for us was to find a way to have all the stores and the DC on one box,” says Pyle. “Operating on different systems was not good at all."

The company needed a flexible, yet highly integrated system integrated system that would streamline the ordering process, improve pricing accuracy, and increase visibility into the company's operations.

The Activant Solution

Pyle chose Activant Ultimate™, a highly scalable, centralized business solution for streamlining inventory management, customer maintenance, accounting, purchasing, and business analytics. Since then, he has been happy to see his Ultimate solution driving a number of critical benefits. Ordering is much faster and customers are happy with the improved service. The pricing process is more accurate and efficient. Overstocks at the warehouse have been reduced. According to Pyle, turns are up as well, and the inventory is far easier to manage with the new system.

Pyle has also been pleased with the personal attention he and his staff received from Activant representatives throughout the implementation process. He was also impressed with the training. "Training was easy. Nothing to it."

However, Pyle always returns to the main reason that ABC Auto Parts invested in an Ultimate system: solid support for growth. "This system improved our operations everywhere," he says. “We couldn't have expanded the way we have without Ultimate."