“We want to capture more sales and be aggressive in wholesale parts. Auto PartsBridge has been a great asset to our wholesale business.”
– Darren Ramnarine, Parts Manager,
Agincourt Hyundai, Scarborough, Ontario
Darren Ramnarine is the Parts Manager at Agincourt Hyundai. He currently manages two parts counter staff, two parts advisors, and two drivers. Darren also helps in the Service Department when needed, and by doing so, has a strong grasp of Service and Parts operations within the dealership.
What was your motivation in implementing Auto PartsBridge?
“We want to capture more sales and be aggressive in wholesale parts. Auto PartsBridge has been a great asset to our wholesale business.”
What challenges did Auto PartsBridge help the dealership overcome?
Ramnarine explained that many of the body shops he works with service older cars and typically search for salvage or aftermarket parts, without even considering OE parts as they assume it would be too costly. However, the use of salvaged or aftermarket parts resulted in poor fit and finish, or the incorrect part altogether. This in turn would delay the vehicle repair and impact the timing of returning the car to the customer. As a genuine Hyundai dealer, Agincourt simply had no way to compete. “With this program, body shops are able to upload their estimate on to Auto PartsBridge. We show them where we can save them money and mostly their time. Plus fit and finish is perfect; they love it.”
How has Auto PartsBridge improved your dealership?
Ramnarine is impressed by the ease of use of Auto PartsBridge and how it integrates into the already hectic schedule of Agincourt’s Parts Department. The parts staff are able to receive and reply to an order in a short amount of time, with no interruption to their other tasks. “It’s really easy to use and the guys have no concerns with it at all. It’s been really smooth and that’s what we want. When an order comes up, you click on it, and the information is all there at your fingertips, it breaks it all down for you.” For the first time, Ramnarine now has full visibility of all part lines in a smash estimate, including parts destined for aftermarket suppliers. Using Auto PartsBridge, Ramnarine can take advantage of Hyundai conquest program to compete against aftermarket suppliers.
How has the Electronic Parts Catalogue (EPC) within Auto PartsBridge improved the accuracy of the orders?
Ramnarine has noticed a big difference in the orders received from the body shops using Auto PartsBridge. “The EPC being incorporated into Auto PartsBridge actually increases our sales, because there are often parts (that are) not included in the body shop’s estimating software.” The power of the genuine EPC means that parts can be filtered down to VIN-level detail. Searches can also be performed by component, section, or part number.
Ramnarine also adds that less paperwork when using Auto PartsBridge dramatically cuts down the repair cycle timing, noting that instead of sending 3, 4, or even 5 invoices for one order, all items are on one invoice. Now, the first order received from the body shop is usually “100% accurate”.
How has Auto PartsBridge affected your profitability?
Ramnarine has experienced increased sales in two different ways. Body shops like using Auto PartsBridge because of its ease of use and improved parts identification. With that he says, aftermarket parts are often being conquested to genuine Hyundai parts as body shops “know the fit and finish will be perfect and the price will be competitive.”
The second way Agincourt Hyundai has profited from using Auto PartsBridge is the corporate dedication to the rebate program. Ramnarine explains that over the past several months, Hyundai Automotive Canada Corp. has been adding more components to their rebate program based on feedback from Parts Managers such as himself.
This partnership has greatly improved the parts wholesale and rebate program.
Do you see Auto PartsBridge as a long-term solution to parts ordering?
“My goal is to get everything there (on Auto PartsBridge), so nothing gets missed.” While some body shops were already using Auto PartsBridge for other OEMs and knew the benefits of the program, Ramnarine is encouraging all participating body shops to use Auto PartsBridge as the “electronic source of parts ordering.” He states that many body shops are already using Auto PartsBridge to send parts orders through, regardless of the repair, due to the increased efficiency of the parts ordering process.