L'intégration est un facteur clé pour Mitsubishi Portugal
Customer Story
L'intégration de ses systèmes centraux a permis à Mitsubishi de rationaliser et de maîtriser de nouveaux processus de gestion tout en assurant à ses clients un service de grande qualité.
João Ramos, IT Manager at Mitsubishi Motors Portugal explains that IBS integration software has allowed the company to streamline and control new business process while maintaing high-quality customer service.
The Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) of Japan is vast. It produces a wide range of products from large Electric capital goods to the Nikon camera - but it is best known for the production of automobiles. The company has manufacturing facilities in over 30 countries and its sales and after-sales organisation is present in more than 170 countries. Its continued winning record at the Dakar Rally demonstrates Mitsubishi’s success.
Mitsubishi Motors Portugal (MMP) operates via four independent companies, each of which sells new and used vehicles as well as service operations and associated spare parts. The company has a working force of about 60 people.
Mixture of systems
MMP has a number of different IT systems of differing origin to help run its business. The backbone of the business in terms of financials, cash management, parts distribution and invoicing is run by IBS Enterprise software, ASW. “We chose the IBS solution more than 10 years ago and have never looked back,” explains João Ramos, IT Manager, MMP. In addition to IBS software, MMP use an in-house warranty system as well as a dealer communication system that was also developed in-house along with elements of the IBS system.
In order to produce a seamless operation that would benefit customers, suppliers and dealers, it was important to MMP that all these different systems communicate. For example, when customers place orders on dealers for spare parts, MMP want to ensure that the process is automated. Dealers must know exactly when these orders will be delivered without re-keying information into different systems. If all the systems communicate with each other, then all parties would be aware of the situation.
Integration is the key
To achieve complete integration, MMP decided to search for a solution that would become an unobtrusive layer between these disparate systems, allowing MMP to keep its preferred routines rather than forcing them to make costly changes. The company turned to its IT partner, IBS, and soon realized that the best product for its integration issues was IBS Integrator. IBS Integrator simplifies the complexities of system integration, data management, replication, and process synchronization.
IBS Integrator allows MMP to speak with its customers, suppliers, dealers and business partners in their own language – regardless of platform. The solution gives MMP the technology to use information from external systems and applications. “We chose IBS Integrator because it allows us to integrate different systems in an independent way,” Ramos points out.
Improve margins and take control
The far-reaching technology of IBS Integrator means that MMP can integrate and optimize any sort of business information or process. The company can gain the flexibility and synchronization that it needs for responding to demand and improving efficiencies. For example, during the last 3-4 years, the automotive business has undergone severe changes. Today, dealers no longer offer a single brand - they sell multiple brands and, as a result, manufacturers have lost control of the retail network.
In addition, the spare parts business is also multi-brand. These changes meant that MMP had to be more competitive; otherwise the company’s margins would come under pressure. It was therefore vital to find new ways to maintain and improve market share. The company decided to close its Portuguese central spare parts warehouse and rely on a single warehouse, located in Spain, to supply parts to Portugal, Spain and south of France.
In order to make this transition as transparent as possible to its customers, MMP used IBS Integrator to gain direct online access to the new warehouse. “IBS software has allowed us to streamline and control the new business process and at the same time give high-quality service to our customers,” explains Ramos. Today, when a dealer places an order for spare parts, even he does not know from where the spare part will originate. In addition, he will have access to a far greater spare part inventory than previously. “IBS Integrator makes it possible to add new functionality without changing our core systems,” adds Ramos.
Many advantages
One of the main advantages of IBS Integrator is that MMP is able to keep its existing systems - having to change these would be both costly and time consuming to implement. “IBS Integrator is a template that accommodates our existing systems,” says Ramos. “Using the same bricks we have been able to create a new, efficient and synergetically improved business,” he adds.
Another advantage for MMP is the quality of the IBS team. “IBS staff know our business and this was a big advantage in the implementation of IBS Integrator,” explains Ramos“. The company are very impressed with the way IBS has fulfilled and furthered the long-term partnership as originally envisaged.
João Ramos, IT Manager, Mitsubishi Motors Portugal
Company profile
Name: Mitsubishi Motors Portugal Region: Portugal Operation: Import, wholesale and distribution Products: Vehicles and spare parts Employees: 60 Website: Mitsubishi Motors Portugal
Issues
Need to cope with different IT systems
Need to be more competitive
Margins coming under pressure
Re-organization of warehousing
Need for improved dealer communication.
Solution
Quick to implement integration software solution
Covering:
Systems integration
Data replication
Data management
Business process tracking
Synchronization.
Capabilities
Ease of integration
Automated processing triggers
Streamlined business processes
24/7 online communication with dealers
More synergetic business
Prepared for further business growth.
Value
No need to change core systems
Reduction of tasks
Greater access to spare part inventory
Additional and more detailed information available
