MAM Software has produced a useful guide to streamlining efficiencies whilst protecting margins using the Autopart system. 

The company says many businesses are currently undergoing reviews to determine the best way to cut costs and maximise profitability in such an uncertain economic landscape.  It says its ERP software is the driving force behind many aftermarket businesses and can provide many tools to assist this process. 

Autopart is the versatile business management solution that integrates sales, stock management, account and reporting processes into one easy-to-use package. As well as many processes that are fundamental to a successful business, Autopart is filled with intuitive features that can streamline, digitise and maximise productivity in an economic climate where a smart business strategy is vital to success. 

Ben Nicholls, Automotive Sales manager for MAM Software has provided ten tips for streamlining efficiencies whilst protecting margins using Autopart. He says: 

1. Maximise your margins – Diving into invoices, costs and trends through in-depth reporting gives you a clear view of your margins including where they are too low. In MAM’s Autopart system, this process is simple and all reports can be automated in the day end to ensure this important information gets to the right person so it can be acted upon efficiently.

2. The right stock at the right time – Analyse your part usages to ensure you are ordering the right amount of stock. Autopart recommends new minimum and maximum stock levels. These figures can be used to generate suggested purchase orders ensuring only the right amount of stock is ordered.

3. Money left on the shelf? - Slow-moving and unprofitable products can eat into your margins more than you think. Autopart can analyse sales trends across single or multi-site locations and adjust your stock levels accordingly. Leaving you with more profitable stock and less unnecessary purchases.

4. Extend your business and trade on line 24/7. Having an online presence increases opportunity for sales. MAM Software’s ecommerce solutions allows you to receive all online orders immediately into your MAM business management system for onward processing. Once on the site, your customers can browse your product catalogue, search for products and add them to their basket. They will see their own prices (trade or retail), as well as product images, datasheets and the accurate availability of stock.

5. Control your pricing - The key to profitable sales is a pricing strategy that reflects your customers' varying pricing needs. Autopart can help you define and manage complex pricing models or run special offers tailored by item, product group, customer and/or date.

6. Source parts from your branches first - Companies with multiple branches can utilise Autopart’s stock levelling. This automated process analyses branch stock levels and sources parts from other branches where possible. Saving money on unnecessary purchase orders to suppliers.

7. Go paperless - Many businesses still rely on costly inefficient paper communications. If you're sending invoices, statements or promotional material by post, Autopart can save you money by communicating with your customers directly via email and SMS text messaging.

8. Increase your average order value – This is a great way to improve your profits from your existing customers. Autopart makes it easy for you to take advantage of cross-sell and up-sell opportunities by linking relevant products together for your staff to recommend at the point-of-sale.

9. Run promotions – Attract new customers, launch products, ensure customers feel like they are getting value for money or offload excess stock using sales promotions. Autopart makes this easy and simple to do using its sales promotions tool.

10. Reducing customer returns – Integrated into Autopart is Autocat- a widely recognised, industry-standard parts catalogue that lets you quickly find and compare components from a wide range of suppliers by matching parts to particular vehicles helping to ensure the right part first time.

For more information visit: www.mamsoftware.com