Volvohandelns
"BusinessObjects quick and interactive reporting applications give all workshop supervisors, managers, technicians and customer receptionists at the car dealerships direct performance information every day."Joakim Rylander
Project Manager Business Analysis Systems
Volvohandelns Utvecklings AB
Challenge
Workshop indicators a bottleneck in the information chain
Volvohandelns Utvecklings AB, in collaboration with the Volvo and Renault dealers in Sweden and Norway, has a very effective local and regional IT environment. Since 1996, Volvo and Renault car dealers in Sweden and Norway have been using an integrated financial and business management system called TACDIS (Truck and CarDealer Information System).
When the business analysis performance level needed to be enhanced in TACDIS, Volvohandelns Utvecklings AB decided to take the opportunity to increase the functionality by adding a visual and user friendly reporting and business analysis application. It was important for the new application to be integrated with the existing business management system.
Volvohandelns Utvecklings AB saw a need for the workshops to be able to track the status of every car and work order. It was vital for the workshop supervisor to be able to compare and aggregate this information, thus making it possible to optimize the entire workshop process.
"In the past, especially at a regional level it was difficult to access specific figures for every workshop, down to a customer order level. Our goal was to implement a visual, easy to use reporting application, which could quickly show the status of each individual work process. At the same time we wanted to be able to analyze and compile the various figures in a range of different formats", says Joakim Rylander, Project Manager Business Analysis Systems at Volvohandelns Utvecklings AB
Approach
Easy to integrate
During the process to procure the most suitable business analysis software, Volvohandelns Utvecklings AB reviewed BusinessObjects and software from two other vendors. The three systems were carefully evaluated in terms of both the price and the functionality they offered. According to Joakim Rylander, the main reason for choosing Business Objects as a vendor was the fact that the BusinessObjects reporting application Crystal Xcelsius has the capacity to create data relationships using the computer markup language format XML and Web Services can be used for real-time reporting. These two factors make it easy to adapt the reporting software to the Volvo and Renault dealers’ internal customer and business management system TACDIS and to different databases such as Oracle, for example.
Another major advantage of the Crystal Xcelsius software is its varied range of presentation formats and analysis alternatives together with the high online availability. Crystal Xcelsius is the first and only reporting software product on the market combining point-and-click technology with interactive visualization technology.
With the objective of adapting the functionality for the customer in the simplest and quickest way, a regional pilot project was set up and implemented at a car dealership in central Sweden.
Results
A workshop barometer
Crystal Xcelsius makes it easy to create visually dynamic dashboards to show results and statistics (see graphic above). This means that business information is presented in a way that is easy-to-grasp for everyone.
Volvohandelns Utvecklings AB has created a kind of workshop barometer based on twelve business ratio figures, derived from several important workshop processes. When the indicator is green, the workshop is in line with the set goals. A yellow field is a warning that the set goals may not be met. And, finally if the indicator is showing red, there is a problem that need to be dealt with at once.
"Direct access to accurate key figures on lead times and various workshop processes like repairs and maintenance at an individual level means that workshop supervisors can act in a coaching role instead of just handing out work orders. Crystal Xcelsius is also making it easy to improve individual work processes and coordinate all workshop-related actions more effectively", says Joakim Rylander.
Quick Facts
- Industry:
Volvo and Renault car dealers and workshops - Business Pain:
The car dealers needed more control and a better overview of the level of service and profitability on every work order, at both a local and regional level. - Why Business Objects?:
Business Objects could offer a fully seamless integration with Volvohandelns internal business management system. Also, the high availability as well as the analysis and presentation possibilities of Crystal Xcelsius made Business Objects a perfect fit. - Business Objects products and services:
Crystal Xcelsius