Quality driver
Best-in-sector global automotive compliance platform facilitates outsourcing firm’s bold growth plans.
Custom automotive compliance solution puts company in the driving seat
Reputation matters
Prestige car brands such as Bentley, Mercedes Benz & Jaguar have enviable reputations for quality. Therefore, it is no surprise that they insist that those that carry out repairs on their customers’ cars have exceptionally high standards.
And this is where specialist automotive outsource partner Outsorc comes in. They ensure that the paint shops and bodywork that undertake work meet quality standards.
The need for a new approach
Up to this point, Oursorc relied on off-the-shelf software to track compliance by the body and paint shops. However, Outsorc had become increasingly frustrated with failings in the software.
Prime amongst these was that it was difficult for dealerships and car manufacturers to get an overview of compliance levels across their networks.
The increasing cost of the ‘per-user, per-month’ licensing regime was also a major issue.
After considering a number of alternative approaches, Outsorc decided that commissioning their own solution offered the best way to serve its existing customer base and provide business opportunities to gain new ones.
Outsourc now had a clear idea of what they wanted to achieve but there was one potential sticking point - they had no experience of developing software.
The hunt for a trusted partner to plug the company’s experience gap led Outsorc’s Director and Chair Daniel Emery to our door.
Realising the big idea
With us now entrusted with the Project, we embarked on a highly collaborative build process.
We helped Daniel and his team whittle down and prioritise feature wish-lists, marrying Outsourc’s business needs with those of the software’s users.
We also provided interactive prototypes so that Outsorce could build confidence in the product amongst investors and existing customers. We were also part of these efforts, trialing prototypes with paint and body shop staff.
Best-in-sector global platform
Outsorc now has a best-in-sector global platform to track all aspects of quality compliance across automotive paint and body shops.
Available in 7 languages, the responsive web app works equally well on desktops, tablets and mobiles.
The application harnesses the computation and graphic capabilities of Microsoft’s Power BI to provide a comprehensive suite of highly-visual reports and dashboards.
The platform is hosted on Microsoft’s state-of-the-art Azure server platform and has been designed to integrate with Dealer Management Systems (DMS) via the industry-leading bodyshop data sharing CAPS® application.
90% reduction in the time it takes to obtain an overview of compliance levels.
A platform for business growth
The new software has so far been adopted by leading manufacturers across the globe. Firms already signed up include, Bentley Motors, Volvo, Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan and LV=.
There has been around a 90% reduction in the time it takes dealerships, manufacturers and Outsorc staff to obtain an overview of compliance levels. They can now spend their time concentrating on improving performance.
The Company has received very positive feedback from body and paint shops who find it much easier to manage their own quality compliance.
Armed with what is now the leading audit tool in the sector, Outsorc has set ambitious new growth targets and is already in negotiations with other car manufacturers to sign up to their new compliance platform.
Thinking outside with Daniel Emery
Chairman, Outsorc Ltd
What surprised you?
I had some knowledge about the complexities involved in tweaking an existing off-the-shelf system but I hadn't appreciated the complexity involved in developing a wholly new piece of software. The nuances… how asking to change one small element requires careful planning so not to adversely create a problem elsewhere in the system.
What was fun?
Up to now I’ve been involved in strategy and consulting - you’ve got a problem and we will deliver the strategy to solve. Doing that we never see the outcome but this is different. It is more enjoyable as we have created something physically that you can see. Demo-ing the product - that’s a real fun part… showing off something that we’ve created with bluebox just from ideas.
What’s next?
I hadn’t expected it to be this quick but the next pivot is to extend the software to move into different verticals. With some adjustments, we can turn what we’ve built to monitor bodyshops into a broader compliance eco-system. We have a window of opportunity to steal a march on our competitors so I want to push it as quickly as I can.
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