The Automotive Parts Services Group (The Group), created by the merger of Federated and Pronto, held an IT Summit March 17-18.
The initial focus of the summit was a review of joint activities with immediate benefit to members from both original groups as well as an assessment of progress in several key areas. These initiatives were part of plans developed at the time of the December 2014 merger and their progress was reviewed. In addition, action plans and support analysis were developed by the combined team for future initiatives.
“Bringing together members of both IT departments for an update and brainstorming session was overdue,” said Bill Maggs, co-CEO of The Group and CEO of National Pronto Association. “This was an excellent meeting. It was exciting to see the progress and opportunities to improve support for our members and supplier partners.”
Presentations were made in a number of key areas with a focus on identifying best practices and improvement potential, including:
- Data warehouse processes and information
- National account reporting and management systems
- Electronic catalog benefits and opportunities
- Pricing and PIES information management
- Inventory planning processes and management
- EDI processes and efficiencies
- Infrastructure support and improvement
- Installer support and opportunities
- Telematics potential
“These meetings really demonstrate the potential to create more value through the merger,” added Rusty Bishop, co-CEO of The Group and CEO of Federated Auto Parts. “Even though both groups have small staffs focused on IT, we have some of the most talented individuals in the industry and really feel good about what has been accomplished.”
There were four members each from Federated and Pronto in attendance, along with two invited guests from Fisher Auto Parts, who reviewed some recent studies and tests that could be beneficial to all members of The Group.
“The opportunity to share information and analysis in areas such as member portals, cloud server options and VIC create benefits for all of us and avoids the need for redundant activity,” stated Herb Godschalk, co-president of Fisher Auto Parts and chairman of the Federated IT committee. “While we enjoyed the opportunity to share some insights, we also learned a great deal in the session. Working together will definitely provide benefits.”
The combined IT team will hold their next meeting during the Pronto full membership meeting in April with all in attendance. The ongoing merger activities will focus on value creation and benefits by leveraging The Group’s combined resources for continued improvement.
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