Automotive industry software specialist SalesMaster, has announced a deal to supply leading franchised retailer group Inchcape with its proprietary STOCKBOOK product. The platform, which enables group-wide stock visibility in real-time delivers next generation stock management, targeted tactical campaigns and offers an enhanced customer experience. STOCKBOOK is now live across all of the retailer’s Jaguar Land Rover, Audi, Toyota, Lexus, BMW, MINI, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche branches.
“STOCKBOOK enables a standardisation of the way live information is presented to our teams, to enhance our customers’ experience. It provides a greater depth of information than our previous system, ensuring a clear live view of all physical and incoming stock,” explains Katie Martin, Inchcape’s Commercial Director. “Its flexibility is ideal for the way our business is structured: retailers have access to stock data across their own brand, and our group support teams can analyse consistent information across all brands for the benefit of future promotions and stock management.”
“We are delighted that one of the world’s largest premier retailer groups has identified the potential of STOCKBOOK to help empower its evolving consumer retail experience; the ability to strategically manage and streamline Inchcape’s vast new and used stock will help provide a significant return on investment,” explains Chris Stott, SalesMaster managing director. “We are excited to expand our software across all of the 100+ Inchcape sites, providing expertise and support to ensure the full range of benefits provided by STOCKBOOK are fully utilised, and to monitor its successful business integration in the form of – ultimately – increased vehicle sales.”
STOCKBOOK provides real-time visibility of available stock, including full vehicle details, factory statuses and locations. An intuitive, easy-to-navigate application, enables sales teams to respond to customer enquiries in seconds, identify opportunities to upsell and reserve cars instantly. The product is fully adaptable to industry trends such as the same-day delivery mentality many consumers demand today, highlighted through its capability to populate a retailer’s website and mobile apps, positioning it well to assist end-users in the ever-growing age of digital automotive sales.
“Using extensive experience of new and used car sales, we have streamlined stock management and visibility, which had been time consuming and inefficient when conducted using manual processes via spreadsheets and emails,” says Stott. “For a group of Inchcape’s scale, with thousands of vehicles available at any one time, the ability to search, move or sell stock from all over the country at the click of a button is a significant advantage.
“Supply to Inchcape further validates the tangible benefits offered by STOCKBOOK; the range and depth of data available can be utilised to promote accelerated sales growth,” continues Stott, explaining how STOCKBOOK enables dealerships to increase sales while offering the chance to find buyers immediate alternatives. “For example, cross-reference of top performing sites, both in terms of sales origination and stock, can ensure appropriate replenishment and rotation, where appropriate. Of course, STOCKBOOK also promotes remote sales from off-site stock by matching customers with their perfect vehicle online – this represents an opportunity for upselling, as our research shows that many customers would rather take delivery of a car with additional specification with immediate availability from new stock, than wait on lead-times for a bespoke order.”
STOCKBOOK has been rolled out across Inchcape’s sites with a view to future adoption of SalesMaster’s sister products, such as FLEETBASE, which is an industry award-winning, detailed fleet management, order processing and data-collection tool.
