Author: Kate Shakesheff

46% Of Consumers See Smart Technology As A Vital Part Of The Showroom Experience

Posted on by Kate Shakesheff

Cooper Solutions survey highlights the benefits of technology for dealerships looking
to boost their customer journey

With the showroom car buying experience continually evolving, a new poll by Cooper Solutions reveals just what are today’s consumer expectations. 46% of consumers surveyed said that dealers who use the same smart technology that they use in their own homes on a daily basis, such as touchscreen TVs and tablets, offer a far more ‘positive customer experience’.

Over half (56%) of those surveyed believe that dealers who use smart technology offer a more ‘efficient’ car buying process, whilst 73% said that those dealers who don’t use technology for the benefit of the customer are not being as ‘professional’ as they could be. Therefore, those dealers that are embracing the latest innovations available to them today, are benefiting from a perceived higher degree of professionalism compared to those who don’t.

The ‘swapper’ – the customer who part exchanges their car – has particular expectations when it comes getting a vehicle valuation. Over a third (33%) of consumers surveyed revealed they would be more ‘confident’ if a dealer provided an electronic valuation; 67% of all those surveyed believed a more traditional type of valuation wouldn’t be as accurate.
Barry Cooper, Managing Director of Cooper Solutions comments: “Our research shows that as many as 68% of car buyers believe that dealers who are not using smart technology in the showroom are not being as transparent about the sales and services they offer as they could be.

“Take for example the vehicle appraisal process; it’s crucial the way this is conducted, calculated and communicated to the prospective customer in securing a sale. Those dealers who take a ‘Wizard of Oz’ approach to appraisals – disappearing behind closed doors to produce a quote – seriously underestimate the impression this leaves with the customer. One properly appraised vehicle will return the cost of an iPad, and offer greater reassurance to the buyer that they are getting the best market price for their part exchange, plus it could engender a greater level of trust.

“Today’s tech savvy car buyers expect a seamless experience, from initial research using a dealer website through to the visit to the showroom itself. As our research demonstrates, those dealerships utilising the latest smart technology such as tablets, TVs and smartphones to assist with the customer journey, are one very large step ahead of the competition.”

July 2017

As FullAuction embarks on its 7th year, Cooper Solutions reveals the secret of success for online auction selling

Posted on by Kate Shakesheff

Cooper Solutions’ FullAuction has helped retailers increase their profits on used cars with almost 1 in 3 (28%) cars sold on the trade-only online vehicle auction site achieving in excess of 100% CAP Clean, despite the fact that 90% of those cars were in fact CAP average or below.

Barry Cooper explained: “June was a typical month for retailers selling through FullAuction with respect to where they made a significant proportion of their profits. Since 2011 it has become clear that around 30% of a retailer’s trade stock is highly desirable and if these cars are well described and set at a reserve price that encourages competitive bidding once the reserve is achieved, extraordinary profits and CAP performance follow.

FullAuction boosts average £PPU and CAP performance by optimising the mix of well described stock, a large pool of buyers and low transaction costs. The result is outstanding profits for sellers.”

FullAuction minimises transaction costs, has hundreds of validated trade buyers. It is quick and easy to list, sell and deliver. Many retailers are selling their stock before a physical auction house would have even collected it, and to buyers paying considerably less than they would at physical auction.

July 2017

Robins & Day Stays In Control Of Costs With Cooper Solutions

Posted on by Kate Shakesheff

FullFinancials reduces debtor days by 201%

Robins & Day, the largest Peugeot and Citroen dealer group in the UK, with 42 sites nationwide, is enjoying the benefits of Cooper Solutions’ FullForecast and FullFinancials. Celebrating a partnership of 10 years, FullForecast, a financial management system, which has increased staff efficiency, forecasting accuracy and the financial culture of the whole business and FullFinancials, a cash management system, have helped to reduce debtor days by 201%.

Richard Garbutt, Sales Director at Robins & Day, explains, “FullForecast is a fast and easy to use digital solution that has made us, as a business, more robust and our reporting more accurate. Prior to FullForecast we were using Excel spreadsheets which had to be manually filled in by our managers – this was extremely time consuming for them and more crucially, less accurate. It also meant our head office then had over 40 spreadsheets to collate and consolidate each week. With a web based system like FullForecast every level of report is produced automatically, by department, by dealer, by division and group. We now spend time acting on the data, rather than producing it.

“Our line managers also find that using FullForecast enhances their understanding of what’s happening in their departments as they can see exactly what’s happening in real-time, rather than having to extract it directly from the dealer management system. At a glance, they can see revenue, expenses and performance against budget, creating a faster and more streamlined process. The consolidation and transparency of the information it has given us means we’d struggle to operate without it today. It’s at the heart of our forecasting and has become an integral part of how we run our business.”

Complementing FullForecast, is FullFinancials which Simon Lawrence, Director of Finance & Group Strategy for Robins & Day, sees as a key tool for the business. He says, “The FullFinancials Debtor analysis module has had a dramatic effect on our credit control performance. The increased visibility afforded by this solution has helped reduce debtor days by 201%. Our credit control teams now spend more time doing what we need them to do; collecting debt, not collating data.”

Andrew Whicher of Cooper Solutions concludes, “We offer a full suite of tools, which are designed to help businesses like Robins & Day streamline their processes and focus on day-to-day operations. Both FullForecast and FullFinancials collate crucial data into web-based reports that support businesses as they focus on strategic growth through tighter management of revenue and costs.”

Cooper Solutions Strengthens Team With Three New Appointments

Posted on by Kate Shakesheff

Barford-based business, Cooper Solutions marks its continued investment in experienced and specialist professionals with the recent appointments of Ian Batchelder, Account Executive, Adam Trinder, Internal Account Manager and Paddy Chadderton, Account Manager.

Ian joins the FullCover and FullCompliance teams which marks a career change from his previous role as a chemistry teacher. At Cooper Solutions he will draw upon his communication and organisational skills and be responsible for building strong client relationships and long term retention enjoyed by Cooper Solutions. Ian will also be responsible for overseeing the implementation of FullCover and FullCompliance for new users, as well as supporting clients following installation.

“Joining Cooper Solutions, with its strong reputation in the motor retail market, was a chance to join an engaged and well established business,” says Ian. “I relish the opportunity to try something completely new but which will make the most of my communication and organisational skills. This is an exciting challenge in a thriving company that is completely new territory for me.”

Adam Trinder has been appointed Internal Account Manager for FullAuction, having gained experience of working with dealerships in his previous role at a marketing company with a focus on utilising dealers’ customer data.

“Having worked alongside dealerships of all sizes in the past, I am keen to learn about all the systems Cooper solutions offer, whilst continuing to develop my knowledge of the industry,” comments Adam. “Cooper Solutions is known for its ability to deliver innovative solutions that go a long way in helping dealers with the day to day running of their business and I’m delighted to be joining its team.”

Paddy Chadderton joins Cooper Solutions as Account Manager for FullAuction and FullAppraisal bringing over 18 years of prior automotive industry experience. Paddy previously worked as a business manager and sales executive with dealer groups such as Hartwell & Listers. More recently, he worked on account management and new business sales at ABAX and Jaama Ltd.

Paddy comments: “As Account Manager I will be building on my previous experience and sound knowledge of the industry. I know first-hand how Cooper Solutions’ products can make a positive impact on the day to day running of a dealership and I look forward to developing strong productive working relationships with the dealer groups we partner with.”

Barry Cooper, Managing Director, Cooper Solutions adds: “Our products have been developed based on years of experience within the motor industry, matching retailers’ needs with our innovative software solutions; it’s therefore crucial that our team recognises and understands the ever changing challenges faced by retailers.

“We’re always keen to ensure our team is made up of a diverse range of people with different skills as they will naturally have different, creative ways of approaching their work and challenges. Ian, Adam and Paddy bring with them a wealth of knowledge to the Cooper Solutions team and a strong appreciation of the positive solutions our systems bring to customers.”

June 2017

MSH Ltd Never Misses A Sale With E-Bidding From Cooper Solutions

Posted on by Kate Shakesheff

Bidding on the go with FullAuction helps dealers move quickly on quality stock
from trustworthy sellers

FullAuction, from Cooper Solutions, the trade-only online vehicle auction site electric trade-only auction site is helping MSH Ltd maximise its margins. Thanks to its remote bidding capabilities and access to quality sellers, buyers such as MSH can stay one step ahead when purchasing in a competitive market. buyers can trust, it allows MSH to buy with confidence for stronger profits in a competitive market.

Matthew Hall from MSH Ltd explains the benefits of FullAuction, “The mobile bidding function is vital for me, as it means I can still use FullAuction, even when I’m abroad for months at a time. Crucially, this allows me to keep an eye on sales, meaning I never miss a deal on great quality stock. All the sellers on FullAuction are proven and trustworthy trustrworthy, giving me the confidence to buy knowing that vehicle descriptions and photos are accurate. This is essential, as I buy vehicles unseen and have them delivered straight to retailers, so our reputation depends on buying and selling from people we can trust.

FullAuction is now compatible across web enabled devices including Apple, Android and Windows, bringing users access to hundreds of validated buyers on the move. FullAuction makes it easy to list, sell and deliver vehicles for a faster, seamless buying and selling experience.

“I am more likely to buy from FullAuction than from its competitors because it allows me to cap my budget when bidding so I can avoid eroding my margins. Unlike other users who may be retailers with a large forecourt holding lots of stock, I have a very quick turnaround and therefore my margin is much tighter.

Simon Whicher, General Manager at Cooper Solutions, comments, “We continue to invest in the quality of our service to provide a fast efficient, solution help customers like MSH Ltd maximise their profits with a fast, efficient solution. With mobile bidding, buyers like Matthew Hall, can trade quickly and efficiently, even when away from their desks. FullAuction also minimises transaction costs, which combines with e-bidding to make it easier than ever for traders to snap up the best deals from sellers they can trust.”

June 2017

Stephen James Beats The Used Sales Race Against Time With FullControl

Posted on by Kate Shakesheff

Cooper Solutions FullControl increases productivity by 20%

The Stephen James Group, an authorised BMW and MINI Group with 7 dealerships across London and Kent, has seen a significant reduction in preparation time after adopting Cooper Solutions’ FullControl.

FullControl is a web based used stock management system and works to give dealerships complete control over used car stock. Analysis by Cooper Solutions has found that 40% of all used vehicles are sold for less than the budgeted profit per unit, and with retailers having just 45 days to make budgeted profit levels on used cars it means they are effectively in a race against time. It is therefore essential that dealers ensure that processes are in place to optimise speed and quality of preparation, helping them to turn stock around efficiently and quickly.

Using FullControl has helped the Stephen James Group successfully reduce its preparation time turn around as well as reducing time spent reporting, which for many retailers can be the difference between successfully achieving better than budget profit per unit or not. The system helps retailers stay on top of business developments with CDK extracts providing automated stocklists and controls at the click of a button. Stephen James benefits from an awareness of what is unprepared, prep statuses and measurement of how long it takes to prepare vehicles. CDK cannot give an indication of when a vehicle is fully prepared, so Full Control helps by providing retailers with a framework to track used stock from day 1 of it landing.

FullControl also helps retailers by reducing unexpected preparation costs, highlighting overage vehicles, providing sale price action history and reducing average order to delivery times. Iain Mackay, Used Car Stock Manager at Stephen James BMW, Enfield says: “Anyone who works in the used car industry can appreciate that there’s always one car that takes much longer to get out to the forecourt. There are many factors affecting how long a vehicle takes to be prepared and sometimes, it really is as simple as a car being blocked in somewhere on the dealer premises. FullControl helps us effectively manage preparation times by telling us the exact date a car came in enabling us to quickly focus on any cars that need to be prepared whilst avoiding overage stock.

“FullControl updates in real time, storing all the information we need for reporting as well as for producing comprehensive stock lists in one place. Using this system has significantly improved productivity and proved a big benefit to how we run our business.”

Andrew Whicher of Cooper Solutions says: “FullControl removes the need to manually maintain stock lists, instead benefiting from a much more accurate and timely stocklist as a result of CDK extracts. Changes made in CDK are reflected in real time in our solution. Newly adopted stock appears on For Sale stocklists sooner, and conversely, confirmed orders are removed immediately, price changes updated and it is quick and easy to differentiate between whether a car has been prepped or not. A general rule of thumb for all retailers should be a 3 day turnaround increasing to 5 days for a car that requires bodywork. It can be a struggle to measure this aspect of used stock.

“FullControl helps in various stages of the sales process. A good example of this is the integration of the FullCover fleet management system that provides date rate insurance for demos against retailer or group stock. Whilst providing management with real time actionable MI to increase stock turn and improve profitability of their used car business.”

June 2017

Motorline Turns To Cooper Solutions To Digitalise Forecasting

Posted on by Kate Shakesheff

Centralised and paperless solution sees reporting turnaround reduce from
4 days to less than 3 hours

Motorline Group, one of the largest motor groups, has streamlined forecasting and capitalised on released resources to focus on sales and business expansion, by partnering with Cooper Solutions. Using its range of integrated dealer management products, Motorline has created a more agile business that is successfully accelerating continued growth plans for this year.

Motorline represents a wide range of brands, including Volkswagen, Toyota, Lexus Hyundai, Renault and Maserati, and has increased its number of sites from 12 to 50 over the last 5 years With a wide geographic-spread, Motorline needed to be able to gain an overview of its entire network’s forecast in order to maximise growth opportunities and operate efficiently; FullForecast, and FullAccounts from Cooper Solutions has not only achieved this, but radically reduced the man hours previously spent by the business in producing and reconciling reports.

Paul Betts, Financial Director of Motorline Group, explains, “FullForecast provides us with an automated daily financial month-to-date and year-to-date report, including a number of department drill downs, such as vehicles sold and ordered or even labour hours and work in progress. This used to be a manual process for line managers to conduct every 10 days, and would take a good couple of days to compile. Now, it’s done automatically, within hours, and the accuracy means we can plan strategically and react to trends against both budget and forecast, which is vital given the wide geographic spread of the business.”

FullAccounts is an add on feature for FullForecast delivering additional reporting such as profit and loss, balance sheet and model analysis. Introducing FullAccounts has enabled Motorline to consolidate eight separate ledger systems, saving time and improving accessibility to information.

Betts continues: “With 17 management accountants using nominal ledger management, standardisation of the system has ensured consistency across the business. We can access information, at all levels, at the touch of a button. In addition, reporting has been maximised with benefits to the income side of the business, for example, we have better control of bonus income. The professionalism, consistency and ease of the management system ensures it has had complete buy-in at all levels of Motorline.

“Our partnership with Cooper Solutions has been instrumental in taking Motorline closer to becoming a virtually paperless system across the Group. On acquiring new sites, we introduce the products immediately as a matter of course. Teams see the benefits at once rating the them as second to none. In addition, Cooper Solutions continues to develop and improve systems in reaction to our needs, delivering the stability we need to take our business forward.”

Andrew Whicher of Cooper Solutions concludes: “We work closely with retailers like Motorline to help them implement the latest, web-based solutions putting them back in control of their business. Using FullForecast with FullAccounts has given senior managers a helicopter view of the business, producing financial and operational information that can be analysed by dealership, brand, entity and group.”

May 2017

First Safeline Charity Ball Raises in Excess of £10,000

Posted on by Kate Shakesheff

On Friday 28th April 2017, Safeline held its first Charity Ball at the Crowne Plaza in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The event was a huge success raising more than £10,000 for the charity fund. Louise James and Mark Tolliss provided the entertainment during the evening, and guests enjoyed a delicious three course meal, raffle and bidding on auction lots which included a three- day yacht charter in Majorca. Graeme Birch of Manor Investments (Birmingham) Ltd acted as auctioneer.

Neil Henderson of Safeline said: ‘This was our first ever ball and we did it because we wanted to raise awareness of the wonderful work we do. Unfortunately, sexual abuse and rape is prevalent in our community and by raising awareness of our existence, people will be able to find us and access the support they so desperately need to help them cope and recover. The night was a real celebration from start to finish and we intend to make the ball an annual event.’

Neil continued to mention the support from the local community, including organisation by Cooper Solutions Ltd, provision of wonderful centrepieces by Blueberry Balloons, and generous donations of raffle and auction prizes.

April 2017

Cooper Solutions Audit Reveals 3 Out of 4 Dealership Employees Overpay Benefit In Kind On Company Cars

Posted on by Kate Shakesheff

First review of its type highlights shortcomings of HMRC’s Averaging Agreement

Cooper Solutions has produced the first audit of its kind on HMRC’s Averaging Agreement for company car drivers. The findings reveal that a staggering 3 out of 4 dealership employees overpay Benefit in Kind (BIK), equating to over £2 million in overpaid vehicle BIK. Cooper Solutions is calling for HMRC to introduce fairer methods of taxation for the benefit of motor industry employees and their employers.

The Averaging Agreement scheme was officially introduced in 2009, specifically for the benefit of the motor industry, however, no formal review of its performance has been undertaken by HMRC since its implementation. In a move therefore to better understand the implications of the scheme, Cooper Solutions has taken the initiative to perform the first, quantifiable review of company car ‘private’ use, using its web based, real time solution for record keeping for dealership drivers – FullCompliance.

Dean Pipitone, Director of Cooper Solutions comments: “When the Averaging Agreement was first introduced, it seemed like a reasonable solution for franchised dealers. They would simply need to calculate the average vehicle BIK per price band and allocate employees to a band. However, eight years on and we can see that whilst most franchised dealerships try to comply with the Agreement, due to the demand placed on dealership vehicles, overpayment of tax is the reality.”

Based on analysis of data gathered over the last 7 years by FullCompliance, over 1.3 million nightly records of private vehicle use, across nearly 7000 company car drivers were recorded by dealers. Of these nights, 26% were spent by employees in vehicles banded below the employees allocation. Dean Pipitone continues: “Due to customer demonstrations, courtesy loans or other business factors, employees can only take home the car that is made available to them each night. This equates to more than £2 million worth of BIK overpayments made by employees. For employers, this means they paid more than necessary on National Insurance Contributions and VAT. “

“We are campaigning on behalf of the industry to see a formal review by HMRC of the shortcomings of the Averaging Agreement, and call upon it to consider how technology solutions that record, in real time, the actual use of vehicles based on availability, can produce a fairer means of taxing employees and their employers.

FullCompliance is a web-based system designed to meet national HMRC requirements that dealers account for company car user activity. The tool manages the Averaging Agreement and calculates vehicle and fuel benefit in kind (BIK) per driver. FullCompliance creates driver reports to prove actual vehicle use aligns with driver BIK and banding. Adopting a real time solution to driver and vehicle record keeping, Cooper Solutions helps dealerships demonstrate that they have a robust process in place to comply with HMRC requirements and avoid potential exposure to significant financial penalties.

April 2017

Cooper Solutions Notches Up Another Record Month In Vehicle Loan Days As March Plate Change Boosts Dealer Business

Posted on by Kate Shakesheff

The countdown to increased VED rates from 1st April adds to new and used car demand

Following the latest figures from the SMMT, which report a 8.4% increase in new car registrations in March – the biggest month ever, Coopers Solutions announces a record month of over 275,000 insured demonstrator and loan car days.

Dean Pipitone, Director at Cooper Solutions comments: “Industry predictions for March car sales were always bullish, as buyers were expected to take advantage of the new ’17-plate. Our FullCover figures already confirm a very positive picture.

“March saw a 26% increase year-on-year, with courtesy car insured days up to 210,574 and demonstrator days up to 64,732, a very healthy month across the industry.”

FullCover provides immediate, affordable loan car insurance for dealer customers and improves their overall courtesy car and demonstration experience. For dealers, it not only removes an unnecessary administration burden for service and sales teams, it gives dealer’s peace of mind that they are meeting their duty of care, as dealers, customers and the general public are fully covered in the event of an accident.

Dean Pipitone of Cooper Solutions, adds, “At a time when sales and service teams are pushed to the maximum, it’s vital that customer service is not compromised. This is when FullCover really comes in to its own, as it makes life easier for our partners by streamlining the management of their fleet, whilst enhancing the customer’s journey. By harnessing technology to support sales activity dealers not only remain focused on their duty of care obligations, but ultimately benefit from increased revenue.”

April 2017