For the past 13 years the group has been running the Motabis accounting system on an IBM platform over a point-to-point network on a decentralised basis. "With the Year 2000 looming, we decided to undertake a major upgrade of both software and hardware," says Sudhir Jagjiwan, group IS manager.
"Although lack of Year 2000 compliance was an obvious shortcoming, there were several other needs to address with the upgrade. The cost of running a decentralised system was high. We also wanted to become Internet- and e-mail-enabled, and we wanted Windows front-ends," he says.
After evaluating the environment and infrastructure for change, Imperial concluded that the existing system was inadequate, as motor-trade software systems are now all mainly Unix-based. Imperial needed a system that would allow its 300 users to communicate with a centralised accounting office: some of the larger branches raise and forward about 500 invoices a day.
"We decided on a short- to medium-term strategy, and we needed to keep costs down. We reviewed three software systems, and chose Kerridge Autoline, widely regarded as the most complete fully integrated dealer management system in the world for the retail car and commercial vehicle trades.
"We were referred to Computer Configurations by FlexiFleet, one of the other companies in the Imperial Group, which bought a Corollary system last year. The Promaster`s speed and performance during extensive tests of Kerridge impressed us and Kerridge. The symmetric multiprocessing works well and all our expectations of the Promaster have been met. It was also competitively priced."
Imperial developed a migration path to the Promaster, installing an infrastructure enabling old and new systems to run concurrently.
"We`ve been impressed with Computer Configurations` level of client service," says Jagjiwan.
He adds: "We anticipate several benefits of the new system. These include the ability to respond quickly to market movements, such as which models are needed urgently at what branch, and to stock and fulfil the needs of spares departments."
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