Automotive Relocation Service Takes Control of Its Data

 

Responsive and accurate tracking of vehicles

PARS, Inc. provides automotive relocation services for commercial fleets, fleet management companies, and individuals throughout the contiguous 48 states, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Canada. Its mission is to provide its customers with high-quality, comprehensive, nationwide vehicle relocation services at competitive prices and with exemplary customer service. 

 

The ability to provide responsive and accurate order management and tracking of vehicle movements is critical to fulfilling its mission. Transparency in the logistics management process is paramount. 

 

Before the implementation of the new system, PARS had a proprietary web portal for customer quote requests and order management. However, its rapid growth pushed the system beyond its limitations. The system also failed to provide real-time insight into the movement of vehicles from dispatch through delivery, limiting PARS’ ability to set the standard in response times. 

 

Furthermore, PARS’ external-facing customer web portal needed more speed, agility, and optimization. 

 

As client demands and logistics became increasingly complicated, more sophisticated and feature-rich tools were required. 

 

Managing the complexity

To assist in evaluating an alternative solution, PARS invited EastBanc Technologies to review its current software and suggest a new approach that would efficiently support the company’s business process and give it full control of its data. EastBanc Technologies played a crucial role in the successful implementation of the new technology solution. 

EastBanc Technologies proposed a customized Microsoft architecture to manage PARS internal orders and external users such as customers and contractors. 

 

Drawing on our expertise in integrating complex systems, we incorporated disparate data sources from across PARS’ operations to drive optimization of Microsoft Power BI, sales opportunities, and other key customer relationship matters in a secure environment. Integrating sales operational activities from the CRM with a NetSuite accounting system relayed sales information in real time and improved the overall data quality within the accounting system. In addition, customers can now view payment status from the portal—a previously unavailable feature. 

 

With the robust and comprehensive infrastructure agreed upon, we focused on implementing business processes and workspace dashboards for each specific business role so that we could provide PARS with real-time visibility and reporting across its vehicle transport operations. 

 

  

 

Real-time monitoring and fewer errors

With EastBanc Technologies’ help, PARS can now monitor, map, and track vehicle and fleet movements with unparalleled accuracy in real time. The benefits to date include: 

 

1. Unrivaled accuracy and efficiency

“We’re focused on the customer experience and extended relationship management,” said Erik Rasmussen, Director of Outside Operations for PARS. “As part of that, we remain dedicated to our core building blocks, especially customer service. Our investment in technology ensures that our team and our customers receive accurate real-time information about the delivery and handling of their vehicles. They can now act on and optimize their efficiency in fleet operations.”  

 

2. Real-time, dashboard-based visibility

Customer service specialists and regional offices now have real-time dashboard insight into each order process stage. The system also provides vital insight into the customer experience by collecting feedback from the pickup and delivery parties via an integrated survey feature.  

 

3. Greater efficiencies, fewer errors

“Being able to display our orders on a map and logically link orders that may be delivered or picked up in nearby locations has delivered greater efficiency. [Additionally], the verification capabilities in the system have made it possible to confirm vehicle VINs and vehicle addresses at the time of order placement, quickly and accurately” said Rasmussen 

 

4. Enhanced customer insights

The new custom-designed portal provides transparent and reliable access to status updates. No more second-guessing where vehicles are located or waiting for reports to load. Customers instantly get the data they need and access their PARSW representative—all in one place, empowering them with control over their vehicle relocation process.  

 

“Customers have also been very complimentary of their experience with the new customer portal, “Rasmussen said, “It’s a quantum leap forward in terms of the user interface, navigation ease, and functionality. For example, customers can view their customer service representative’s headshot and contact information—everyone likes to associate a face with a name! Another popular feature is dashboard mapping, which allows customers to view the current stored location of their vehicles directly from the portal and easily place out-of-storage orders.” 

5. Time savings

The system’s data retrieval capabilities result in additional time savings, too. “We can now save all our order information, including vehicle records and contacts. This means big savings for repeat customers because it eliminates the need to recreate vehicle records or pickup/delivery contacts repeatedly,” Rasmussen notes.

 

6. Future-proof

The solution easily expands into other business areas without developing additional applications. Anticipated enhancements to the system include:

- Additional BI features.

- Integration with PARS’ accounting system.

- A mobile application for drivers and PARS customers. 

 

“Working together with EastBanc Technologies, we know that PARS will remain at the leading edge of the technology curve and well ahead of our competition in the transportation space,” says Rasmussen.