New system installations rise for Activant Solutions Inc.

Activant Solution Inc.'s newest computer platform for replacement parts distributors and jobbers, the Activant Eagle®, has experience a 10-fold increase in store installations since late 2006. According to the company, the new system is expected to exceed 200 installations this year.

A powerful, functionally rich Microsoft Windows-based solution designed to help increase parts stores' sales, margins and customer loyalty, the Activant Eagle solution has already been purchased by such leading multi-location distributors as Parts Depot, Hahn Automotive, Pacific Supply, Parts Warehouse, Inc., Piston Ring Service Supply, Automotive Parts Headquarters, Vast-Auto Distribution, Tri-States Automotive, Distributors Warehouse Inc., and Entrepôt de Montréal. Single-location parts wholesalers are also implementing the system.

"Distributors and jobbers understand that the status-quo isn't a viable growth strategy in today's aftermarket. That's why many of the largest and most successful store operators are proactively exploring new ways to serve their customers, and why many smaller businesses are investing in technologies to protect their competitive advantage and re-energize their operations," says Tom Aliotti, vice president and general manager of the Activant automotive business.

Based on proven Activant Eagle technology already in use by more than 7,000 hardware and other non-automotive businesses, Activant Eagle for the Aftermarket provides store employees with fast, easy access to advanced eCatalog, business management and point-of-sale tools that help increase sales, profitability and customer satisfaction. The system is designed to empower counter people to more quickly and easily sell the correct products in every transaction.

Kevin DeLacy, president of Port Huron, Mich.-based Auto Color & Equipment, expects his Activant Eagle system to help make all of his employees, from counter staff to bookkeeper, more efficient. "It was time to upgrade and we were looking for a Windows-based technology that would be easy for our counter people to operate and help all of us use our time more effectively," he said.

In addition to enhancing customer services, Vast-Auto Distribution is using the new Activant system to make better competitive decisions at the store level through the platform's analytics module, according to Eric Duteau, principal system trainer and technical specialist for the Montréal-based distributor. "We can look at the (analytics) dashboard at any time to check profitability and sales for the day, the hour or the minute," Duteau explains. "Itss a powerful tool that helps us do a better job of analyzing the business and making corresponding critical business decisions."

For more information about Activant Solutions Inc., visit the company's Web site.