Auto Parts Distribution ยท South Africa
AutoFast Distributors
AutoFast Distributors moved 80% of trade orders to a self-service portal, cut order-to-delivery from 4.1 to 1.6 days, and lifted stock turns to 4.8x.
The challenge
AutoFast Distributors supplies auto parts to workshops, fleet operators and independent retailers from 8 branches across South Africa. Most orders came in by phone or WhatsApp. A salesperson took the order, checked stock manually, keyed it into the system, and confirmed back to the customer. The whole loop took anywhere from 20 minutes to half a day, depending on how busy the branch was.
Demand forecasting was another gap. The buying team ordered based on last quarter's numbers and supplier deals, not on what was actually selling. Fast-moving parts like brake pads and filters ran out regularly, while slow-moving lines gathered dust. Stock turns averaged 3.1 per year, well below the industry benchmark of 5 to 6.
The company had built a basic trade portal years ago, but it was disconnected from the main system. Prices did not match, stock levels were updated overnight instead of live, and most customers gave up and went back to phoning in orders.
The solution
Consolidated all 8 branches onto one ERP core with live stock, pricing and customer-specific tiered pricing in one place.
Replaced the old portal with a branded self-service ordering system tied directly to POSibolt. Trade customers saw their agreed prices, checked live stock and placed orders that landed in the warehouse ready to pick.
Analysed sales velocity at the SKU level, generated purchase order suggestions, and flagged slow-moving stock for clearance before it tied up working capital.
80%
Trade orders now placed through the self-service portal
1.6 days
Average order-to-delivery, down from 4.1 days
4.8x
Stock turns per year, up from 3.1x
“Our reps were spending half their day keying in phone orders. Now 80% come through the portal, and the reps spend their time on accounts that actually need attention.”
- Reuben Naidoo, Managing Director, AutoFast Distributors
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