Cloud DMS for Automotive and Parts Distribution across South Africa

Brake components, airbag modules, steering assemblies and battery cells are given a lot or serial number as the consignment is booked in at Durban or Gqeberha. Dispatches draw stock against that number, and it prints on the dealer invoice. When the part is fitted, the workshop registers it and the warranty record opens against the same serial. A recall then becomes a query rather than an investigation.

A price tree is built for each route to market the brand sells through: franchised dealer group, aftermarket wholesaler, fitment centre chain, tyre retailer, forecourt, independent workshop and minibus taxi fleet account. Trade discounts, rand payment terms and launch overrides attach to the class rather than to individual accounts. The order screen then resolves the right combination without anyone choosing it manually.

Every part number carries its make, model, build-year range and engine variant. Each order line is tested against that map before stock is committed, and anything ambiguous is parked in a review queue instead of being picked. Fitment centres and independent workshops get the right part first time, which cuts return freight and keeps the bay turning.

The dealer or workshop lodges the claim with the serial, the rand invoice reference, the fitment date, the failure mode and photographs. It routes to technical assessment. Once approved, one transaction raises the credit note and books the replacement dispatch, so nothing is keyed twice. The warranty register stays attached to that serial for the life of the part.

Every account carries a rand ceiling. The outstanding ledger updates as card, instant EFT and PayShap receipts are reconciled, so the balance a rep sees is the balance finance sees. Cross the ceiling and new orders are held automatically; dispatch resumes once the money is allocated. Every release and override is written to the audit trail with a name against it.

Schemes sit above base pricing, each with its own date window. A month-to-date or quarterly volume threshold triggers the credit note by itself. Launch support on a new model, and free-goods offers, attach to any qualifying order. Eligibility is settled at the point of order rather than argued about at month end, and scheme ROI is visible in rand while the cycle is still open.

Yes. Franchised dealer groups usually negotiate longer terms while fitment centres and independent workshops work on shorter cycles; both are stored on the account and applied automatically. Ageing dashboards surface accounts drifting towards their limit. Reminders go out before the due date, and exception reports show where behaviour has slipped from what was agreed.

The serial register is swept for the affected build range. Dealers receive the serial list, the replacement workflow and a customer notice template in one go. Because workshop fittings and end-customer registrations are recorded, notification reaches all the way down to the vehicle. The recall stays open until every unit is returned, replaced or written off, with the trail intact.

Yes. REST APIs run against SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics and the dealer systems already in place. Sales orders, rand invoices, dispatch notes, goods receipts, warranty claims, returns and payment records move both ways without rekeying. Where a nightly bulk transfer suits better, SFTP feeds carry master data and serial inventory.

Key account managers follow the dealer order book, sell-out, range compliance and scheme ROI. Operations watch order throughput, dispatch reliability and warranty turnaround. Finance tracks rand credit ageing, trade spend, warranty exposure and collection reconciliation. Every view drills from province to dealer to the individual serial.