Audi awards new automotive software contract to IDS

IDS, part of the IBS Group, has signed an agreement with Audi Australia for a new ERP/SCM-solution tailored for the Automotive industry. The new solution will ensure improved visibility of vehicle sales and distribution, automate warranty claims and provide better control of spare parts and accessory stock.

Audi Australia is the Australian distributor of the luxury German brand, Audi. Based in Sydney, Audi Australia imports and distributes a comprehensive range of premium Audi vehicles on behalf of AUDI AG. In order to facilitate the extremely high growth and expansion of the business in the important Australian market, the company needed to replace its present application with an ERP solution tailored for the automotive industry. The agreement covers the migration of existing (legacy) applications for Audi to a highly functional and flexible system that will provide the basis for the company to substantially and quickly grow its business and market share in Australia. The success of Audi is already present within the Australian prestige and luxury market, with sales for this year up 34% compared with 2004.

The IDS solution will provide greater control over sales and distribution, warranty claims, spare parts and accessory stock and supply. With the new highly automated system, Audi will also be able to significantly enhance productivity of staff. Most of the transactions volumes will be done by the Audi Dealer Network, such as placing orders and entering warranty claims. Audi will also enjoy the benefits of improved reporting, increased visibility and strong integration with the head office in Germany. The new system (IDSe42) will include parts, warranty, vehicles, BI, dealer connect and account modules and is planned to go live in January, 2006.

We evaluated a number of vendors but quickly concluded that the IDS solution was clearly ahead with advanced functionality for the automotive industry and a good fit to our business requirements. The Australian automotive industry is highly competitive and we needed an efficient, scalable and flexible solution that allows us to adapt to new business demands and fast growth when required, said Joerg Hofmann, Managing Director of Audi Australia.

Gordon Towell, CEO of IDS Enterprise Systems, commented on the importance of the agreement with Audi. "This new contract with Audi further enhances our position as a global provider of automotive software solutions. IDS is currently working with Volkswagen, Skoda, Seat and Porsche in other countries around the world. The recent acquisition of IDS by IBS has enhanced our ability to deploy software around the world through the large network of IBS subsidiaries. I fully expect that our expansion into other regions will be greatly assisted through the additional infrastructure and resources provided by our parent company.

IDS, now part of the IBS Group, has a 22-year history of providing world class solutions to many of the largest automotive companies including Porsche, Daimler Chrysler, General Motors, Mitsubishi, Jaguar, Toyota and Volkswagen.