Autodistribution

Autodistribution, one of Europe’s leading automotive parts distributors and a key division of PHE Group, has enhanced its procurement process by partnering with Slimstock. After the implementation of Slimstock’s advanced supply chain planning solution, Slim4, Autodistribution has streamlined its operations, empowering its team to work more efficiently and make better, data-driven decisions.

Founded in 1962, Autodistribution is part of PHE (Parts Holding Europe), a leading independent distributor of spare parts for light and heavy vehicles in Western Europe. With operations focused on two main areas, spare parts distribution and multi-brand vehicle repair, Autodistribution supplies everything from mechanical components and bodywork parts to tyres, paint, garage equipment, and related services.

With a powerful logistics infrastructure supported by specialised hubs that ensure fast and efficient distribution and maintenance, Autodistribution delivers high-quality service through personalised advice, reliable turnaround times, transparent pricing, a consistent level of warranty, and environmental responsibility.

Challenge

For Autodistribution, maintaining an availability rate covering 95% of demand, with delivery times ranging from just a few hours to next-day delivery, is essential to the business’s success. Thanks to its exceptional network and logistical strength, Autodistribution delivers up to six times per day.

However, a fast-paced operation comes with a major supply chain challenge: keeping inventory under control. In the words of Nicolas Pommier, Procurement Director at Autodistribution,  operations were managed in an “old-fashioned” way. He explains: “The team relied heavily on Excel spreadsheets. Each planner had their own spreadsheet and their own way of working. It made it difficult to share knowledge or delegate tasks.”

To standardise internal processes and improve supply chain reliability, Autodistribution decided to add technology to its operations. By partnering with Slimstock and implementing its robust supply planning platform, Slim4, the business aimed to seamlessly transfer tasks between team members, improving reliability, which is crucial for greater collaboration, scalability, and long-term efficiency.

Results

Since implementing Slimstock’s platform, Autodistribution has gained a greater control on its planning processes and made significant strides in efficiency and collaboration:

• Standardised procurement practices across the organisation.
• Greater accuracy in forecasting seasonal and promotional demand.
• Improved visibility across warehouses, supporting better stock decisions.
• Easier handover and collaboration between team members.

Nicolas highlights the impact: “Slimstock has helped us maintain that performance through the turbulence of the last few years. Previously, we held around 3.2 months of stock cover on average. Now, we’re down to about 2.8 months. So, we’ve kept the same availability, with slightly less stock and significantly more supplier delays. That’s only been possible thanks to Slimstock’s agility.”

Forecasting with confidence

One of Autodistribution’s main objectives was to create a repeatable, scalable approach to inventory management. Since implementing Slim4, the company now benefits from a robust forecasting capability that supports better decision-making at every level. “Thanks to Slimstock’s tool, we have consistently maintained availability levels around 97–98%, which is very high, with slightly less stock,” explains Nicolas.

Next steps

Looking ahead, Autodistribution is keen to deepen its use of the platform, exploring further automation and smarter ways to manage assortment complexity. “In our company, the supply chain is really at the core. It’s not just a support function. It is as critical as purchasing, marketing, and sales. We aim to improve collaboration with other departments across the business by exploring BI capabilities and S&OP to communicate more effectively. We know Slimstock is the right solution to scale with us as the business grows.”