Tiger Auto Parts starts to experience early benefits of Slim4

Tiger Auto Parts has served its customers in the automotive industry since 2001. They pride themselves on their quality and customer service, and this dedication has allowed them to become the 2nd largest importer & distributor of aftermarket automotive collision parts in North America.

With over 190,000 square feet of warehouse space, Tiger Auto Parts carries an extensive inventory that allows them to reliably and efficiently fulfill the needs of wholesalers throughout East Canada & the USA. They are a proud member of the Aftermarket Body Parts Association (ABPA) and the Certified Automotive Parts Association (CAPA), an industry-recognised organisation that certifies the quality of automotive parts used for collision repairs.

“Slimstock has been playing a fundamental role in helping Tiger Auto Parts proactively manage its assortment and staying at the forefront of customer demand & expectations. In the 21st century, companies operating in the distribution and wholesale space can no longer afford to depend on excel spreadsheets & ERP for supply and demand planning. A best-of-the-breedsolution like Slim4 is now a prerequisite for organisations that are serious about achieving high fill rates without wasting working capital. The disruptions in supply and erratic demand during the pandemic has further underlined the utility and robustness of Slim4 even in the most challenging environment”, said Mike Younos, COO, Tiger Auto Parts.

Searching for the perfect match

When Tiger Auto Parts needed to expand, they identified freeing up working capital tied up in inventory as a way to fund it. However, they had to keep their customers happy while growing, so service levels needed to stay high. Realizing this ambition required Tiger Auto Parts to refine its forecasting and supply planning, as many of the parts they stock have extended lead times. And, as if that wasn’t enough, they also had the opening of a third branch in Brampton, Ontario, to plan for.

Tiger Auto Parts CEO John Sakhi and COO Mike Younos had recently overseen a transition to a new warehouse management system to help make these changes. However, their planning and inventory management processes were still dependent on Excel spreadsheets, home-grown custom software, market knowledge and instinct.

Mike and John agreed that a more professional forecasting approach was needed for Tiger Auto Parts, so they set out to find a solution that could serve as the buying brain for their successful company. They needed a solution that was ERP agnostic, delivered quick ROI, and could be implemented quickly. They found all these things and more in Slimstock.

Improved long tail management

As a true inventory planning partner, Slimstock listened to Tiger Auto Parts’ goals and planned to help accomplish them. First was implementing Slimstock’s best of breed forecasting and supply planning software, which was scheduled to be up and running in only three months. To stay productive amid COVID-19 government restrictions, the project delivery and training were conducted remotely. Slimstock finished implementation on time thanks to focus and dedication from both sides and went live during the pandemic peak while lockdowns were impacting business across North America.

Tiger Auto Part’s determination to proceed with the project paid off with some early gains. Slimstock served as a vital tool to help them navigate the crisis, resulting in several tactical benefits. Slim4 provided the automotive supplier full visibility of their demand and prescribed exception management to guide through the crisis, keeping Tiger Auto Parts service levels high.

Aiming for the summit

The next goal for John and his team is to achieve supply chain excellence. While reviewing his business’s performance across half the year, John said Tiger Auto Parts continued growth means that they have more opportunities to achieve inventory optimisation with Slimstock. Now that they have lowered levels on their mature items, their next goal is working with suppliers to shorten lead times.

Mike concludes: “Thanks to Slimstock’s forecasting ability, we’re able to provide our suppliers with the order data they need,” Mike said. “This kind of proactive inventory management wasn’t possible with our existing system. Slim4 has allowed us to keep improving our business so that we can keep serving our customers better.”