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Introduction:

The Harwoods Group has started to reap the rewards of a digital transformation programme launched two years ago.

The clean-slate approach saw the implementation of a new Salesforce-backed platform in a bid to develop something "truly omni channel" for the car retail sector.

The project delivered a fully connected cloud-based customer relationship management system that has brought together data siloed by brand and location to give employees full oversight.

Benefits include a real-time vehicle reservation process across the group, improved management of customer journeys, and the ability to identify previous searches by customers who have made enquiries at different dealerships within the group.

The new system has also enabled staff to spot customers who may have otherwise gone unnoticed: one account revealed enquiries about 13 different vehicles at different dealerships, while another identified a household that had bought five cars from Harwoods. 

Improved engagement is a further benefit of the platform, with the bounce rate of the group's website halving since the new site was launched last September. There are plans to allow finance approval online, to speed up the sales process, whether customers ultimately choose to interact online or in-person.

Harwoods, which has franchises for brands including Aston Martin, Bentley, INEOS, Jaguar Land Rover, McLaren Automotive and Volvo, has established a 26-strong tech team as part of the efforts to transform the way it sells cars.

The company's chief transformation officer, Archie Harwood, said the project involved the "transformation of people, process and tech". He added that Harwoods was able to do around 90% of its previous year’s volume with between 25% and 45% of the headcount during Covid-19, giving the company confidence that it could double its output without expanding its headcount or footprint. 

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