BIE CaseStudy(IDS)

IDS Integration

The Business Situation

The marine and recreational vehicle industry may be all about play, but managing dealerships is serious business - especially for Integrated Dealer Systems (IDS). As the top provider of management systems for the RV and marine industries, IDS develops complete software solutions for more than 6,500 users across North America. IDS offers turnkey and customized systems, integrating hardware, software, and network configurations to help dealers better manage their businesses.

While IDS is a clear leader in the industry, the company was seeking to enhance its value to RV and marine dealers and manufacturers by expanding its ability to integrate dealer applications with the supply chain applications at the manufacturer end.

The Challenge

With no set standards for technology, software or systems in either the RV or marine industry, IDS faced the challenges created by the use of multiple software programs, outmoded technologies, and a wide variety of operating systems and hardware, both among dealerships and manufacturers. While IDS has the in-house capabilities to develop effective custom integration systems for specific dealer-manufacturer scenarios, maintaining and upgrading these custom systems in a cost-effective and timely manner is difficult. IDS was seeking a system design that could be quickly and easily replicated, all or in part, for broader distribution and use - especially with moderate-sized dealers that can't afford the cost of customization. Such an approach will greatly broaden the market for IDS and enhance the company's positioning.

The Solution

After developing a number of custom integration tools for manufacturers, as well as running "betas" on a variety of integration software programs, IDS chose the Business Integration Engine (BIE) as their integration platform. "BIE provided the flexibility and adaptability IDS needed to work with larger dealers with their own servers and networks, as well as smaller dealers that want an IDS-provided integration hub," said Grant Farrer, Director of Research and Development, IDS.

One key for the success of BIE in this environment is its ability to use java and XML technologies. This allows IDS to address the integration needs of manufacturers regardless of their own internal standards. And because BIE functions independent of a specific database and operating system, additional investment in hardware and software may not be required, making integration more attractive to industry manufacturers.

One additional asset to IDS is the monitoring and configuration tools that are part of BIE. They make administrative tasks simpler and adding functionality more efficient.

Bottom Line Results

While still early in the adoption process, in one program alone IDS has already seen significant improvements in the financial and implementation timeline. This is because BIE can handle more transactions with less hardware than other integration tools, and it does so at licensing fees up to 50% lower than that of other software solutions. BIE is delivering measurable results including:

• Up to 50% lower costs than options with comparable functionality

• Implementation time shortened by 30%

• Higher CSI scores resulting from faster implementation and more efficient upgrades

• Flexibility to meet the needs of the full range of customers, from small dealers to large manufacturers

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