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Large NAPA Ownership Group Prefers Icas PaceSetter over Other Systems Trusted Experience To Better Manage Your Business Superior Functionality 4Reliability 4Customer Service Ridge Automotive Group 3 Fort Wayne, IA Typically, when a small independent company allies with a larger corporation, a major benefit to the independent is thought to be a leap in information technology capability. That was not the case when the Ridge Automotive Group (Ridge), headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, joined the NAPA network. Ridge could meet more of its IT needs with its Icas PaceSetter system.

Ridge owns and operates six NAPA stores and one automotive service center in Fort Wayne and surrounding counties. Bill Thomas began the company with one store in 1948. In 1986, Ridge acquired its first full-management system from Icas computer systems, inc.

(Icas), and in 1990 became one of the first users of the newly launched PaceSetter software which utilizes Progress, a state-of- the-art relational database technology and a fourth generation programming language. Bill, his sons, and later his grandsons, Andrew and Matt, ran Ridge as an independent business until 1999. It was then that Ridge became part of the NAPA network.

That meant Ridge would have to convert to NAPA 9s Total Automotive Management ... more. less.

System (TAMS). That caused the people at Ridge to balk. Why TAMS Didn 9t Work for Ridge Ridge had been a multi-store operation for a number of years, operating all of its stores with the same PaceSetter software from Icas. As an independent, Ridge bought parts from many manufacturers, stored them in its own warehouse and replenished the stores from its own distribution center. TAMS, however, had been created to serve single stores via NAPA 9s many distribution centers throughout the country. Though some of NAPA 9s franchisees have multiple stores, each store in the group is run independently in the TAMS system. cWe saw that TAMS couldn 9t do many of the things our current PaceSetter system was doing for us, d Andrew Thomas, Ridge 9s Vice President of Sales, said. cWe had already become used to full-fledged management control, with all of our stores managed by one central system using PaceSetter. TAMS could not match what we had. d Nevertheless, Ridge agreed to try TAMS in one of its stores. The trial showed, among other things, that TAMS didn 9t manage inventories as well as PaceSetter, even in the single store. For example, PaceSetter enables Ridge to control many functions right from point-of-sale. It also enables a counter technician to quick-receive parts that have to be outsourced or transferred from one store to another. He could receive the part on-the-fly via the point- of-sale ticket, without having to rely on the inventory management people to complete the transaction. In addition, when Ridge wants to run a special, it can enter the data into the system and that information is automatically uploaded to all of the stores. These are just some of the functions the company could perform with PaceSetter that it could not perform with TAMS. Nor could TAMS do many other functions as well as PaceSetter. cWhen your business grows in the age of technology, it grows around what technology can do in terms of inventory control, accounting, order processing, sales analysis, point of sale, purchasing/receiving, and many other functions, d Andrew said. As an example, he points to the cwild card part search d feature in PaceSet- ter. This feature enables the counter technician to find a part even when the customer knows only a portion of its name or number, or can give only a partial description of it. PaceSetter creates this kind of outstanding customer service that TAMS could not offer. Another PaceSetter feature automatically calls up on the screen all of the options associated with a particular part. For more information on Icas products, contact: Icas computer systems, inc. Phone: 973-366-1900 44 N. Morris Street Fax: 973-366-7450 Dover, NJ 07801 sales@icas.com www.icas.com Company Overview For 30 years Icas computer systems inc. has been a leading provider of superior business management software for aftermarket distribution companies, such as warehouse distributors, jobbers truck parts and service operations. Icas is committed to their customer 9s success by providing world-class customer service and support, and frequent software updates and enhancements based on customer feedback. For instance, if a customer is looking for brake pads, the counter technician will see a range of options the customer can choose from, including variations in version, brand, price, and good-better-best classifications. The counter technician does not have to go looking through various catalogues. All of the options appear on the one screen. cWe have made so many sales we might have lost because of this feature, d Andrew said. cThe counter technician doesn 9t have to be aware of all of the options. With PaceSetter, the system automatically gives him those options. d The system can also show alternate parts, should the desired part not be available at all. And, with PaceSetter 9s flexibility the company can determine the information that is available to the counter technician. Seeing the inadequacies of TAMS for their particular needs, Ridge chose to go back to using PaceSetter. Ridge was one of the early 4and few 4pioneers to maintain its relationship with NAPA while using its own non-TAMS software. Advantages Icas PaceSetter Brings to Ridge Andrew cited many other advantages derived from PaceSetter and the relationship with Icas. cThe system, d he said, chas been developed with multi-store ownership in mind. To think in terms of single store any more is behind the times. d With TAMS, updating parts inventory in Ridge 9s multiple store network meant updating inventory separately for each store. But with the central system PaceSetter offers, Ridge can update inventory for all stores in a single process. Further, PaceSetter enables Ridge to search parts sold, to quickly determine who bought what parts, when and in which store. In addition, the system is specifically set up to run automotive distribution and stores efficiently. An example of that efficiency is the company 9s ability to do $635,000 a month out of its main store and run its network of stores with just 14 drivers. If the situation arises that one of Ridge 9s stores is out of a particular part, with a single keystroke, the counter technician can determine which of its stores has that part. cWe couldn 9t do that using TAMS, d Andrew said. The system 9s Utility key enables the counter technician to see a wealth of information about a part or an account with a single keystroke. And that can be done from anywhere in the system, without having to back out of a particular function and then get back in. The system is very flexible, allowing users to access PaceSetter remotely, from home or from anywhere they can get online. Even when the system is running end-of- day operations, the system is still fully accessible. Icas Customer Support Helps Ridge Grow Its Business Ridge finds a major benefit of working with Icas is that they listen and they provide valuable advice. Sometimes there is a business need that triggers a new software enhancement. At other times, to take advantage of a new feature, Ridge modifies its own structure or procedures. cIcas listens to what its customers say and modifies its system to meet customer needs, d Andrew says. cAt the same time, they bring new functionality to our attention, which we would never have thought of. d cNot only are we operating very differently from the way we did before PaceSetter, d Andrew said, cbut we 9re operating differently from the days when we first installed PaceSetter. There has been a steady evolution that only makes us more efficient. d It is quite evident that some companies are not keeping pace with technology. cIn time, d Andrew said, cthose companies will not be speaking the same language as their customers, suppliers, and competitors in the industry. d cIn today 9s climate, d Andrew added, d we have to work together 4businesses and our IT partners 4to increase our capability steadily. As margins shrink, the only way to stay efficient and grow is through enhanced technology. We at Ridge plan to continue to grow 4with Icas. d

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