APZ GmbH is one of Germany's largest leading service providers for professional vehicle preparation. The company supports business customers such as car dealerships, fleet operators and fleet managers with individual vehicle solutions - from vehicle cleaning to full-service vehicle management. 

APZ GmbH also offers private customers selected vehicle care packages and value-preserving services at a high quality level.

APZ GmbH wanted to digitise the use of handouts and Excel lists in essential business processes. The previous process of determining the vehicle location was also time-consuming and was to be revolutionised. Invoicing was sometimes delayed and the company saw a need for action in this regard.

Customised software was to enable the creation of an integrated business landscape from order to billing. The goal was the implementation and continuous optimisation of digital processes as well as the best possible reduction of error sources. Mobile support was to be ensured by a custom-fit app.

The project was also intended to give APZ GmbH a competitive edge through the implementation of optimal, highly individualised business processes.

APZ GmbH wanted to be one of the first companies in the industry to provide its partners with a pioneering paperless order management system, and this has been successfully achieved with DIA.

The results speak for themselves - thanks to DIA, the following functions are now possible:

- Greatly improved flow of essential business processes

- Digital order entry, processing and control, which quickly

  goes on

- Order allocation at site level

- Mapping of individual customer price lists as a further competitive advantage

- Customised release of services

  (e.g. car wash, interior cleaning etc.)

- Automated invoice runs

- Detailed target group-specific evaluations

With DIA, a noticeable cost saving has become possible, which can be passed on to the customer. The app and the online platform offer an intuitive and fast way to enter orders digitally and ensure increased customer satisfaction.

"Using DIA has enabled us to expand our customer base enormously".

The customer

The AL-KO company has long made a name for itself in the field of vehicle technology. They implement innovative lightweight construction technology that promises more comfort, safety and driving dynamics.

The problem

People who go on camping holidays often take their entire home with them in the form of a caravan. This is simply hitched to the car and thus extends the vehicle. The problem was that this meant unstable driving during evasive manoeuvres and fast bends. 

As AL-KO already had a number of products in the caravan sector, this problem was also to be solved technically with the Trailer Control (ATC) anti-skid system and digitally with the development of an app.

The goal

The caravan should be technically equipped with the latest systems to offer the driver the highest possible safety and greatest comfort on the road. In addition, the driver should always have an eye on the technology digitally with an app and be able to record problems in real time. 

The solution

The vehicle technology was expanded with the ATC so that the caravan can be kept on track better. AL-KO was thus one of the first suppliers to introduce sensor technology in the chassis. The 2LINK box was installed directly in the drawbar area. 

Via Bluetooth, the box received an interface to the individually developed app. The app is available to users free of charge for both iOS and Android. 

Film about the app: https://youtu.be/55Kh1QOM6XA

On the app, the driver can see the status of his 2LINK Box at any time while driving.

Additional features available through the smartphone app are: 

• Operating instructions for AL-KO products
• Route map to the nearest service station
• Spirit level function, for aligning the caravan

The benefit

The newly developed caravan technology from AL-KO becomes accessible to the user with the smartphone app. The app offers an intuitive and quick way to keep an eye on the 2LINK Box and make settings.

The benefit of the customised software for TÜV Süd is to minimise the costs of accounts payable. 

The use case can therefore be described as follows. 

The standard procedure of "service provider invoices, customer pays invoice" entails some time-consuming tasks. 

• The service provider shall issue an invoice for the service provided.
• Missing order confirmations or verbal agreements can lead to disputed items.
• The customer in turn checks and records the incoming invoice.
• Both sides must allocate the invoice items to accounts and, if necessary, split them in the case of collective invoices.
• Disputed items can lead to complete invoices not being paid.

With the automatic credit note procedure, invoicing is shifted to the customer. The customer is in charge of the billing for the service provided and triggers it himself. 

In accounting terms, this takes the form of a credit note from the customer. This credit note thus replaces the service provider's invoice in accounting terms (§14 para. 2 sentence 3 UStG).

Both sides save on invoice allocation and invoice control. The service provider saves on invoicing and streamlines its accounts receivable department. 

The customer saves checking incoming invoices and allocating them to the corresponding transactions, thus streamlining his accounts payable department. The invoice check results in considerably fewer price deviations.

Typically, a strong relationship of trust between the service provider and the client is necessary, as process sovereignty is transferred to the client. 

When introducing an automatic credit note system, it is necessary that the individual processes of order processing and invoicing between the customer and the service provider are taken into account and mapped in the system in a legally compliant manner. 

Ideally, the upstream and downstream systems of both parties are linked to the credit note system via interfaces. In this way, maximum efficiency is achieved and duplicate or superfluous work steps are reduced or even removed altogether.

In daily order processing, processes such as order cancellations, changes to order content, extension of orders, etc. take place. These cases are processed in the system used. 

Every change to an order takes place in the system and is stored unchangeably. These changes can be viewed by the service provider and the customer. In this way, each order and its entire history remains transparent and comprehensible for both sides. 

Accordingly, contentious points of individual positions are avoided from the outset. 

As a result, further checks become superfluous and the entire accounting process becomes much more efficient. The system automatically assigns the transactions (orders or order items) to the previously defined cost centres on both sides. 

Manual assignment is no longer necessary. 

The overview of all orders is available in the system for the customer and the service provider. Extensive sorting and filtering options provide the necessary overview and provide each user with exactly the view needed for their task. 

Open orders, processing status, credit notes issued and outstanding can always be viewed live.