Dealer group Ridgeway has signed up to Auto Trader’s i-Control stock management system.

Representing the whole Ridgeway Group, 31 sites across the south will shortly receive full training in the use of an intelligence tool that supports decisions to buy the most desirable stock, to price it correctly and to manage a forecourt intelligently in line with the live market.

There are now more than 1,000 franchise and non-franchise dealers using i-Control across the UK.i-Control tracks daily market movements, collating huge volumes of data taken from Auto Trader, dealer websites, auction houses and other sources.

Using algorithms, it supports dealers in managing their stock, helping select the right models for a forecourt and pricing to an ever-changing live market. User benefits include faster stock turn and improved profitability, as users source only the most desirable stock, price it competitively and manage their forecourts in the most effective way.

Commenting on the decision, Ridgeway’s group operations director, Jon Head, said: “Since we launched a pilot last year, I have seen a real change in many of my colleagues’ approach to i-Control.

“To begin with some managers were not convinced, but now everyone can see the benefits. The entire Auto Trader team have been superb in supporting colleagues and explaining just how it can be used to boost their bottom line. I’m confident that i-Control will be a huge success and we are all raring to get started.”
Sharon Randall, Auto Trader UK sales director, added: “I’m delighted to welcome 31 dealers in the Ridgeway Group to the i-Control family.

“Our aim is to help every one of these sites to hit the ground running and to use this powerful tool to its full potential. Starting with training, every step of the journey will be taken with the full support of our expert i-Control team. I look forward to hearing about improvements in profitability at Ridgeway sites from Oxford to Portsmouth in the months ahead.”

The news that Ridgeway Group has signed up to i-Control, follows a 350% increase in the tool’s uptake in 2014. That included 80% of Lookers’ sites which signed up in the last year.

Auto Trader recently analysed 50,000 cars on its site to assess whetheri-Control played a role in boosting full page ad views. The results showed that cars which were appraised and re-priced based on desirability, value rank and local competitor information received an average of 30% more full page advert views per car, per day over a month than those that weren’t.