The past 12 months was a unique year for Moto-Profil in terms of its revenue growth and organisational changes. The board members summed up the last four quarters and presented the forecasts for 2022 for both the company and the aftermarket industry.
“We relatively quickly adapted our business to the pandemic conditions in 2020. So, in the same vein, we were able to continue introducing projects that are developmental for Moto-Profil and the ProfiAuto network in 2021. We are investing more and more boldly in new technologies such as ProfiBiznes software for the efficient management of an automotive shop or wholesale outlet, ProfiAuto Virtual Garage (Wirtualny Warsztat) and ProfiAuto app for drivers. These solutions are the future, not only for our company, but also for the whole industry. At the same time, we are professionalising the network of garages by supporting it in terms of training and marketing and with an increasingly larger and supplier-differentiated catalogue of spare parts with over 350,000 references. This diversification and the scale of our business proved to be crucial in a situation where the whole world had problems with the production and dispatch of components due to the pandemic. They will also be equally important for any shop, wholesale outlet or garage in the new year,” forecasts Michal Tochowicz, who became the President of Moto-Profil in November 2021.
The ProfiAuto network continues to grow
Moto-Profil representatives show that the market situation in the last two years has been favourable for independent distributors of automotive parts. The confirmation of this, and at the same time of the strength of the ProfiAuto brand, has been the increased number of new partners by a further 4 automotive shops and wholesale outlets. In total, the network now comprises of 260 shops and wholesale outlets and more than 2,200 garages in Poland and abroad. Moto-Profil is also constantly developing cooperation with its foreign partners. Currently, they are mainly located in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, but their number is also increasing in Germany, Italy and the Baltic countries. These results were reflected in the 20% growth in Moto-Profil’s revenues compared to 2020.
“For several years, we have been improving business efficiency by implementing a process-oriented approach and relevant digital tools. This makes Moto-Profil a strong and stable body that successively increases its profits. We use cutting-edge IT solutions that speed up information reporting and settlements while allowing for high performance with a dynamically growing number of transactions. This is also important for our customers, as the effectiveness of our financial procedures has a direct impact on the effectiveness of their businesses,” says Adam Pawlak, the Chief Financial Officer and the Board Member of Moto-Profil.
Modern technologies for the aftermarket and drivers
2021 marked the next step in the development of pioneering solutions in the company and industry. It concerned, among other things, the ProfiAuto Virtual Service (ProfiAuto Wirtualny Serwis), a virtual reality-based application which will help to revolutionise the training system for mechanics in Poland. In October 2021, the representatives of ProfiAuto and the Katowice Special Economic Zone organised the “1st Regional Tournament for Young VR Mechanics”, and during the accompanying conference “The School of the Future” they presented the program for its introduction into schools to be implemented from December 2021. The brand has also been developing the ProfiAuto app for drivers, which is a response to the changing customer profile – a person who often uses mobile devices and wants modern solutions. With this app, the driver can now quickly and easily make an appointment with a nearby professional car mechanic, track fuel costs or spread repair costs into convenient 0% instalments.
“Although we always focus on the current needs of the market and our partners, we think forward, as befits the 21st century. We are keeping a close eye not only on the changing national and EU regulations, but also on the new generations of customers and mechanics. We can see that the progressing digitisation of services and electrification of the automotive industry requires solutions that will become a standard in a couple of years. As a company that is conscious of its position, we want to be the leader of these changes and provide our customers with tools with which they will be ahead of the competition and not chase it in the future,” says Adam Kapek, Vice-President of Moto-Profil, responsible among other things for the Commercial Department and the IT Department.
In 2021, the company also worked intensively on the development of software for automotive shops and wholesale outlets, called ProfiBiznes. As shown by Moto-Profil representatives, its current updated version makes selling, managing a warehouse, ordering and reporting much easier. This allows for increasing the profits while saving the time the company needs to spend on its day-to-day service. In addition, with ProfiBI, the owner can track business dynamics, manage the work of sales people and get an easy tool to analyse his or her company at any time, including via a smartphone.
“In our opinion, the development of modern IT systems in today’s aftermarket industry is not just an added value, but a necessity if the company owners want to build their businesses in the long term. Just as cars are electrified, the automotive industry is digitalised too, and we are aware of this in Moto-Profil. That is why we provide partners with professional IT systems, which respond on the one hand to today’s needs and on the other hand to the challenges of the future," adds Adam Kapek.
New marketing projects and development of the ProfiPower brand
In 2021, the ProfiAuto brand continued to carry out large-scale promotional activities in relation to both the network itself and its own brand of automotive spare parts and accessories, ProfiPower, which was introduced in 2020. Due to its popularity, Moto-Profil decided to expand the ProfiPower portfolio with a new range of products over the last 12 months. In addition to the batteries, filters and braking system components introduced two years ago, it now also includes, among other things, car cosmetics and suspension components.
“As a result of the Covid situation, but also in the spirit of the times, we have strengthened our promotional activities on the Internet. An example of this was the “Fault Hunters” campaign which was developed in cooperation with the Łowcy.B (Hunters.B) cabaret and produced excellent results with nearly 7 million viewers, matched to the audience groups. The sporty profile of the brand was emphasised by becoming the title sponsor of the Polish Rally Championship (“ProfiAuto RSMP”) in the previous season, the cycle which has a loyal fan base in Poland. So, our marketing strategies are based on both the current trends and the conditions under which the world functions today. It is important for us to operate effectively, regardless of the situation, and at the same time we continue to set new promotional standards in the industry," says Lukasz Kopiec, a board member, responsible for the Marketing and PR Department in Moto-Profil.
Inevitable electrification and preparation for changes in the years to come
As highlighted by the Moto-Profil representatives, the company is monitoring the direction of electro-mobility very closely and has already been preparing for the changes announced by the European Union. This also applies to the aspects of cyber-security and data access which may have a key impact not only on the development of the independent automotive market but also on keeping it in good condition. Among other things, this makes it easier for the representatives of the company to serve on the supervisory board of TEMOT International, an international association of spare parts distributors, cooperating with organisations lobbying in favour of the aftermarket industry, such as FIGIEFA. This has been reflected in the company’s current business by, among other things, the training courses on repairs to hybrid cars and cars with Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) which were intensified in 2021.
“In this and subsequent years, ‘flexibility’ will be a key word in the aftermarket industry. In the context of pandemics, legislative changes and logistical challenges, the spare parts distributors need to adapt their business procedures, systems and processes to sudden market changes. Just as we do in Moto-Profil. Of course, this requires a well-integrated team, a forward-looking perspective, and good cooperation with business partners. Since the beginning, the fundamental and characteristic features of our activities have been – and will always be – open and transparent relationships with customers. In our opinion, a combination of this approach with a far-sighted view and the use of modern technologies is the recipe for success in 2022 and the following years,” adds Michal Tochowicz.
