John DEERE dealerships: WINDEV ERP engine

IRIUM was selected by 01NET magazine for an interview about our range of IMS software, (i10, i30, i40), developed with WinDev. Endorsements were cordially provided by CHEVALERIAS and MOTOCULTURE MÉRIDIONALE, both JOHN DEERE dealers.

The IRIUM Group bases its DMS (Dealer Management System or ERP) IMS line on the WINDEV technology, notably equipping the John Deere dealerships. Needless to say, it is a no-concessions success!

The company

In 1837, a young blacksmith by the name of John Deere fashioned a mouldboard for ploughing from an old saw blade, which revolutionised North American agricultural production. 

177 years later, the company that still bears his name is the world’s leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery and green space maintenance equipment, with around 68,000 employees across 36 different countries.

Project Supervisor

Since its creation in 1982, IRIUM has been creating management software packages for dealers, distributors, machinery rentals and importers: agricultural machinery, construction and material handling equipment, large goods vehicles, parts and various materials.

IRIUM has more than 700 clients of all sizes and brands in more than 50 countries.

The IRIUM Group is the leading European publisher in the field of integrated management software (ERP), equipping almost 200 John Deere dealerships across France.

Alain Jude is the Director of Irium Medium Solution.

Nathalie Chevalerias, Director of Ets Chevalerias, John Deere dealer.

Pascal Ragois, Director of Motoculture Méridionale, John Deere dealer.

WINDEV: its field of action has us enthralled

Dealership management requirements in the agricultural sector are very broad. The job of IRIUM is to meet those requirements through tailored packages. Alain Jude explains the technology solution implemented to develop its range of software: "we were looking for a Windows based platform that is both user-friendly, comprehensive in terms of functionality and fully open to the world of new technologies and office automation. We aim to avoid use of third-party components in our applications. Another major decision criterion is being able to integrate a robust and freely distributed database. If you look around, you will conclude that only WINDEV meets these requirements". 

An ERP dedicated to dealerships: WINDEV, a key element

The ERP spectrum developed by IRIUM is very broad and covers all the dealership needs thanks to its many modules: parts warehouse management (client orders, item management, inventory, replacements, equivalents, item nomenclature), equipment management (recording/monitoring of machine fleets of clients and potential clients, recording/monitoring of interventions and movements, detailed analysis of material profitability, simplified recording/monitoring of business with management of customised offers and profitability analysis tools), purchase and stock management (monitoring of supplier orders for parts and materials, monitoring of deliveries, and supplier billing), self-service agricultural supply, provisional or long-term lease management (management of contracts, establishment of end of term/advance billing, control procedures of equipment ins and outs, planning management)...

"For the last point, we used the WINDEV integrated Planning field and saved weeks of development," commented Alain Jude.

Workshop management, CRM, accounting, dashboards, pivot table...: WINDEV measures up

The ERP is also supplemented by a services module (repair order management (RO), monitoring of workshop time, warranty management, management of workshop costs, monitoring of controls and corrections, management of after-sales service...) and a finance module (management of client accounts and suppliers, management of general accounting, management of client billing and reminders, management of bank transfers).

"The integration of the WINDEV Dashboard fields within our applications is a real added bonus. They allow the user to analyse business activity at a glance (number of proposals, age of the fleets, fulfilling sales/proposals...). Another powerful feature that has benefited us is that of pivot tables. This simple field avoids the use of spreadsheets and the results obtained are impressive," comments Alain Jude.

Everything is interconnected via HFSQL

Other major features included are the workshop time clock, mobile vendor/ technician, manufacturer data transfer and the publication of used machines on the internet, trade declarations for manufacturer’s products...). Nathalie Chevalerias appreciates particularly the interconnection of modules: « For example, the sale of a material to a client is through a client order, which is then monitored by the supplier. Then the material is received and sent to the workshop for the preparation process... The workshop purchases the parts from the store, undertakes the work needed and rebills the in-house commercial department… all imputed costs for the product are accounted for in the calculations to determine the generated margin". Alain Jude says: "HFSQL is at the heart of the system. It is a database that gives full satisfaction; it is robust and freely distributed".

Webservices and EDI: WINDEV is open to all kinds of data exchanges

"As a dealer, we have to closely communicate with the brands we distribute: orders of parts and materials, warranty calls, interconnection between the exploded view of the parts and availability in the system, reception of delivery notes and invoices, trace of financial and management records... ”explains Pascal Ragois. The software package is, therefore, continuously being enhanced with specific "builder" modules (also called interfaces).

"The interfaces give us a real time-saving solution by avoiding re-entering of data already integrated in our ERP.” adds Mr Ragois.

"We have, in this context, particularly appreciated the integration of Webservices. Everything is set in WINDEV to facilitate their use," admits Alain Jude.

WINDEV Mobile for field personnel

IRIUM is continuing its quest for innovation and is now offering a 100% mobile solution called iMob.

"The PC SOFT software suite is brilliant for this cross-platform approach. The pooling of certain processes gives us greater responsiveness, helping us strengthen our leading position in Europe," concludes Alain Jude