MMI Automotive chooses Experian
for data cleansing

August, 2006

One of the leading providers of
business management and marketing
systems for the automotive industry,
MMI Automotive, has joined forces
with Experian®, the global
information solutions company, to
make it easier for dealers to keep their
customer and vehicle records accurate
and up-to-date.

MMI Automotive, which has been at the
forefront of automotive business
management computer systems software
for over 25 years, has integrated Experian Intact Automotive, a data cleansing service for the automotive industry, into its dealer management system Automate.  This new integration will enable dealers to export data directly to Experian for a free data audit to highlight data inaccuracies.  Following the audit, data can then be cleansed automatically and re-imported back into the dealer’s Automate dealer management system.

David Haywood, Managing Director of MMI Automotive, said: “We are constantly reviewing our clients’ needs and looking for new ways to deliver ever deeper integration with their management systems.  Ultimately our aim is to help dealers improve their profitability and efficiency.  We recognise that data cleansing is a key part of this as this issue affects all dealers so we were keen to get the best solution on board to help challenge this issue.

“Before choosing Experian Intact Automotive, we carried out a review of data cleansing service providers to see what was the best solution for us to enhance clients’ customer and vehicle records more easily.  The Experian solution was chosen because of its accuracy and the breadth of its data.  Experian have also worked closely with us to develop the new Automate interface to allow for a smooth and effortless data flow in and out of Experian’s data cleaning solution.”

On average, 18,000 people move house
in the UK every day and as many
as 32 per cent of consumers neglect
to tell companies that they have a
relationship with that they have
moved.  In addition, everyday 1,600
people die, which means that £18
million is spent on mailing the
deceased each year, while 25 per
cent of consumers receive duplicate
mail amounting to £251 million
wasted each year as a result.

Rob Whalley, Managing Director of
Experian’ Automotive division, said: “An
average dealer’s database holds around
10,000 customer records at any one time
making it a dealer’s biggest asset.  However,
without regular data cleansing, dealers could be
wasting a large amount of money on contacting customers who have moved or even died.

“Over 15,000 people are registering on the Telephone Preference Service, 650 registering on the Mail Preference Service everyday.  As a result, dealers are also risking prosecution and heavy fines by contacting these people.  On average, around 45 per cent of a dealer’s database is likely to be registered with TPS, for example. With the market being as tough as it is, dealers can’t afford to be taking such risks, wasting money on contacting people who aren’t there and possibly even alienating potential future customers.  MMI Automotive has a client base of over 200 dealer groups, who will benefit significantly from this long awaited collaboration.”