ATCF Assistance – At your service

The Automobile and Touring Club of Finland (ATCF) has been acting on behalf of motorists and safe and well-functioning roads since 1919. The Group includes AL-palvelut Oy, which focuses on providing the roadside assistance services that many vehicle manufacturers offer their customers. Roadside assistance services include the actions required if a journey is suddenly broken due to a technical fault, or if a vehicle is so badly damaged that it is no longer roadworthy. If a tire bursts, an engine malfunctions or some other problem occurs while driving, a roadside assistance service provides help on the spot. Depending on the situation, a towing vehicle, road service, or taxi will rush to assist.

The ATCF currently manages the provision of roadside assistance services on behalf of over 30 car brands, motorcycle brands, finance companies and other customers. In addition, AL-Palvelut Oy manages the ATCF's general road service, and the provision of roadside assistance services for the ATCF's Plus members. A geographically widespread customer base, which now drives on European roads, places high demands on the tools and systems of service centers when problems occur. The key operative tool of AL-palvelut Oy, the Assistance ERP system, was developed in partnership with Wakeone in 2013 to support the daily work of service centers. Further development has been ongoing and active ever since.

A Europe-wide service network

The ERP system makes service center activities more predictable, consistent and streamlined. In addition, each process can be recorded in an easily reviewed format. The workload of service centers varies markedly, depending on the weather and season. Callouts arrive via the system much more frequently on cold winter days than in warm summer weather.

"When a motorist runs into trouble on the road, they contact the service center. The information provided by the customer is fed into the Assistance system, which is integrated with Traficom's vehicle database. Information is sent via the system to the assistance unit, for example a towing vehicle, that has been sent to the scene of the incident", says Ilkka Lehtinen, Director of Development at the ATCF.

It can come as a surprise to a driver requiring assistance that a message sent from an Italian mountain road is answered in Finland. Assistance is sent on the basis of location data, quickly and from as nearby as possible

The newest car models have some kind of 'SOS' button as standard, for contacting service centers. Due to the development of the connected car, car makers now require fully digital management of service callouts from actors in the service chain.

"When developing the system in 2013, technological solutions were created that were ahead of their time and could be regarded as daring. However, the decisions made then are now bearing fruit and the system has been connected to a Europe-wide network", says Lehtinen.

A good tool means satisfied users

The ATCF has given positive feedback on the ERP development project.

"Wakeone was able to help our organization in the right way, and the overall project was completed flexibly and efficiently. Since the service center employees participated in developing their own tool, they were predictably delighted with the final result."

The system's revamp will not directly feed through into a higher profit margin, but Lehtinen regards it as a key step towards lightening employees' workloads.

"To us as an organization, the key issue has not been taking care of things for a euro or two less; the best outcome of the project has been an effective tool that makes the everyday work of our employees easier."