Halfords Group PLC (LON:HFD) said it has entered the B2B software market with the launch of Avayler, a new business offering the company’s software to streamline service delivery for companies operating in multiple locations.
The car and bike firm said Avayler’s first customer is American Tire Distributors Inc (ATD), one of the largest independent suppliers of tyres to the replacement tyre market in North America and owner of online tyre retailer Tirebuyer.com.
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Halfords said Avayler’s platform will underpin ATD’s operations, supplying tyres to 80,000 garages across the US, as well as acting as the exclusive provider of the Avayler Mobile platform to the North American automotive market.
Avayler’s software was developed to manage Halford’s own garages, mobile vans and retail stores, while the Avayler Mobile product uses algorithms to calculate the available time slots for the customer according to where the nearest van is located and the parts available, before using dynamic pricing to value those slots. Customers can also track where the van is and receive notifications and updates while it is en route.
The software is designed to ensure companies can calculate the cheapest and quickest routes to their customer, maximise colleague productivity, give details of traffic and provide staff with detailed checklists to ensure a safe and consistent service is provided, Halfords said.
The firm added that Avayler is on track to expand its workforce to over 45 people over the next two years, including 30 software engineers, while also continuing to develop its intellectual property as an omnichannel service management platform.
"We're proud to be launching Avayler today with ATD as our first client. This is an historic moment for Halfords and another major milestone in our transition to become a market leading motoring services focused business,” Halfords chief executive Graham Stapleton said in a statement.
“The Avayler platform has enabled us to optimise our motoring services operations across our stores, garages and mobile vans, reducing operating costs, growing profits and delivering a better customer experience. We're very excited about the opportunities this platform will create for Halfords in the UK and internationally," the CEO added.