Automation Hero April 2020 – Shamil Patel from Allparts

Shamil Patel, Director at Allparts, has driven the change from using “paper and pen” to now using an automated tool for inventory optimisation. This has led to more satisfied customers and healthier stock. That’s why he’s April’s Automation Hero! 

Name: Shamil Patel
Title: Director
Company: Allparts

Congratulations on winning the award, Shamil! Please can you tell us a little about yourself, where you work and what your role is?
Thanks! Allparts is a family-run business that my father founded over 30 years ago in Kenya, wholesaling vehicle service items using our own brand name, “Allparts”.  Until I joined as a director of the business in 2002, the company books were done manually with pen and paper! My role was, and still is, to improve functionality, decrease overhead costs and ultimately increase profitability.

What “red flags” made you realize that you needed to invest in automation?
When I joined the company, there were no digital records.  As we were only a small company managing 20 SKU’s, an Excel spreadsheet with formulas was enough to help forecast imports. When we hit over 2,000 SKU’s, I soon realised it was almost impossible to keep control using an outdated forecasting spreadsheet that no longer supported our needs. It was time to look for software that specialised in inventory management and it was EazyStock that ticked all the right boxes.

How has your work changed since you implemented EazyStock?
Work has changed tremendously since implementing EazyStock. I used to spend most of my time trying to figure out what, when and how to manage 2,000 SKUs individually. It was an extremely tedious job that I am glad is over! I now have a lot more time to concentrate on other aspects of my business that need my attention.

How has automation with EazyStock helped Allparts?
It has helped us in different ways. We now have the right amount of stock at the right time resulting in a drop in “loss of sales”.  It has helped us get rid of stock that we didn’t realise was “non-moving” and most importantly, we are not overstocked resulting in a drop in bank interest rates.  Overall, EazyStock has played a big role in keeping our customers satisfied as there is always stock when they need it. 

What other types of automation tools do you use today?
EasyStock is the only automation tool we use today.  

What do you think about the future of automation?
I think automation is something that we will all need. It helps decrease the time it takes to do jobs that are currently manually done, resulting in increased productivity and reducing overhead costs. This will mean more people will have more time to concentrate on other key elements that need attention. 

Thank you Shamail and congratulations again!

If you would like to nominate a colleague, customer or partner for next month’s Automation Hero, please fill out the contact form here.