DealersEdge Professional Forums

I haven't ranted in a while:
Twelve years later, RIM makes an improvement that at least brings it within last century's technology, re-stratifying monthly instead of quarterly. I welcome any improvement, but RIM continues to lag behind in simple, common sense, logical management protocols. There are just too many historically proven industry standards that are simply ignored. Whoever decides the parts stratification criteria obviously has no dealership parts department experience, and it negatively affects every GM dealership's inventory investment and holding costs. Unfortunately, the DP's just want to keep GM happy, and don't care because they're fed a line of BS. Fortunately for GM the Pre-RIM parts managers are all 'phasing out' and our voices are becoming dim. I know it's not going away, but I'm glad the RIM programmers at least graduated to the fourth grade.
Rant over.



Change to Monthly RIM Stratification

Effective September 15, 2018, RIM stratification will transition from being run quarterly to monthly. The job will run the 3rd Saturday of each month, with newly generated policies available to the Dealers on the Monday following the run. This change is being implemented to reduce variation in the network and smooth the impact of stratification.

By running the job monthly, the following benefits will be realized:
Fewer policies will be created with each strata run
Allows RIM to react quicker to changes in demand, improving the timeliness of phase in/out of stocking recommendations
Enhances RIM’s ability to properly introduce new model parts into stratification

If you have any questions on this change, please contact the RIM help desk

We're being enhanced again, Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Boyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm guessing even more one hit wonders will be recommended

Possum... Maybe the ten week exclusion should be lowered to match the new 30 day or monthly re-strat. I am thinking 3 week time frame.

I use the ten week exclusion for one hit wonders and save the permanent exclusion for chemicals and body parts.

Now, If I exclude for ten weeks, and I have another sale before the next re-strat, I am going to strongly consider approving the part, depending on my own factors and gut feelings. But, with a ten week exclusion, it would not be re-calculated for at least two re-strats. I would prefer a three week exclusion, and if it is still a suggested part at that time or at the next re-strat, I have no problem looking at the part again in a few weeks. Hopefully, the one hit wonder falls off the RIM radar in one or two re-strats.

More of my issues with RIM involve RIM not suggesting enough of the parts that we sell on a regular basis. I can easily handle the one-hit wonders, they really don't bother me. I am constantly frustrated on the part/s that say I sell once a month on average, but two of the months I sell three. RIM still thinks I only need one, and I am burned in my purchase loyalty when I buy out that motor mount or whatever part it is. I think RIM should suggest more parts. When I discuss this with my DM, he looks at me like he has never heard such a thing in all his dealership visits. For the most part, my purchase loyalty is a reflection of the shortcomings of RIM or of the success of RIM.

- gt "does your mileage vary ??"

EDIT: when I say "more parts", I mean more depth (more qty) to the parts I sell, not more breadth....

We are in eastern NC and because of Florence we are receiving no orders. RIM cannot keep high selling items on the shelf when the truck is running every day. It's much worse when your RIM parts are being ordered but not delivered. And if I can find a needed part from another dealer that is delivering, than purchase loyalty takes a hit. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

RIM has always been behind the curve, and will continue to be until they scrap it.

It takes a minimum of TWO DAYS to restock a part on RIM from my local PDC.

I can order it myself and have it the NEXT DAY from my local PDC.

If they can't figure that part out, no way they can figure out proper stocking quantities, multiple quantities, phase in and phase out, etc.

Retail
Inventory
Mismanagement

TimK wrote:RIM has always been behind the curve, and will continue to be until they scrap it.

It takes a minimum of TWO DAYS to restock a part on RIM from my local PDC.

I can order it myself and have it the NEXT DAY from my local PDC.

If they can't figure that part out, no way they can figure out proper stocking quantities, multiple quantities, phase in and phase out, etc.

Retail
Inventory
Mismanagement

Anybody here remember how in March of 1996 they introduced DAILY stock orders, going from weekly stock orders. Of course, they chopped return reserve from 16% to 8% and other things I can't recall. Ah, the good old days. At least the General pretended we were partners. Now, it's about everything for THEIR CONVENIENCE.

Several years back I had a Rep. sitting in my office telling me how great RIM was going to be. I looked her in the eye and told her," there is no way a computer back east could tell who my best customer was and what I "needed" to properly service them". I said, "You are sitting here in my office and you still can't tell me my best (prefered) customer". She said "I bet I can". OK bets on!!..... Here are my special orders for this morning, the first one is for a (year) Cad. Escalade that is out in the shop, and here is the next one for a 1974 potato truck that's 150 miles away, which one is my "prefered" customer? She said "obviously the Caddy in the shop". Wrong! She asked why? "Because the guy with the potato truck has 5 more HD trucks (GM) he is driving a Duramax, his wife drives an Esclade and his workers are all driving old GM farm trucks, to top it off he has $4 million bucks worth of potatoes he "must" get to the sheds before freeze". "How is some damned computer 2000 miles away going to see that?"
It isn't, It couldn't do it back then and it can't do it now. The only sustaining purpose of RIM is to control the Dealer and the Dealers pocket book, all run by some bean counter that probably has never seen the inside of a parts room or even looked a customer in the eye.
As I have said before; "Send them a napkin, I can see the greed running down their chin."

bigmac wrote:I'm guessing even more one hit wonders will be recommended

Get them every day biggest thing i have against RIM lets just throw all proven and prctical inventory practices out the window