AUTO1 Group accelerates used-car reconditioning with INFORM Yard Management
AUTO1 Group operates Europe’s leading digital platforms for buying and selling used cars, including wirkaufendeinauto.de, AUTO1.com, and Autohero. To support strong growth in the used-car market and ensure fast, reliable vehicle turnaround, AUTO1 Group relies on INFORM Yard Management at its first in-house production and reconditioning center in Germany.
Challenge
To strengthen control over vehicle quality, lead times, and customer experience, AUTO1 Group opened its first own production center for used-car reconditioning in Hemau, Bavaria, in 2021. At full capacity, the site is designed to handle up to 90,000 vehicles per year, with up to 16,000 vehicles on site at any given time.
Key challenges included:
- Managing high vehicle volumes in a dynamic, fast-moving yard environment
- Ensuring full transparency across all reconditioning steps
- Minimizing internal vehicle movements and lead times
- Achieving high capacity utilization while remaining flexible
- Scaling operations quickly without operational disruption
AUTO1 needed a solution that could be implemented rapidly and support highly dynamic, data-driven yard operations from day one.
Solution
AUTO1 Group implemented INFORM Yard Management at the Hemau site to digitize and optimize all internal vehicle logistics processes.
The solution provides:
- End-to-end transparency for all vehicles and process steps
- Real-time tracking of vehicle locations and work status
- Optimized scheduling and sequencing of yard and workshop activities
- Automated task assignment based on current capacity and priorities
- Flexible process modeling to adapt workflows as volumes increase
Thanks to close collaboration and high system configurability, the solution was implemented within just two weeks, laying the foundation for efficient and scalable yard operations.
Results
Since introducing INFORM Yard Management, AUTO1 Group has achieved clear operational benefits:
- Full transparency for up to 16,000 vehicles on site
- More efficient internal vehicle movements and processes
- Increased on-time delivery performance
- Shorter lead times across reconditioning steps
- High operational robustness and flexibility
- Scalable setup prepared for rollout to additional production centers
The solution enables dispatchers and planners to make informed, real-time decisions, even as volumes and complexity continue to grow.
Full capacity utilization, short lead times, flexibility and operational robustness are key for us. INFORM's yard management system is a powerful tool that helps us to achieve those goals.
Future Outlook
AUTO1 Group plans to roll out INFORM Yard Management to additional production centers across Europe. As volumes increase, optimization and transparency will continue to play a critical role in supporting the company’s growth strategy in the rapidly evolving used-car market.
Conclusion
The partnership between AUTO1 Group and INFORM has significantly improved vehicle logistics at the Hemau production center. By leveraging advanced digital solutions, AUTO1 Group is well-positioned to meet the growing demand in the used car market, providing efficient and reliable services across its platforms.
Dennis Feddern
Senior Vice President Vehicle Logistics
