Client
Hippo Motor Group
From humble beginnings in a small container office to a thriving multi-site operation with over 300 staff, Hippo Motor Group experienced growing challenges in managing vehicle preparation at scale. Paper-based processes and limited visibility slowed operations—until vAutoStock transformed their workflow with full digital management, real-time accountability, and industry-leading support.
🎧 Listen to the Interview
Hear directly from Colin Shaw, Aftersales Manager, and Daniel Farley, Vehicle Preparation Coordinator, at Hippo Motor Group as they share their experience of transforming vehicle preparation with vAutoStock:
Or read the full interview below:
Business Background
Q: Let’s start with a quick overview of your business – when you started, the size of your team, and how many sites you operate.
A: Of course. The business originally started around 15 years ago. At the very beginning, things were very modest – we didn’t even have a formal showroom. We were operating out of a container and a small office space. There were just 7 or 8 of us, working hard and building things from the ground up.
Fast forward to today, and we’ve grown significantly. We now operate across multiple sites, and our team has grown to over 300 staff members. It’s been an incredible journey, and as we’ve expanded, the operational challenges have naturally evolved with that growth.
Challenges Before vAutoStock
Q: Before implementing vAutoStock, what were some of the key challenges you faced?
A: The biggest issue we faced was managing the flow of vehicles through each department. It wasn’t that our team wasn’t working hard; it was just that we lacked visibility and coordination.
We often didn’t know where a car was in the process, which department had it, or what stage it was at. That made it really difficult to move stock through efficiently. Delays would build up simply because of that lack of clarity.
We were also heavily reliant on paper-based processes, which added another layer of inefficiency. Files would go missing, things wouldn’t get updated properly, and chasing information became a daily task. It wasn’t sustainable at scale.
What Changed with vAutoStock
Q: What were the key improvements once you started using vAutoStock?
A: The difference was night and day. Straight away, we saw improvements in our SLAs across the site; everything started moving faster.
The platform gave us complete visibility of where each vehicle was at any given time. Every team could log in, see what needed to be done, and keep things moving. That sense of accountability really grew.
What used to be a paper trail is now a smooth digital flow. It’s paperless, it’s trackable, and it’s all in one place. That change alone transformed how our workshop operated. The system is clean, clear, and removes the guesswork.
Onboarding & Support
Q: How did you find the onboarding and support from the vAutoStock team?
A: The support has been excellent, honestly, one of the best we’ve ever experienced. Amanda and the wider team were hands-on from the beginning.
We had on-site training, which was a big help in getting everyone comfortable using the system. And even now, if we ever run into a problem or want to tweak how something works, we get a response almost instantly.
It’s not just about the product, it’s about the people behind it, and the vAutoStock team have really backed us the whole way.
Standout Features
Q: Were there any particular features that stood out or really made a difference for your team?
A: Yes, several. The check-in process and the damage assessment tool are brilliant. Being able to record and track vehicle condition right at the point of entry has saved us a lot of time and confusion.
The online VHC form is another big win; it’s cloud-based and really intuitive. Anyone can access it, from anywhere, even while walking around the site. That mobility and ease of access are crucial for a fast-paced environment like ours.
Recommendation
Q: Would you recommend vAutoStock to others in the industry? If so, why?
A: Absolutely, without hesitation. It’s helped us become significantly more efficient. We can move more vehicles through our prep centre faster, which means quicker turnaround times for customers and less time spent chasing information internally.
The system is user-friendly and doesn’t require loads of training, honestly, it feels like plug-and-play. Everyone picked it up quickly.
And the support? Best we’ve ever had. If there’s ever a problem, it gets resolved straight away. The whole process just works. For a business of our size and complexity, that makes a massive difference day-to-day.
Final Thoughts
Q: Anything else you’d like to add?
A: Nothing more to add, really, just that vAutoStock has been a game changer for us. It’s made life easier for our staff, improved how we operate across departments, and ultimately helped us deliver a better experience for our customers. We wouldn’t want to go back to how things were before.
