Over the years the tyre and fleet management software sector has continued to take strides forward, becoming increasingly competitive as tyre shops and garages seek ever more cost-saving opportunities through digitalisation. At the end of 2021, we took some time to talk to Mike Glover, the Sales Director at Compilator AB and discover the ins and outs of not only their tyre software offering DD5 and TEAM2, but also more crucially their tyre fleet inspection software, InfoRoute.

An Introduction to Compilator AB

In Commercial Tyre Business, we have covered various companies operating in the tyre software and technology space, and although Compilator have been an active participant in the market since 1995, we have not reported on them until today.

For readers who are encountering Compilator for the first time, the company was founded in 1995 by CEO, Anders Paulcen. Following the experiences he gained working in his family’s tyre business and combining that with the ever-growing use of computers and software in tyre workshops, the CEO saw an opportunity to enter a market at ground zero of its development. Over time, DäckData (Swedish for Tyre Data) developed a very strong module to support the change between summer and winter tyres in the form of a “Tyre Hotel”, in addition to the normal management of customers, suppliers, stock and invoicing.

As of today, Compilator has 40 employees split between the UK, Sweden and Finland and are commercially operational in 6 European countries, with products being rendered across Ireland, Denmark and Norway as well as the countries where they are operationally based.

We will return to the tyre management software later in the interview, but we began by asking Mike Glover about a separate product offered by the company in the shape of InfoRoute, the company’s software solution for tyre fleet inspection.

InfoRoute: Facilitating and Simplifying the Tyre Inspection Process

Launched in 2003 but acquired by Compilator AB in 2020, InfoRoute was created as a result of increased demand for compliance and transparency from companies managing their tyre policies, in order to deliver maximum vehicle uptime and reduce costs.

The software delivers visibility online for all vehicles at multiple locations, tracks action lists and completion of jobs, and allows for KPI reporting on tread depths and tyre pressures to measure and demonstrate policy adherence. For the tyre service provider, InfoRoute is an added-value solution that acts as a tool to win new business, whilst retaining existing customers. On top of this, companies can benefit from the ability to manage action lists and complete jobs within their own businesses, whilst also having the capacity to manage multi-location fleets in-house or through third parties with access to the system. Furthermore, there is also the possibility for the tyre service provider to upload inspection data into the tyre manufacturer’s systems.

“The database can be populated with a list of vehicles, locations, tyre sizes etc., through an Excel file. It really is as simple as downloading the app to the phone. You enter your email address and password, which is already created, and following this, you then have access to all of the fleets on the database that you're assigned to.”

In terms of the training required to use the app, although Compilator can arrange training sessions with new clients to help with the roll out of the product, Glover suggested that this is not strictly necessary given how intuitive and easy-to-use the product is. “InfoRoute is very, very intuitive,” he claims. “In fact, one of the product’s USPs is its simplicity and the easy of inputting the information. In practice, you will go to a registration number with the vehicle schematic coming up, you input the tyre tread depths and identify any damage or any service actions that are required.”

Opportunities Available with Leasing and Tyre Management Companies but also Tyre Manufacturers to Grow InfoRoute

So how is Compilator approaching the commercialisation of InfoRoute? According to Glover, the approach is to work with the leasing companies themselves, since these operations will have their own customers who drive the behaviour of the tyre dealer that they want to see.

Another potential option in terms of the growth of InfoRoute is through integrations with the tyre manufacturers themselves. Glover explained that historically tyre manufacturers had tried developing their own tools which had had varying degrees of success. This obviously presents an opportunity for Compilator especially given InfoRoute’s capabilities and experience in linking to third-party systems, which has already happened with a few leading tyre manufacturers.

Glover detailed how this operates in theory, “There is an API, or a set of APIs that the system has, and if you imagine an API is a set of tentacles that extends out from the system with the end of those tentacles having a piece of information. In addition to this, the data involved in a fleet inspection is actually pretty common across anybody who wants to receive the data.”

It could be an inaccurate interpretation, but these comments from Glover may suggest that Compilator sees an opportunity in integrating with tyre manufacturers across the board due to the common nature of the data provided in fleet inspections. Although different corporate cultures or dynamics and competitive hurdles that differentiate the leading tyre manufacturers can always prove to be a stumbling block, with data and simplicity at the heart of InfoRoute pushing the product forward, the product is seemingly well poised to have more success.

Glover said, “We continue to develop sales for InfoRoute within our existing customer base and seek new opportunities with tyre manufacturers, tyre dealers who specialise in fleet business. A more recently identified opportunity is with fleet customers especially in the rental and leasing sector.”

Transition of Team Two Well Underway in the UK and Ireland for Team 2 Software

Moving away from Compilator’s InfoRoute solution, we began to focus on the company’s tyre & maintenance software product solutions in the shape of DD5 and TEAM2, with the former being utilised in Scandinavia and the latter across the UK and Ireland.

In terms of Scandinavia and Northern Europe, Compilator the leading providers of tyre & maintenance software and serves clients such as Euromaster and Volvo Cars amongst other prominent tyre chains and independent workshops. As of 2019, the company launched DD5 and during 2020 began migrating its customers in the region to the new system. DD5 is currently available in 5 languages and currencies and according to Glover has “the flexibility to expand easily.”