By joining forces with Courtyard Automotive Services Limited, a company with more than 50 years experience specializing in Business Development and Management for manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, and utilising its highly reputable IT platform, Baker Tilly has created a dedicated strategic automotive management tool for dealers and manufacturers to initiate best practices and controls.

In light of the current rapid rate of transnational integration and technological development, it is vital that companies work on their agility in order to be responsive to new developments in the business environment in which they operate.  This means that internal processes must be continually pruned to remain streamlined yet retain their essential robusticity.  A review of fundamental back-office financial and administrative procedures such as purchasing, management reporting, and rebate processing ensure that critical areas of expenditure are tightly governed and that controls are in place to guard against risk.  BTAS takes a unique slant on the usual profit clinic by analysing the operational issues affecting a company rather than merely the numerical particulars.

The BTAS composite programme is an interactive profit and process refinement facility which can be tailored to individual clients’ requirements.  It boasts an in-built analysis and comparison selection feature as well as automatic management accounts and flash reporting capability.  The strategic tools on offer cover financial support, network planning, and restructuring and possess the depth to supply varying degrees of detail, from a basic volume return overview to a comprehensive 5 year forecast of profit and loss, cashflow, and balance sheet.  These services can be accessed in all possible formats - paper, CD, or secure internet access - and the individualized plans can be wholly integrated with BTAS composite data production.

In the area of dealer performance reviews and health check reports, BTAS supplies one-on-one reviews at the dealer location, performance reports and financial health status checks, suggested improvements and follow-up reviews, action plan implementation, and amendments.  With regard to management financial training, BTAS aims to create solutions within the current dealer network, fine-tuning the strategic, operational tools and teams with a minimum of disruption to the existing system.

BTAS has an experienced Business Process Improvement team with varied backgrounds in industry and advisory work within the Risk and Corporate Governance service line.  Thus BTAS has the expertise to acquire and transfer leading practices across the corporate spectrum.  Furthermore, the business clubs which it operates facilitate collaboration between general managers and dealer principals so that performance can be enhanced by the sharing of innovation, best practice, and tried and tested methods.

Commenting on the Award to Baker Tilly Automotive Services Mr. Patrick Sheedy, Media & PR Director for the Institute said: "While the Automotive Services division of Baker Tilly is new we are confident in our choice of the Company for this award.'