Joining Forces for Success: PPG Teams Work Together to Deliver Management Solution for Portuguese Customer

When Filipe Maçarico, New Business Manager for PPG Refinish Portugal, visited customer RF AUTO, he was surprised to find that bodyshop operations were planned and managed through a series of spreadsheets.

RF AUTO is a very large repair centre located in near Lisbon, Portugal. As with any high production facility, efficiency plays a key role in ensuring profitability. But the use of spreadsheets – and reliance on the presence and input of owner Ricardo Ferreira– to control every aspect of repair shop management meant that operating efficiently was a challenge for this customer.

"Interior of RF AUTO SHOP"

 

Filipe contacted the PPG MVP team in EMEA for our support in finding a resolution that would help RF AUTO to improve its operations. We suggested ProcessManager; a cloud-based digital planning tool already helping bodyshops in Germany and the Nordics but not yet implemented in Portugal.

Maximilian Mertens, Business Solutions Specialist, and Lars Worring, Business Development Manager and Business Solutions Team Leader – both from PPG Refinish Germany – took part in initial discussions due to their experience with the system. Soon after, Filipe proposed that RF AUTO become the first customer in Portugal to implement the ProcessManager system.

Improving Efficiency and Profitability

After several remote meetings, we invited Ricardo and representatives from Portuguese distributor Tintauto to join us in Germany for a face-to-face meeting. This gave us the opportunity to demonstrate the ProcessManager system and for the bodyshop owner to explore its functionality in a real environment.

Ricardo Ferreira was impressed with the many features and functions of the digital tool and following the visit to Germany was keen to implement the system in the RF AUTO collision shop.

With a high number of employees, processes and details to take into consideration due to the size and capability of the body and paint shop, we began to prepare for the first Portuguese installation of the ProcessManager system in advance.

PPG’s German Business Solutions team led the implementation which took place in May 2024. Thanks to their extensive experience and willingness to support, it was a great success and the installation and system training were complete in just five days.

"Max and Francisco (RF AUTO MANAGEMENT), after
finishing the implementation showing the software in the Ipad"

 

Now, RF AUTO bodyshop is benefitting from significant improvements to its efficiency, profitability . Every step of every process is now recorded and monitored, including notes and details of vehicles, locations and activity in the production area.

Ricardo Ferreira comments:

“We are very appreciative of the support we received from PPG MVP and the Business Solutions team. They provided a highly professional service and we are happy with the result.”

The collaboration between PPG’s teams in EMEA and Germany has resulted in success. We have carried out the first installation of the ProcessManager system in Portugal, providing mutual value for PPG and for our customers and strengthening our position as a market leader.

Many thanks to the following people for their support in this project:

  • Maximilian Mertens, Business Solutions Specialist, PPG Refinish Germany
  • Lars Worring, Business Solutions Team Leader, PPG Refinish Germany
  • Filipe Maçarico, New Business Manager PPG Refinish Portugal

 

 

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