Case Study Information
Summary
Pell Software partnered with a regional vehicle purchasing company to design and build a custom, dynamic online portal for accurately valuing and acquiring used vehicles for scrap. This solution provides sellers with instant, binding cash offers based on custom criteria and offers the client a powerful administrative dashboard for pricing control and inventory tracking.
The Challenge
Our client, operating in the highly competitive used vehicle acquisition market, was constrained by existing off-the-shelf purchasing technologies. While generic solutions existed, they lacked the granular control and customization necessary to effectively manage the nuances of their specific business modelโpurchasing vehicles, functional or non-functional, primarily for scrap. They required the ability to define their own unique set of qualifying questions, determine how specific answers would mathematically influence the final buying price, and precisely adjust the base price-per-ton value based on specific vehicle attributes like model year and type. This level of dynamic control over the valuation logic was essential for maximizing their margins and ensuring competitive yet profitable offers.
The Solution
Pell Software engineered a bespoke online platform to fully address the client’s complex valuation and operational needs. The core of the solution is a highly configurable administration panel that allows the client to dynamically create and manage a matrix of qualifying questions for vehicle sellers. Crucially, they can define specific pricing rules and formulas tied to the answers provided, ensuring total control over the instantaneous cash offer generation. We implemented a multi-tiered pricing structure where the base price-per-ton can be precisely adjusted by the client for specific vehicle years and types; a key differentiator from competitor systems.
For the end-user, the experience is seamless: they visit the site, quickly answer the custom questions about their vehicle, and receive an instant, accurate cash offer. If interested, they can create an account to digitally manage and track the transaction process. On the client’s side, the platform integrates a robust inventory management system, automatically updating and tracking the status of all acquired vehicles. The entire system was built using a modern, scalable tech stack, including C# and ASP .NET Core, and hosted on Azure for reliability, performance, and security. We also integrated the NHTSA VIN Decoder to ensure accurate vehicle data capture, streamlining the offer process and minimizing data entry errors. Our development strategy prioritized a phased rollout, focusing initially on the core valuation engine and gradually adding features like user accounts and inventory management, ensuring the client had a functioning, profitable tool early in the development cycle.
The Outcome
The implementation of the custom Automotive Purchasing Portal has revolutionized the client’s vehicle acquisition process, leading to a significant and measurable Return on Investment (ROI). By having complete, granular control over the pricing logic and valuation formulas, the client can now make highly competitive offers while simultaneously ensuring optimal profitability on every scrap vehicle purchased. They are now able to precisely adjust prices in response to fluctuations in the scrap metal market or internal inventory needs instantly, an agility impossible with previous systems.
The seamless, instant cash offer generation has dramatically improved the seller conversion rate and enhanced the overall customer experience.. The integrated inventory management component provides real-time visibility into their stock, reducing administrative overhead and eliminating costly manual tracking errors. Ultimately, the solution has allowed the client to scale their operations efficiently, increase their acquisition volume, and achieve a stronger market position by having a proprietary, competitive advantage in vehicle valuation that is directly tied to their unique business criteria.
Date
November, 2023 – May, 2025
We started work on Phase 1 of the application in November 2023 and finished in May, 2025. However, our team has been constantly improving and maintaining it ever since including the addition of new features and adjustments of existing features.
Major Features
- Dynamic Question/Pricing Builder: Admin tools to create custom vehicle questions and link answers directly to pricing adjustments/formulas.
- Tiered Pricing Management: Ability to set and adjust price-per-ton rates based on specific vehicle years and types.
- Instant Cash Offer Generation: Sellers receive an immediate, binding quote upon answering the required vehicle questions.
- NHTSA VIN Decoder Integration: Automatic vehicle information retrieval and validation using the official NHTSA decoder API.
- Integrated Inventory Management: Tracking of acquired vehicles, including status and purchase details.
Technologies Used & Keywords
- Custom Software Development
- Custom Web Application Development
- Custom Line of Business Software
- Workflow Management Software Development
- Custom ERP
- ASP.NET MVC
- C# / .NET
- SQL
- Azure / Azure Development
- NHTSA Vin Decoder API
Client
Client Industry
Used Vehicle Acquisition and Scrap Metal
Client Description
CashInCar is a regional company based in the Massachusetts area that specializes in the rapid and straightforward purchase of used vehicles, regardless of their condition.
