The IT transition at the SAAQ is turning into a nightmare for some merchants
The failures of the IT transition at the SAAQ are causing major headaches for merchants in the Quebec automotive sector.
The disruptions surrounding the implementation of the SAAQclic system at the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) are causing serious headaches for merchants in the automotive sector, some of whom find themselves completely incapacitated to deliver vehicles to customers.
This is particularly the case of Stéphane Laframboise, president of Unik Auto Import, a motor vehicle import company, whose operations have been paralyzed for days because they have not been able to carry out the import processes. x27; SAAQ registration.
When purchasing vehicles outside Quebec, dealers or companies must first have them integrated into the Quebec vehicle bank via the services of the SAAQ . They must then undergo a mandatory mechanical inspection of the vehicle and finally have it registered in the customer's name.
All of this requires an average of three appointments at the SAAQ for a small merchant like Stéphane Laframboise. At least before the arrival of the new computer system SAAQclic, which he renamed the crash.
“Before, it was heavy, but we lived with. Now they can no longer perceive my requests or integrate my vehicles. There is simply nothing more we can do. »
— Stéphane Laframboise, President of Unik Auto Import
SAAQ branches have been literally overwhelmed since the launch of the SAAQclic self-service computer system.
Right now, a lot of my vehicles are taken from CN. I have to leave them there. I also have a warehouse that I rented in Lachine [$3500 per month] which is completely full of vehicles and I have eight of them with us since yesterday. That makes no sense!
I have a small market. That's 100 vehicles per year. It takes all the effort in the world. Right now I have $100,000 in inventory, what do I do with that? I'm not Lexus, worries the importer.
Quite naturally, Stéphane Laframboise turned to the SAAQ merchant support telephone line, where he spent hours without ever speaking to a human. The line hangs up automatically after 3h20 of waiting.
“We call every day, and we wait three, four, five hours, like thick. »
— Stéphane Laframboise, president of Unik Auto Import
Unable to integrate, inspect and register the vehicles it buys, Stéphane's company Laframboise is completely paralyzed. We're screwed, sincerely […] what do you want me to do, asks the shopkeeper.
The situation is also problematic in the largest businesses and major brand dealerships, confirms Ian P. Sam Yue Chi, CEO of the Corporation of Quebec Automobile Dealers.
Yes, we are experiencing difficulties across all dealerships in Quebec. You know, we have 890, says Mr. Sam Yue Chi.
However, for dealers, who are already dealing with delivery delays due to supply chain disruptions, adding additional delays due to IT problems at the SAAQ was not an option. .
Several car dealers find themselves with this new problem on their hands.
“The number one priority, it was established from the start, we wanted to be able to deliver the vehicles to the customers. This is achieved by indirect means.
— Ian P. Sam Yue Chi, CEO of the Quebec Automobile Dealers Corporation
To do this, dealers manage to register the vehicles they sell by issuing temporary paper registration certificates, commonly called a transit, which are stuck in the rear window of a car. pending registration.
Insofar as the new SAAQ systems installed at dealerships were not sufficiently stable, the SAAQ recommended that dealerships to continue issuing transits until further notice.
But since a transit is only valid for 10 days, the document must be renewed regularly by dealers until the SAAQ is able to process registration applications normally. This represents an inconvenience for customers, who must return to the dealership to renew the document, underlines Ian P. Sam Yue Chi.
“ Our concern is not in the agility of the SAAQ, in its ability to find quick solutions, […] but in how long the current situation will resolve itself. »
— Ian P. Sam Yue Chi, CEO of the Quebec Automobile Dealers Corporation
Members of the Corporation of Quebec Automobile Dealers carry out more than 600,000 transactions each year at the SAAQ.
There is no vehicle that is not currently delivering to customers, but by issuing transits, we are shoveling what we will have to do in front, warns the CEO of the Corporation of Automobile Dealers, in the as all of these vehicles will need to be registered when the SAAQ systems are fully operational.
The more time passes, the greater the magnitude of the task before us will grow .
Members of the Corporation of Quebec Automobile Dealers perform 600,000 transactions each year through the SAAQ's computer system.
On Thursday, SAAQ PG Denis Marsolais acknowledged that the past week had been difficult due to capacity issues with the SAAQ's computer network and people flocking to overwhelmed service outlets. Stating that mitigation measures are in place, Marsolais said he hopes everything will be back to normal by the end of April.
Stéphane Laframboise, for his part, does not believe it. With motorcycles, motorhomes, storages, destockings, which all happen in the spring, the importer simply does not see the end of it.
Friday morning, a couple of Quebecers in Florida told Radio-Canada that after hours spent on the phone with four SAAQ workers, it was simply impossible for them to have their recreational vehicle deregistered.
Many citizens go to service points in person because of difficulties registering with SAAQclic or inability to complete a transaction.
At the SAAQ, the media relations coordinator, Gino Desrosiers, confirmed to us the existence of technical problems with the SAAQclic merchants portal.
“ Our IT teams are at work to make the fixes. Despite everything, the portal works, transactions are recorded there every day. »
— Gino Desrosiers, spokesperson for the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec
Mr. Desrosiers also stated that the merchant support line is still in service, but it is overloaded.
The SAAQ spokesperson adds that the status of known problems and mitigation measures is published regularly on the Merchant Extranet, that an email channel has been set up for merchants to report technical issues they encounter and that the duration of merchant webinars is expanded to extend the question period.
Asked at a press briefing on Friday about the failures of the IT transition at the SAAQ and the long lines in front of service points across Quebec, Premier François Legault expressed his dissatisfaction.
>
Prime Minister François Legault expressed his dissatisfaction on Friday and demanded action in the face of disruptions in the operations of the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec.
“I am not at all satisfied with what is happening at the SAAQ right now.
— François Legault, Premier of Quebec
I had the opportunity again this morning to speak with Geneviève Guilbault and Éric Caire because it seems have difficulty accessing the [Internet] site, including the authentication part, we are looking at what we can do to simplify.
Since it there are more people in the SAAQ's physical offices, employees must be added quickly to meet demand, he added.
Remember that hundreds of people have had to line up for hours for 10 days in front of SAAQ service outlets, in the hope of carrying out a transaction or completing an administrative formality.
