Business Case · Automotive Inspection
10 years of continuous digital transformation with DEKRA France
How the global leader in technical inspection turned an outdated booking site into a high-performing e-commerce platform — and built a partnership that has lasted a decade.
Avec Melis, nous avons activé tous les leviers du e-commerce. Ce qui a fait la différence, c'est la qualité de l'accompagnement, des équipes intégrées à nos projets IT et marketing.
Outcomes that compound
A decade of measurable impact
The company
A dense, directly-managed network — and a digital-first mindset
With over 28 million vehicle inspections conducted each year worldwide, DEKRA Automotive is the global leader in technical inspection. In France, the entity operates 1,560 light-vehicle testing centers — including 200 company-owned locations — as well as 150 heavy-vehicle centers, all managed directly.
Under the leadership of Karine Bonnet, DEKRA has steadily advanced a pragmatic and ambitious digital transformation, while maintaining a hybrid network model combining franchised and company-owned locations.
We were pioneers in online appointment booking and payment as early as 2012. With Melis, we accelerated the modernization of our platform to match new user expectations.
At a glanceThe challenge
A strategic IT system for a dense network in a highly regulated industry
Managing 7 million inspections per year in France requires an IT system that is robust, secure, and interconnected with government authorities — the Ministries of Transport and Interior — while remaining genuinely user-friendly for the end customer.
DEKRA progressively digitized its processes — reports, invoices, booking — while strictly complying with GDPR and adhering to high cybersecurity standards, managed by a dedicated department.
Why Melis
More than a provider — a long-term partner
The partnership with Melis began over 10 years ago, as DEKRA sought to redesign its outdated booking site into a fully functional e-commerce platform tailored to their business. With Melis Platform, DEKRA was able to:
- Build a complex store locator for a multi-branch network
- Integrate a multi-affiliate escrow payment system
- Deploy advanced e-commerce features: promotions, dynamic time slots and yield management
With Melis, we activated every e-commerce lever. What truly made the difference was their support — a real project team integrated into our IT and marketing departments.
The platform
See the e-commerce platform DEKRA built with Melis
Every e-commerce lever, working together in a single storefront — from finding a center to a confirmed, paid booking. Here is what those capabilities look like in production on dekra-norisko.fr.
dekra-norisko.fr — the customer-facing storefront, powered by MelisCommerce.
Find the right center across a 1,500-strong network
A geolocated store finder surfaces the nearest DEKRA, NORISKO and AUTOCONTROL centers in real time — with distance, ratings and supported vehicle types — turning a complex, directly-managed multi-branch network into a two-click choice.
Real-time slots, flash sales and yield management
Customers browse live availability by day and time, with dynamic pricing — Vente Flash, promotional rates and an online-payment discount — that lets DEKRA fill quiet slots and maximize each center's utilization.
Frictionless add-ons and flexible payment
Branded service packages — €CO, VERT, PASS, Transparence — are offered in-flow to lift average order value, while Alma 3×/4× instalments and secure payment remove friction at the final step.
Partner networks and escrow payments, built in
Insurers and partners — MAAF, Allianz, GMF, BlaBlaCar and many more — book through dedicated entry points, settled via a multi-affiliate escrow payment system that routes funds to the right center automatically.
The approach
Success built on agility and engagement
In a network as structured as DEKRA's, successfully onboarding franchisees requires persuasion, proof, and co-construction. Melis stood out by:
- Collaborating closely with the joint network committee
- Adjusting developments based on real field feedback
- Ensuring smooth, fast, and well-managed deployment
The result: a partnership that has lasted over 10 years and even expanded to cover the Code by DEKRA project (driver theory test) — which Melis recovered after a failed version delivered by a different provider.
The results
Tangible and long-term business value
The transformation led by Melis delivered measurable results across the digital business.
| Indicator | Result |
|---|---|
| Annual digital growth | +15% |
| Record in 2024 | +24% as of end of August, vs previous year |
| Share of digital | 30% of total inspections |
| 2025 goal | 1M online transactions — current ~850,000 |
Today, 30% of our business goes through the website. It's not just about customer convenience — it's a true performance driver.
What's next
Next horizon: AI, digital sobriety and carbon neutrality
Artificial intelligence
DEKRA is now exploring AI, initially in back-office use cases:
- Supporting hotline staff via a regulatory knowledge base
- Assisting affiliates, clients and auditors with official correspondence
- Automating customer-review responses
AI will also be integrated into the future version of the technical-inspection software, pending approval from government authorities.
Digital sobriety & sustainability
On the sustainability front, DEKRA is fully committed:
- Deployment of solar panels across facilities
- 19% energy savings through eco-friendly practices
- Strong emphasis on employee training and workplace wellbeing
Our objective is clear: to achieve carbon neutrality while optimizing our processes through digital innovation.
Looking ahead
An ongoing collaboration geared toward innovation
Melis is currently developing a new AI module, capable of interfacing with knowledge bases and chatbots. DEKRA has already expressed interest in this upcoming initiative.
We haven't deployed AI for the hotline yet, but we plan to work with Melis when the project kicks off.
In summary
A foundational partnership for digital business transformation
DEKRA's experience illustrates the full potential of Melis Platform to:
- Transform outdated IT into a modern e-commerce platform
- Boost operational performance through digital tools
- Accommodate network complexity and regulatory demands
- Build long-term trust through expertise and flexibility
Write your next chapter with Melis
Turn complex, regulated operations into a modern digital experience — backed by a project team that works as an extension of yours.