The carmaker will use Manheim's enterprise software platform, known as RMS, in the main European markets, USA, Brazil, Australia, Russia, Japan and China, amongst other markets, to ensure a common international platform for inventory management and the wholesaling of used vehicles to Volvo’s franchised dealers.

The Manheim solution will also deliver a high-end experience for Volvo's retail consumers, when searching for used models, under the Volvo Selekt programme in all of its key territories. This system has been developed by Manheim's German automotive marketing business, Modix.

The roll-out of the global project, which is scheduled to be largely completed by mid-2016, is being coordinated between the respective teams at Volvo Cars' Gothenburg HQ and Manheim's project team based in the US, UK and Germany.

Once fully implemented, it is expected that the system will manage the sale of 40,000 Volvo used cars per annum between the manufacturer and the franchised dealer network.

The new deal supports Volvo Cars' plans to substantially increase its international used car sales, on the back of strategic new car growth worldwide.

Nick Peluso, the recently appointed president of Global RMS, based in Manheim's HQ in Atlanta USA, said: ‘Volvo Cars is setting a real precedent here, with an innovative approach to managing their entire used vehicle inventory worldwide, right through the value chain. The Manheim RMS platform will allow each of Volvo Cars' national sales countries to control and sell their wholesale inventory in a single integrated system. There will also be a seamless transition from this wholesale platform to an all-new, used car stock locator, being built by our retail marketing provider, Modix. This will give consumers the same top-quality environment across all 26 countries, in which to browse a great selection of models being offered under the Volvo Selekt Used Car programme.’

Peluso concluded: ‘We are delighted to be working with Volvo Cars on this ground breaking project knowing that our solutions will materially assist them to achieve their objectives of streamlining the wholesale and retail used car experience on an international scale.’