A workshop census means identifying, geolocating and then qualifying every workshop and parts retailer in an area. For a distributor or a brand, it is the basis of a reliable sales strategy: knowing where customers are, what they buy and where the brand is missing.
Why directories are not enough
Morocco's automotive spare parts market is estimated at around 20 billion dirhams according to La Vie Éco, with a large share of informal channels. Many workshops appear in no directory, move or change specialty, or have no online presence.
As a result, customer files and purchased databases are often incomplete or outdated. Sales teams keep visiting the same customers and miss whole areas.
Listed or audited: two levels of data
A good census separates two statuses, which take different effort:
- Listed: the outlet is identified and geolocated (name, type, address, GPS coordinates), without an in-depth visit.
- Audited: a field agent visited it and checked its size, equipment, specialties, brands present and purchasing potential.
Listing a whole city measures the size of the market. Auditing a sample or priority targets tells you where to invest.
The data to collect for each workshop
- Identity and type: mechanical, electrical, diesel, body shop, tyre centre, parts retailer, fleet workshop.
- Location: GPS coordinates, city, district, region.
- Size: number of lifts or bays, employees, surface, estimated turnover class.
- Activity: specialties, vehicle brands serviced, passenger cars or trucks.
- Equipment: diagnostic tool, battery tester, A/C station, ADAS equipment.
- Supply: main suppliers, visible brands, whether your brand is present.
- Opportunities: stated needs, issues, interest in an offer or training.
Personal data (the manager's name and phone) is only collected with their consent and handled under Moroccan Law 09-08.
The 4-step method
- Define the scope: regions, outlet types, the data your decision needs, and timing.
- List and visit: field teams cover the area street by street and record each outlet with GPS, timestamp and photo.
- Quality control: duplicates, inconsistent positions, missing fields and random checks by a supervisor.
- Use the data: interactive map, filterable lists and exports for your sales teams.
What distributors do with it
- Draw balanced sales territories and plan visit routes.
- Find white spots: districts where your brand or network is absent.
- Prioritize high-potential workshops (size, equipment, specialties).
- Measure competitor presence and track it year on year.
- Prepare a range launch with realistic targets and volumes.
NUVIO runs these censuses and audits in Morocco and delivers the data in a client portal with map, filters and exports.
