How to Audit and Simplify Your Dealership Technology Stack
The average dealership technology stack grew one sales pitch at a time. The result is often a pile of logins that do not talk to each other and a monthly bill nobody has added up in years. A focused audit can fix that in a few weeks.
The layers every store has
Whatever brands you use, your systems fall into the same handful of jobs:
- System of record: the DMS that holds deals, accounting, parts and service.
- Customer management: the CRM where leads, tasks and communication live.
- Inventory: tools for appraisal, pricing, photos and syndication to listing sites.
- Website and retailing: your site, chat, trade tools and online deal builder.
- Communication: phone system, texting, email and call tracking.
- Desking and finance: deal structuring, credit submission, menu and e-contracting.
- Fixed operations: scheduling, inspection, and service payments.
- Marketing and reporting: ad platforms, analytics and dashboards.
Run a one-page inventory
Open a spreadsheet and list every piece of software the store pays for. Your accounts payable records are the most reliable source. For each one, fill in six columns:
- What it does, in one sentence.
- Monthly cost.
- Contract end date and notice period.
- The named person in the store who owns it.
- How many people logged in during the last thirty days.
- What other systems it sends data to or receives data from.
This exercise alone usually turns up tools nobody uses and features you are paying for twice.
Look for overlap and orphans
With the list complete, mark two things. Overlap is when two tools do the same job, such as texting available in both the CRM and a separate app. Orphans are tools with no owner or almost no logins. For every overlap, pick one tool and train everyone on it. For every orphan, either assign an owner with a clear goal or put it on the cancellation list ahead of its notice date.
Follow one customer through the systems
The real test of a stack is whether information survives the trip. Pick a recent customer who came from a social ad and bought a vehicle. Trace the record:
- Did the first message reach the CRM automatically, with the correct source?
- Was the appointment visible to the salesperson and the manager?
- Did the trade and deal details carry into desking without retyping?
- Did the sold record flow back so the lead was marked sold?
- Was the customer set up for a first service reminder?
Every point where someone had to re-enter information is a place where leads get lost and reports go wrong. Fix those handoffs before you buy anything new.
Protect customer data
More tools mean more places where customer information sits. Dealers are subject to federal safeguards requirements for customer financial information, along with state privacy laws. Give each user their own login, remove access the day someone leaves, turn on multi-factor authentication, and ask every vendor how they secure your data. Review your information security program with counsel and a qualified security provider.
Add new tools only with a job description
Before signing for anything new, write down the specific problem it solves, the number that will prove it worked, who owns it, and which existing tool it replaces. If you cannot fill in all four, wait.
The same goes for marketing partners. A good one should fit into the systems you already have. Appointments from a sales event, for example, should arrive with name, phone, email and time in a form your CRM and your managers can use the same day.
Frequently asked questions
How often should we audit our systems?
Once a year in full, with a quick check each quarter of logins and upcoming contract dates.
Is it better to buy everything from one provider?
A single provider can simplify data flow, but the best tool for each job may come from different companies. Judge by how well the pieces connect in practice.
Who should own technology decisions?
The GM, with one manager assigned as owner for each tool. Decisions made by committee tend to add software without removing any.
See what an event would look like for your store
Willowood Ventures runs Facebook Sales Events for 600+ dealer partners and manages $4 million per month in social advertising. Dealers see approximately 800% average ROI, and 90% of them rebook. Book a demo and we will walk through your market, your inventory and your set appointment target.
