Your customers see your dealership as one, holistic entity. They can service their cars, shop online or in person, and finance purchases through your operation. But, in reality, your dealership is composed of multiple (sometimes siloed) departments, with various tools and technologies, working together to make the magic happen. In some cases, employees get really good at checking off tasks and performing processes that keep the lights on, without seeing the bigger picture. Between your different departments and technologies, it takes teamwork to do the job right. And one weak link has the potential to throw off your entire operation.
High Costs and Higher Risk
According to one study, the average dealership uses almost seven systems to complete a single transaction. That means that data must travel across multiple departments, offers have to be desked, and trust between your client and your business is tested up to seven different times. It also means that you rely on your technology to cooperate seven different times. It’s a tall task and one that you may take for granted. Your DMS is the source of truth for the data within your dealership. And the vendors and OEMs that you partner with rely upon it. They also tend to charge sneaky, hidden fees to access that data, and hide those fees within the costs you pay to work with your chosen vendor. (Want to see how much you’re spending on integration fees? Try our integration fee calculator here.)
The Importance of Integration
As more of your business takes place online, integrating your operations becomes more important than ever. These integrations allow you to track shoppers online and implement a cohesive retail experience across platforms. They streamline interfaces and facilitate the flow of data freely between systems, which reduces human error and costs while increasing profits. As these integrations become increasingly important, you should be able to choose the providers that are best for your dealership, and you should be able to do it affordably.
Having secure, real-time, bidirectional technology integrations enable a seamless online to in-store buying experience for your customers and allow you to work with the providers and technologies you want—those technologies that facilitate a better overall customer experience. This gives you maximum flexibility to give your customers the kind of smooth, seamless car buying experience they want, without any technology hiccups in between.
As your dealership continues to venture into the new age of online to in-store retail, your operations will become even more complex and the need for smart technology integrations will become even more essential. It’s going to take teamwork to succeed, and it’s only fair that you should be able to choose the technologies that are right for your team.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW THE RIGHT DMS TECHNOLOGY AND PARTNER CAN HELP YOUR DEALERSHIP EVOLVE TO MEET THE DIGITAL DEMANDS OF TODAY’S CUSTOMERS, GET YOUR COPY OF THE DEALER’S GUIDE FOR MAXIMIZING PROFITABILITY.
