"iPod generation" dealer managers driving pace of change in automotive market, says Pinewood

17 December 2007

 

The emergence of a new breed of increasingly IT literate dealer managers is one of the trends in the retail automotive sector and is a key influencer in the dealer management software sector.

 

DMS specialist Pinewood says that these predominantly younger managers are now increasingly driving the pace of change in the automotive retail market.  They are typified by their comfort and aptitude with the idea of using technology as a key tool in the running of their business and fully understand the possibilities of the latest DMS systems.

 

The company adds that these managers have tended to come to the fore during the last 18 months because they are often more nimble and dynamic than their more traditional peers, making better use of developments in technology and the opportunities presented by the market.

 

Managing director Neville Briggs said: "The best dealers have for many years made intelligent use of the technology available to them, recording information about customers diligently and applying it to effective CRM strategies. However, they have been in the minority as DMS processes have often meant this is a slow and cumbersome business.

 

"Now, we are increasingly dealing with dealer managers in their 20s and 30s - you might call them the 'iPod generation' - who grew up with PCs, own an MP3 player and have a Facebook account. Technology holds no mystery for them - it is simply another tool at their disposal.

 

“These managers increasingly see the benefits of a system like Pinnacle, which provides them with an integrated data structure - easily segmented and targeted for customer prospecting and sales campaigns.  It is all there for them they essentially don’t have to work the system to extract the data.

 

"During 2007, this new breed noticeably came into their own. They see the tougher trading conditions as an opportunity to steal a march on their competition. Indeed, many have chosen this period in time to add a new dealership or more to their group."

 

Briggs said that these dealer managers had enabled Pinewood's considerable growth over the last year.

 

He explained: "We launched our Pinnacle DMS a few years ago as a hosted solution provided on a software-as-service basis. Some dealers recognised the potential of this approach immediately but others were more wary.

 

"Today, the tables have turned completely and the new breed of dealer managers will not even look at a DMS system unless it is web hosted and provided on a SaaS basis. 

 

"These managers understand the advantages of on-demand software-as-a-service, especially the way it can be scaled up to meet changing business conditions in a volatile market.

 

“Pinewood has been pioneering this method of delivering since 2002 and we see that the ‘IPod generation’ of dealers are increasingly waking up to what SaaS can deliver for them.  As a recent industry analyst commented on the popularity and growth in SaaS ‘Most firms don’t own generators. They buy electricity from the grid’.”

 

 

For further details please contact Simon Wells at
Paperchase Public Relations on 01283 711311
or e-mail simon@paperchasepr.co.uk