Using your DMS to get the most from manufacturer integration

18 March 2009

 

A case study article By Matthew Tipper, Business Development Team, Pinewood

 

If there has been one noticeable trend in the dealer management systems market over the last year, it has been integration. The DMS products that offer the highest levels of integration have been the most successful in the marketplace.

 

What do we mean by integration? At its simplest, just making it easier for the IT systems supplied and used by your manufacturer – covering everything from parts ordering to prospecting – to interface with your DMS.

 

Why is integration important? Because it brings about a whole range of efficiencies and benefits for both dealer and manufacturer – efficiencies and benefits that hold extra appeal in the current, tough trading conditions.

 

At Pinewood, we have a long track record of successful integrations and one of our most recent projects, completed towards the end of last year, was to win approval from Volvo Car UK for its dealer network.

 

Our Pinnacle DMS now provides Volvo dealers with full integration into manufacturer systems including menu pricing (GPSS), labour operations (VSTG), parts stock management (LDC and DSP), parts EPC (VIDA), Volvo vehicle load file, warranty management including contributions and SBI, service notifications and composite production.

 

That's a long list – but what does it mean in practice? One Volvo dealer to benefit is Hildenborough, which has locations in Tonbridge, Ticehurst and Orpington. As a user of Pinnacle for three years, they played a key part in shaping the Volvo integration project.

 

Dealer Principal Peter Nott said: "The level of integration we now have means that instead of having to import or export data or even re-key it, the IT used within the dealership is almost seamless. This enables us to work more quickly, more efficiently, more effectively and more imaginatively."

 

Examples include:

 

• Volvo Local Distribution Centre (LDC) integration which enables Hildenborough to process parts ordering and supply throughout the day, meaning a faster turnaround of workshop jobs and reduced waiting time, enhancing customer perception of the service they receive.
• The Volvo GPSS Menu Pricing link into Pinnacle saves time when quoting prices to customers on the phone or at the parts desk and provides a more streamlined service. The DMS also receives Volvo Vehicle Load data with variant codes. This means Hildenborough can accurately identify any schedules or maintenance for that particular car as soon as the registration number is entered – and this can be automatically transferred to the Pinnacle workshop bookings diary.
• When scheduling vehicle maintenance jobs, a few simple clicks in Pinnacle can draw up a complete list of job requirements including the recommended time required to carry out the work and hours to be invoiced, as well as the relevant parts associated with that schedule. This allows the workshop to deliver fast and accurate price quotes resulting in an improved customer experience because additional late charges can be largely avoided.
• Pinnacle's Technician Cost of Sale reporting means Hildenborough can accurately identify the cost per hour of each technician against the revenue generated from each workshop job, providing an accurate profit analysis of all workshop jobs.

Hildenborough Managing Director Charles Slaughter said that Pinnacle was playing an important part in helping maximise opportunities for his Volvo dealerships, particularly thanks to integration features.

 

He explained: "The Pinnacle aftersales diary, for example, is a vital tool for driving business into the workshop. The ease of prospecting reminders for MOTs and servicing, plus letter creation, means generating reminders is no longer a time consuming activity.

 

"Additionally the use of SMS text message reminders drastically reduces the number of customer 'no shows' while the aftersales diary provides us with a list of workshop missed appointments for follow up as well as the potential future work required from previous workshop visits. All of this serves to maintain workshop booking levels."

 

 

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