John Sternal
  • Boca Raton, FL
  • United States
  • Merit Mile
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John Sternal posted a blog post

LLMs, Agentic AI, and Vertical AI: How Machines Are Improving Dealer Retail Operations

LLMs, Agentic AI, and Vertical AI: How Machines Are Improving Dealer Retail OperationsAs dealers face rising complexity in inventory management, pricing, and profitability, especially with the 25% tariff on imported vehicles, machine-driven technologies are stepping in as vital tools—not just to handle data, but to make better, faster business decisions.  From fluctuating vehicle values and evolving consumer trends to aging inventory and regional market differences, Large Language Models…See More
4 hours ago
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John Sternal posted blog posts
Apr 29
John Sternal posted a blog post

Lotlinx Q1 Quarterly Vincensus Report Reveals Market Volatility Amid Economic Uncertainty and Inventory Shifts

Data shows price pressures and aging carryover inventory increases, while Lotlinx customers maintain a competitive edge through strategic inventory management DETROIT (April 16, 2025) — Lotlinx, the auto industry’s leading VIN-specific data company for dealership inventory management, announced today its Q1 2025 Quarterly Vincensus Report, the most comprehensive monthly/quarterly inventory report in the industry. The report offers accurate, unparalleled…See More
Apr 16
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John Sternal posted a blog post

New Survey Data From EVAI Show Fleet Managers Face Continued Challenges in Leveraging TCO Metrics With Auto Dealer Partners

Jackson, Wyo. – (April 1, 2025) – EVAI, a pioneering company specializing in advanced data analytics and AI-driven solutions for fleet management, today announced results of its latest industry survey revealing significant insights into the use of total cost of ownership (TCO) metrics and the current state of electric vehicle (EV) adoption among vehicle fleet managers. The online survey, presented to more than 2,500 fleet executives during March, highlights…See More
Apr 1
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John Sternal posted blog posts
Mar 25
John Sternal posted a blog post

Modernizing Inventory Management: How Machines Can Outperform Human Dealers

As the automotive dealership industry has long relied on human intuition and historical sales data to guide inventory management decisions, dealers continue to face a constant balancing act: having the right mix of vehicles to meet customer demand without overstocking models that might sit unsold for months.Traditionally, dealers have relied on experience, gut instincts, and past sales performance to determine which vehicles to order, how to price them, and when to move them off the lot. While…See More
Mar 18
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John Sternal posted blog posts
Mar 10
John Sternal posted a blog post

Lotlinx’s Lance Schafer to Speak at Auto Intel Summit on AI-Powered Dealerships

How Machine Learning and Vertical AI are Reshaping Inventory Management and Sales StrategyDETROIT (March 4, 2025) – Artificial intelligence is no longer an emerging technology in automotive retail—it’s a necessity. As dealerships face increasing pressure to optimize inventory, reduce risk, and drive profitability, AI and machine learning are providing new ways to automate decision-making and enhance operational efficiency.LotLinx, the industry’s leader in AI-driven inventory management,…See More
Mar 4
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John Sternal posted blog posts
Feb 26
John Sternal posted a blog post

PROTECTIVE ASSET PROTECTION UNVEILS ITS 2024 F&I ANNUAL UPDATE REPORT

ST. LOUIS - (February 18, 2025) – Protective Asset Protection, a leading provider of F&I programs and services, announced today its highly anticipated 2024 F&I Annual Update Report. The comprehensive report offers valuable insights into the current state of the automotive industry, focusing on F&I product trends and how dealers are maximizing F&I product options to continually address consumer affordability challenges.…See More
Feb 18
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John Sternal posted blog posts
Feb 12
John Sternal posted blog posts
Jan 28
John Sternal posted a blog post

Botdoc Partnership with 700Credit Enhances Credit Pull Capabilities in Botdoc Connect Platform for Dealers

Monument, Co., January 17, 2025 - Botdoc, a leading provider of secure file transfer and operational efficiency solutions, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with 700Credit, a premier provider of credit reporting and compliance solutions for the automotive industry. This partnership will integrate 700Credit’s services into Botdoc Connect, enabling auto retailer users to perform both soft and hard credit pulls directly within the platform during the car sales process. This…See More
Jan 17
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John Sternal posted a blog post

PrivateAuto Launches Industry-First Self-Service Loan Payoff For Private-Party Vehicle Transactions

Delivers Seamless Loan Lookup and Payoff—Offering Instant Documentation, Secure Payments, and Enhanced Assurance Benefiting Private Marketplace Buyers & Sellers Alpine, Utah – (January 14, 2025) – PrivateAuto the only end-to-end transactional marketplace for private-party vehicles, today announced a first-of-its-kind…See More
Jan 14
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John Sternal posted blog posts
Dec 10, 2024
John Sternal posted a blog post

Safeguarding Customer Data: The Critical Role of Encryption in Automotive Retail

The automotive industry faces unprecedented challenges in protecting customer data privacy. As vehicle transactions increasingly move online and dealerships collect more personal information, the need for robust security measures has never been more critical. Central to this process is the use of encryption in safeguarding customer data in automotive retail to avoid privacy breaches, and how dealerships can implement encryption to protect their customers and businesses. The Data Privacy…See More
Dec 4, 2024
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Vendor Partner
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Merit Mile
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Director
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http://meritmile.com
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John Sternal's Blog

LLMs, Agentic AI, and Vertical AI: How Machines Are Improving Dealer Retail Operations

Posted on May 5, 2025 at 1:07pm 0 Comments

LLMs, Agentic AI, and Vertical AI: How Machines Are Improving Dealer Retail Operations

As dealers face rising complexity in inventory management, pricing, and profitability, especially with the 25% tariff on imported vehicles, machine-driven technologies are stepping in as vital tools—not just to handle data, but to make better, faster business decisions.  

From fluctuating vehicle values and evolving consumer trends to aging inventory and regional market…

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The CFPB is on Life Support- But Compliance Shouldn’t Be

Posted on April 29, 2025 at 11:42am 0 Comments

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has significantly reduced funding for federal financial regulators. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is struggling to operate, with its staff unable to access their headquarters, supervisory exams suspended, and enforcement cases being abandoned. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) fired 700 employees on the last day of February[1].  Even the Office of the Controller of the…

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Do You Have the Right Wealth-Building Plan to Navigate Tariff-Driven Uncertainty?

Posted on April 29, 2025 at 11:41am 0 Comments

Today’s current economic climate has forced auto dealers to buckle in for a wild, unpredictable ride with their car shoppers. Auto dealers face new, unprecedented challenges that demand a strategic approach to wealth-building and F&I portfolio management. The Presidential tariffs are expected to cause manufacturers to raise vehicle & parts prices, which will inevitably put more affordability pressure on car shoppers and consumers.

 

A new analysis by the Center for…

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Lotlinx Q1 Quarterly Vincensus Report Reveals Market Volatility Amid Economic Uncertainty and Inventory Shifts

Posted on April 16, 2025 at 1:56pm 0 Comments

Data shows price pressures and aging carryover inventory increases, while Lotlinx customers maintain a competitive edge through strategic inventory management

 

DETROIT (April 16, 2025) — Lotlinx, the auto industry’s leading VIN-specific data company for dealership inventory management, announced today its Q1 2025 Quarterly Vincensus Report, the most comprehensive…

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