Did you take a road trip this summer? If you did, I bet you took your car in for a service before you took off. It’s common sense to prioritize maintenance to avoid problems down the road. This common-sense thinking can easily carry over to one of the hardest working machines in your dealership: your scanner. Strict adherence to scanner maintenance ensures…

In my former life as a Controller, I was always aiming for a fast and accurate month-end close. Our business office typically closed the books within five to seven days. Is that a realistic deadline? Not according to Christine LaFontaine, Owner & CFO of Matt LaFontaine Automotive, which owns three dealerships in Michigan. Christine, who is also a former…

Growing up in the 80s, I loved the A-Team. I thought they were the coolest; even the van was awesome! Ultimately, what made them great as a team was that they worked better together. The "better together" philosophy can easily carry over to a different A-Team: the "Accounting Team.”  It simply makes fiscal and operation sense to round up your team and…

As the fable goes, a frog put in a cool pot of water that is slowly heated will happily hang out until its eventually cooked. The gradually changing temperature fools it into thinking conditions are not changing. When it comes to your DMS provider, you cannot be complacent like the frog.

There are many great providers out there who deserve…

Service warranty audits are back – some dealers say with a vengeance, according to a recent Auto News article.  Others consider the return of audits, now that the pandemic has eased, to be business as usual. Why do some dealers find it easy to stay…

“Inspect what you expect” is a well-known business phrase that I think is particularly applicable to our industry today. That’s because many dealership employees have a LOT of time on their hands right now. Why not re-direct that time towards everyday tasks that you expect are getting done, but often don’t have the time to…

Floor planning is not a new topic; but it’s gotten a lot more interesting lately. As Auto News reported in a recent article, floorplan swung from a $96-per-vehicle-expense on average in 2019 to a $140-per-vehicle gain last year. The gains are attributed to slim vehicle…

A drive around town quickly identifies an odd reality: dealers’ lots are bare bones. It is honestly shocking how few new cars are on the ground. As new car inventory continues to fall, consumers are turning to used cars – putting a big strain on supply and driving up prices.

As a result,…

I believe the paperless car deal is the holy grail of automotive retailing. In my last blog, I talked about how e-contracting is the sticking point in reaching this ideal. The reason is two-fold:

First, car deals are complex and sometimes messy. There are…

I believe the paperless car deal is the holy grail of automotive retailing. In my last blog, I talked about how e-contracting is the sticking point in reaching this ideal. The reason is two-fold:

First, car deals are complex and sometimes messy. There are…

I know from my time as a Controller that digital contracting sounds like a no brainer for the dealership. The benefits are there: less paperwork, less storage costs, faster funding, and delivering that “friction-less” experience we’re all hearing so much about. It’s no wonder e-contracting is the new popular kid on the block.   

I believe…

It has been about 5 years since I worked as a controller in a dealership, and many things have changed in the auto industry since then. One thing I am surprised to see has not changed is the lack of designated compliance officers. We didn’t have one then, and most dealerships still don’t have one today.

Compliance officers can protect…

You just paid another huge DMS bill, or you heard about a great new system from your 20 Group, or you want better support. There are a myriad of reasons dealers decide to switch DMS providers. Whatever the reason, it’s a major decision because your DMS touches every aspect of your business.

I get it. I’ve been a Controller during a DMS switch and it’s a decision no one should hurry or take lightly. No matter what, it will disrupt your business and challenge your team. Yet, if…

A recent article in Automotive News showcased how the overall market for DMS software is in flux with disrupters cracking the decades-old duopoly of CDK and Reynolds and Reynolds. NADA 2021 proved the point with as many as 20 companies exhibiting DMS software. If you’re one of the many dealerships who recently signed with a new provider, you’re going to need to buckle up.

 …

The phones are ringing off the hook. Your door is closed yet people keep pouring in. You have sales managers asking for their commissions, management wanting the final numbers for the month, a floorplan needing reconciled, and the statement still hasn’t been uploaded to the manufacturer.

I get it – I’ve been there. The dealership month-end…

Electronic document storage is now becoming the rule rather than the exception at many dealerships – and for good reason!  The benefits are far reaching: from enabling easier audits to ditching jam-packed filing cabinets.

Yet as with any big change, there are speed bumps. The biggest obstacle is the lack of an official dealership scanning process.

Too often, this job is seen as simply clerical and assigned to a $10 an hour temp or piggy-backed onto the…

Cyberattacks are becoming a common problem and lost productivity due to a cyberattack is a huge blow to any business. Here at One View, we are aware of at least 5 dealer groups in just the last six months that were impacted by cyberattacks. One group with 25 stores and over $80 million in annual revenue lost all access to their computer network for over a week.

Dealers think in terms of revenue and productivity time. With 72 working hours in a week and $80 million in annual…

It’s NADA time again! While this year’s show may look different, it still is the best opportunity to discover and explore technology solutions to successfully run your business.

Every dealer’s “must learn more” list should include digital document management technology. The auto industry produces a lot of paper. All those documents take up valuable office space, and/or cost you money to store off-site. Digging through boxes to find a deal jacket or repair record…

Users can use the Vault Key to initiate searches of the One View Vault archiving platform without leaving the DMS screen or other applications

Indianapolis, IN – January 26, 2021 – One View, an auto industry-specific data solution specialist, announces the launch of the Vault Key search application for One View Vault. Vault Key…

A dealership is a complex organization with a lot of moving parts. With only so many hours in a day, an Owner or GM has to trust the CFO & Controller to handle financials. But as the saying goes: absolute power can corrupt absolutely. Who’s watching the watchman at your dealership?

Of course, I’m not saying that every Controller is…