Black Book, a division of Hearst Business Media that provides industry-leading used vehicle valuation and residual value forecast solutions, announced today it has signed a partnership agreement with Autosoft, Inc., a leading national dealer management system (DMS) provider. Under the agreement, Black Book will integrate its vehicle valuation data into Autosoft’s DMS offering for dealers around the country.

Today, auto dealers use robust DMS systems to handle everything from inventory management, customer information, credit reports, finance and reporting documentation. With the integration of Black Book’s data, Autosoft’s dealer partners have access to accurate vehicle values when working with a customer during the trade appraisal process. Trade valuation can create an adversarial relationship with each customer, therefore having the right, accurate value can be incremental to the success of each customer transaction.

The trade appraisal process is one of many critical components in completing a vehicle purchase from a franchised or independent dealer. Results from a recent Black Book survey showed consumers feel a vehicle trade-in quote that’s far from expectations is the second-most likely scenario to kill a possible deal. Many consumers cited specific frustrations with the valuations they often receive from a dealer. 36% of those polled said their researched quote was $1001 - $1500 apart from the dealer’s offer; and another 27% said their quote was more than $1500 apart. Nearly half (47%) said they need the dealer’s offer to be between $501 - $1000 of their research quote for it to be acceptable.

“Our dealers rely on us for a complete end-to-end dealer management system that allows them to run their business seamlessly, efficiently and profitably,” said Autosoft Connect Program Director, Dale Novotniak.  “With the integration of Black Book’s vehicle valuation data, our dealers can trust the fact that we’re giving them every opportunity to maximize their profit potential with access to the most accurate valuation data in the industry.”

“Today’s technology offerings are critical for every dealer looking to gain a competitive edge in their market, especially from an operational standpoint,” said Jared Kalfus, Executive Vice President, Revenue at Black Book. “More importantly, having access to the right vehicle valuation data goes beyond a single transaction since it helps create a stronger, less adversarial relationship with each customer, opening the opportunity for future transactions with them, as well as their friends and family.”

About Autosoft

Autosoft offers total integration between their DMS and many CRM, Sales, Marketing, Inventory, F&I, Parts, Service, and other third-party solutions. By continuously adding new partners, dealers can create a more profitable dealership with more satisfied customers, using the best software on the market.

Currently, Autosoft gives dealers access to choose from over 150 partner solutions to integrate with their DMS. Dealerships can also ask Autosoft to partner with a new third-party partner of their choice. To learn more about Autosoft’s partners and see a complete list, visit www.autosoftdms.com/partners. To learn more about Autosoft, call 844.888.8200, email sales@autosoftdms.com, or visit www.autosoftdms.com.

About Black Book

Black Book® is best known in the automotive industry for providing timely, independent and accurate vehicle pricing information, and is available to industry-qualified users through online subscription products, mobile applications and licensing agreements. A leading provider since 1955, Black Book has continuously evolved to ensure that it achieves its goal of delivering mission-critical information to its customers, along with the insight necessary to successfully buy, sell, and lend. Black Book data is published daily by National Auto Research, a division of Hearst Business media, and the company maintains offices in Georgia, Florida, and Maryland as well as the Canadian Black Book in Toronto. For more information, please visit BlackBook.com or call 800.554.1026.