Too many times in today’s market Employee’s, Managers or GM’s buck the trend by insisting antiquated methods from an outdated market still apply. In the car business it is more important than ever to ride the trending market wave than to catch the next swell if you catch one at all. Change is inevitable. Whether you like it or not, it will happen. The unfortunate truth is you either re-invent yourself as a Manager, GM or Employee or that change will be you. I find myself constantly looking on the horizon. Checking new programs and vetting them against currently used tech to see how well they play with each other. Just because it’s new and shiny does not mean it’s a fit with your model. I am not telling you I am right. I am telling you I am informed and educated on today’s market. How many meetings do you sit in to hear about a new product and 80% of what you hear makes no sense. You skip to……. What does it do?  How much does it cost and how long is the contract? Understanding your model and how the new product will integrate is the key.  Don’t shotgun blast programs. Streamline them to fit into your model. Create less work. Transparency with technology is the key. Properly managing it starts the car. Tracking the ROI keeps up with the gas mileage. My Dad always told me to work smarter not harder. This from a man that operated businesses with a pen, paper and a calculator because the computer age was not upon us yet. Pretty sound advice even today.  Become educated about trends. Become educated about programs. Ask questions. In a Multi- Million Dollar Industry the person asking questions, getting educated and saving money is definitely smarter than the stubborn guy that won’t ask for directions and sticks with the status quo.  Create a digital infrastructure that your Managers, GM’s and employees work in. It’s a win, win if they all play in the same yard. Get informed, get educated and manage your business.