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Information Technology

                     

These newsletters contain information to assist dealers regarding the growing use of Mobile Apps for marketing, sales and service. Telematics is more than a service to locate your car in a parking lot or use a GPS (Global Positioning System) to provide driving directions. Dealers want an F&I process that enhances the customer experience while completing the needed financing procedures. These newsletters highlight recent activities and technology trends about the F&I services available to dealers.

Click image at left for the Technology News for Dealers newsletter of your choice.


Computer jargon stumps all of us at one time or another.  You may have heard the term Bandwidth. 

Bandwidth — Bandwidth refers to how much data dealers can send through a dealership network or via the internet to manufacturers or third party vendors. You can think of bandwidth as a multilane highway with cars traveling on it. The highway is the network connection and the cars represent the data. The more lanes in the highway, the more cars can travel on it at one time allowing more data to move to your computer from the dealership database or to be sent to the dealership Web site. More

For help with other Internet-related terms that describe technology products and services available to dealers follow this link .

 Social Media
 

Here's a link to an interesting YouTube video ("Social Media Revolution”) that answers the question “Is Social Media a Fad?” It has some key data regarding who is using social media and how they are using it.  Click here to view the video.

 

Do You Have a Social Media Policy?            
Does your dealership staff use social media sites at work or at other times?  Have they been provided written guidelines describing what is acceptable when visiting these sites? NADA has developed a sample guideline titled Dealership Social Media Use Policy that outlines acceptable and non-acceptable activities for dealership staff.  Does your dealership staff use social media sites at work or at other times? 

Have they been provided written guidelines describing what is acceptable when visiting these sites?

NADA has developed a sample guideline titled Dealership Social Media Use Policy that outlines acceptable and non-acceptable activities for dealership staff.  Click here to view the policy.


NADA Information Technology resources include: 
 
STAR and
Internet  
Guidelines
for Dealers



         		All facets of today’s dealership operations need technology. A broad range of products and services are available, but the dealership management system (DMS) is a critical component of a dealer's technology solution. To aid dealers in evaluating the many DMS products and services available, a NADA checklist is available, as well as STAR guidelines for dealership technology.

" A Dealer Checklist for IT and DMS Dealer Operations " is a reference document to assist dealership management in evaluating their current IT infrastructure and assess future system needs and requirements. This document is available from NADA University - enroll now!   Read more .

The Dealership Infrastructure Guidelines ( DIG ) is a STAR publication to assist dealers with enhancing and managing their IT infrastructure.
PC Purchase Program


         


    

 

  		To help dealers and their employees purchase a wide-range of computers and computer accessories NADA has arranged discount programs with Lenovo and HP. Equipment specials are frequently available from these manufacturers. (Member log-in required.)


  • LENOVO'S SWEETHEART DEALS FOR FEBRUARY!

    NADA Members and staff: Get more done when you combine your ingenuity with a Lenovo PC. Save an additional 10% off all consumer desktops and all-in-one PCs and 10% off the ThinkPad T420, T520. You can also save an additional 5% off A1 Tablets.  Offer valid through Feb. 29. To learn more about this offer and many other discounted Lenovo products, go to NADA's PC Purchase Program page (Member login required). Visit the Lenovo Web site often — special offers change frequently.

  • SAVE OVER 35% ON AN HP BUSINESS PC WITH DUAL MONITORS!

    For a limited time, NADA Members can save $431 on this ideal business PC bundled with two 20-inch diagonal LED monitors for optimal workplace efficiency — HP 3405 Microtower Business PC Plus, HP Compaq LE200 2x20-inch LED Backlit LCD Monitors.  NADA-packaged price: $725. (Pricing is valid through 4/30/2012 while supplies last and is subject to change without notice).  To see all the HP specials on desktops, laptops, printers and servers, go to NADA's PC Purchase Program (Member login required).  Visit this site often as new discounts are offered throughout the month.

VIM Vendors 

   
   Many dealers have increased showroom traffic and improved their inventory turns with vehicle inventory management programs.  Here’s a Summary of some vendors’ product offerings.
F&I Vendors 

    		Dealers frequently use Finance & Insurance (F&I) vendors' computer applications to assist the F&I Department with much of their work. Here are links to several finance and insurance vendors.
eContracting


   eContracting can provide dealers with the opportunity to improve the vehicle finance process from the customer’s perspective while increasing the efficiency of the related dealership activities. To learn more about eContracting options and questions dealers should ask a vendor on the subject (eContracting) click here.
CRM Vendors 

   
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) vendors provide computer applications to assist dealers with managing information describing their customers' needs, level of satisfaction, and vehicle preferences.  Here are links to several CRM guides that highlight the functionality available in many vendors' products.  ( customer relationship management vendors )
Online Reputation Management Vendors 

      		Online Dealers can use a Reputation Management product to identify and address unhappy customers and unfavorable comments on the Internet about their dealership or an employee. Here's a Summary of some vendors' product offerings.
DDM Vendors 

      		Dealership Document Management (DDM) systems help dealers manage sales and service documents by storing them in computer systems rather than file cabinets.  Here is a link to several DDM vendors highlighting the functionality of their products and services. ( dealership document management vendors )
DSP Vendors Survey 


          
  		Research from the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) 2009 Information Technology (IT) Committee shows that dealership satisfaction with the Dealer System Provider (DSP) vendors declined significantly from the 2007 survey.  DSP vendors develop and support dealership computer systems that assist dealers in managing their operations.  “More dealers than in any previous survey told us that they would not recommend their current DSP vendor,” said Dick Malaise, NADA VP & CIO.” (2009-2001 DSP Vendors Surveys)

 

DSP Vendors 

    
Dealer Systems Providers (DSP) have computer systems to assist dealers in managing their daily operations.  Here are links to the Web sites of some dealer systems providers .
IT Tips 

 IT Tips for dealers on topics such as hardware, email, voice and data communications, maintenance and support, and dealer system providers.
IT Publications 

   
   		NADA's IT publications provide dealers with inexpensive staff training and reference data to assist them in making effective use of their PC equipment and software.  Here are links to informative NADA  IT Publications to assist dealers in selecting IT products and services for the dealership.
Links to IT sites 

 Here are Links to IT sites  that can provide information to answer the questions of dealership staff supporting IT systems.  Some sites are more technical than others.  These are not NADA Web sites, and NADA is not responsible for their content.

YOUR COMMENTS:

Through the Information Technology Committee, NADA addresses dealers' technology issues:

  • More dealer input to IT system development decisions
  • Open system standards to foster competition and cut costs
  • Open data access that will permit the transfer of data from one dealer system to another
  • Direct dealership purchase of computer hardware.

We welcome your comments on these information technology activities and others that are important to you. Send your comments and questions to IT@nada.org , or call (703) 821-7270.