How software will drive the automotive industry

Almost every industry revolves around technology and software, and the automotive industry is no exception. With automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud technology on the rise, dealerships and service centers are becoming more efficient and productive. Innovative software solutions have already slowly transformed the automotive industry through the years. Here are a few ways software will continue to enhance dealerships now and in the future.

Convenient remote access through the cloud

If the last year and a half in a worldwide pandemic have taught us anything, it’s that having remote access to company data is invaluable. A cloud-based system allows you to pull up reports and customer information on your computer or mobile device from anywhere in the world. For dealership managers, cloud-integrated software such as a dealer management plugin adds a welcome level of convenience and ease to the workload. Cloud software provides real-time data and allows for easy collaboration between departments, including finance, front desk, parts, service, sales, and management.

Daily tasks are simplified

Dealerships and service centers are tasked with multiple jobs daily from all departments. When you combine the usual tasks with unexpected requests and unpredictable issues that inevitably come up, the workload can quickly become overwhelming and disorganized. This highlights the importance of streamlining tasks to eliminate the hassle of opening several software and windows to communicate with other team members. A dealership management system extension that provides an interactive route sheet and direct communication between departments shaves away at the time it takes to update reports and convey information to other dealership reps. The time saved adds up, which directly translates to less operational costs and higher profit.

Helps drive revenue by keeping customers informed

The latest software makes it easier to communicate with customers through text and the ability to send videos and pictures. This seemingly simple way of talking to customers can make a significant difference for dealerships in a couple of different ways.

Service centers see many vehicles come through in a single day. When the service bay is full, and vehicles aren’t rotating as efficiently as they should be, it creates a bottleneck and lost revenue. Often, this happens because service technicians are waiting for client approvals which add to downtime. With the latest dealership software or dealership management plugin, customers can be informed of the job status, such as when a service technician has begun working on the vehicle, waiting for parts, and when the job is complete. Service technicians can send customers videos and pictures of a part that needs replacing or repair through text, which helps speed up the approval process, keeping vehicles rotating in the service bay.

Final thoughts

Having the right software is so critical to a dealership’s success that managers have no choice but to look at how they can invest in the latest technology. Whether it’s in a subscription service, added software, or a dealership management plugin, there is a great return on investment for every department and customer satisfaction.