Automotive News Canada - June 2019 - F4

FIXED OPS JOURNAL

EDITOR'S LETTER

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Data integration by Hunter, Dealer-FX aimed at helping shops work better, sell more

"It speeds up the process, reduces the effort to sell and makes it easier
ervice departments at new-vehicle
for the customer to buy," says Dealer-FX CEO Gary Kalk. "You create a
dealerships are swimming in big
smoother customer experience, and that leads to increased sales and
data. Shops use the information
higher satisfaction."
that multiple vendors provide
Alan Hagerty, Hunter's product manager of connected services, notes
about customers and their vehicles to help
that alignments are among the most profitable jobs a dealership service
boost profits, enhance retention and
department does. Selling more alignments and other work by giving
improve fixed ops efficiency.
customers credible reports based on objective data means higher shop
But service operations that don't marshal
revenue, he says.
information technology effectively risk
"We're focused on using our data tools to present safe and reliable
drowning in data instead. Failure to "tame
information as fast as possible," Hagerty says. "It's less footsteps, less
the IT monster," as a popular ad campaign
clicks for the service advisers. If we can help customers identify
portrays, can waste the money
DAVID
and communicate their needs, they won't go down the street."
dealerships
spend
on
software
KUSHMA
Kalk says his company and Hunter engaged in months of
products, disrupt shop productivity
dkushma@crain.com
"mutual discussions" about the data integration after a number of
and drive away annoyed
Fixed Ops Journal
their dealer customers asked for it. Once a pilot program affirmed
customers.
editor
its value, the companies rolled out the program last month.
That's why innovations such as a
new effort by Hunter Engineering
and Dealer-FX to integrate the data they provide service
Seamless service
departments are so vital. Dealers need to keep encouraging
Gary Crossley Ford in Kansas City, Mo., took part in the pilot
suppliers, as happened here, to ensure their products are fully
Hagerty: Provide effort. The dealership's CEO, Todd Crossley, says that in just the
compatible with technology from other vendors.
safe, reliable info. past few months, the number of alignments his shop sells, for
Hunter makes inspection equipment such as Quick Check,
about $99 apiece, has increased from a half-dozen to 25 on a
Quick Check Drive and Quick Tread. When customers enter a
typical day. That isn't the only advantage of the Hunter-Dealerdealership's service drive, these systems automatically measure
FX combination, he says.
vehicles' tire tread, wheel alignment and battery life, enabling
"It takes multiple systems and makes them accessible at one
service advisers to share the results instantly and propose
point," Crossley says. "It's seamless, and that's hugely
needed maintenance, repairs and parts such as new tires.
beneficial to a store my size."
Dealer-FX sells the ONE Platform, which manages the service
Crossley adds the combination also is helping the
process from vehicle check-in, to preparation of a repair order
dealership's sales department by accommodating further
for a shop technician, to customers' drive-away and the next
integration with AutoAlert, a supplier whose software enables
scheduled visit. A digital dashboard allows advisers to call up
salespeople to make personalized trade-in offers to service
Kalk: "It speeds
and record data about a vehicle on a tablet computer while they up the process."
customers. "It's a trifecta," he says.
conduct a walkaround inspection with the customer.
Hunter and Dealer-FX say they're looking at other ways to
Now the companies are putting the chocolate and peanut butter
work together on data integration, in areas they're not yet ready to talk
together, so to speak. The 500 or so U.S. dealerships that are customers
about. Meanwhile, there are plenty of other heartening examples
of both the ONE Platform and Hunter equipment will get Hunter
throughout the industry of dealers and vendors collaborating on
inspection data added automatically to the Dealer-FX system. They
integration strategies, enabling service departments to work better.
won't pay extra for that integration.
There need to be a lot more. The alternative to better integrated data,
when systems don't talk to each other, can include service work that
gets done more slowly or not at all, missed opportunities for sales and
Connectivity network
poorer communication between a shop and its customers.
Hunter and Dealer-FX executives told me they expect the combination
"It slows things down and makes things frustrating for employees and
to save time at check-in (no manual data transfers on the fly by a busy
customers," Crossley says. "So the idea of adding new systems for
adviser), make the inspection process more consistent and thorough, offer
dealers can be painful."
more transparency in the service work they recommend to customers and
Kalk adds: "In this connected world, dealers have a lot of systems
streamline communications between advisers and techs.
they've got to process in dealing with customers. We're working hard to
simplify a complicated work flow and make it easier for dealers to
Correction
exceed customer expectations."
The photo captions on Pages 14 and 15 of the April issue of Fixed Ops
Journal were incorrect. Pictured on Page 14 is Roman Valderrama, a service adviser at West Point Buick-GMC in Houston. The Page 15 photo
shows Mike Bloomfield and Brittany Morian of Dayton Andrews Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram St. Petersburg, in Florida.

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JUNE 2019

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