Upgrading to a new, faster, more powerful Dealer Management System (DMS) doesn’t have to be scary. Discover why so many dealerships stay stuck with outdated technology and empower your business to become more efficient.

1. DON’TFEAR
ATECHNOLOGYCHANGE
OVERCOME THE FEAR OF TECHNOLOGYTRANSITION

2. TOP FIVE TECHNOLOGY
TRANSITION FEARS
Change is scary. And a technology transition? Even scarier. Shifting your
DMS technology can disrupt nearly every aspect of your operation.
According to dealers, here are the top five fears preventing a
(much needed) DMS upgrade.
change
management
culture
change
data
loss
lost
familiarity
installation
process

3. No one likes change, especially in something that you’ve
been doing for years and years.
— Brett Henkel, Assistant General Manager
Big Two Automotive Group

4. 1. Change Management
The fear that you can’t put everything that your DMS supports––sales,
service, parts, finance––back into place is real. Studies show a 60-70%
FAILURE RATE for organizational change projects.

5. 2. Culture Change
Your outdated technology feels familiar. And morale can suffer as team
members worry about performance and profitability. Over 50% of
companies say culture influences productivity, creativity, profitability,
and growth rates.

6. 3. Data Loss
Data: Lose it and you may as well close your doors. Modern, tech-focused
dealerships rely on data to stay competitive and expand operations. 31% of
professors say hardware/system failure is the main cause of data loss.

7. 4. Lost Familiarity
You’ve invested a lot in your DMS: time, money, hours, (did we say
money?). It’s not a perfect system, but it’s your system. You know it
better than anyone else.
55% of employees who experience recent company changes
report prolonged stress.

8. 5. Installation Process
Using your DMS is work. Making the change now feels like extra work, and you’re not sold on whether or
not you want to take all the risk. A new installation process might be filled with unknowns. What could go
wrong? Do we have the downtime to commit to a big DMS switch? What will it take? Will our new DMS
partner leave us to figure out the new system all alone?
Because of the hassle and disruption of making a change.
1/3 of dealers don’tswitch

9. METHODS FOR MANAGING A
SUCCESSFUL DMS CHANGE
More dealers are making the switch to Dealertrack DMS. Dealertrack’s smooth
install process, easy-to-use interface, and secure conversion process will
quickly put your fears to rest.

10. SMOOTH INSTALL
Once a contract is processed, a dedicated team
conducts on-site trainings, to better understand
dealership staff concerns. Our goal is to ensure there
are no surprises when the new DMS goes live.

11. We did it over a weekend, that was it. And then the Dealertrack
install team was on-site, not only for when we pulled the data, but
to train the next week. They set up training for every department.
They were there for the whole week, and they made it seamless.
— Jennica Krebsbach, Comptroller,
Van Horn Auto Group

12. SECURE DATA CONVERSION
Making the transition is nerve-wracking! We don’t
take this process lightly and we ensure backup
systems are in place and you have open access
to your data before the new DMS goes live.

13. EASY-TO-USE SYSTEM
Employees quickly pick up Dealertrack’s intuitive
interface. This makes the transition smooth.
Uneasiness is quickly replaced once the new DMS is
adopted by staff members who have little to no DMS
understanding.

14. A couple of weeks in, everyone was relaxed about it. Frontline
employees picked up Dealertrack amazingly quick.
— Brett Henkel, Assistant General Manager
Big Two Automotive Group

15. OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY GAINS
The flip-side of technology changes isn’t as terrible as you think. After
switching DMS platforms to Dealertrack, dealer groups report consistent
satisfaction in several dimensions of operational improvement. These include
the following fear fixes:

16. EFFICIENCY GAINS
Change can be scary, and automotive retail can be
difficult. Dealing with technology shouldn’t be an
added burden. It turns out that simplifying
technology and optimizing your DMS frees up space
and energy your staff can use for what matters
most–your customers.

17. I wish I would have switched earlier, for the entire group. DMS
shouldn’t be such a burden as it was. In the past, it has bogged
people down. I wanted our staff to be able to have a system there
to support them and make them efficient, where we can focus
instead on customer interactions.
— Kelly Webb Roberts, President,
Webb Automotive Group

18. OVERHEAD SAVINGS
Old technology costs more than you’d think. With
each new system, new staff, IT, and managers need
to manage new software. Overhead increases (and
so does your stress).

19. accordingtoourresearch,
toruntheirdealerships
dealers now need an average of
7 different technology
solutions

20. DRILL-DOWN DATA
Open access to your data provides better insight to key
areas of your business.

21. ENABLED CUSTOMIZATION
Better DMS technology allows you to customize the
way you run your entire business so you can fine-tune
your dealership.

22. A TRUSTED PARTNER
We’re with you every step of the way–from about six
weeks prior to flipping the switch to long-term training
and our new Lifelong Learning Portal–so you have a
true, trusted partner.

23. Don’t fear change. Master it.
Get your copy of the guide Overcoming the Fear of Technology Transition.

24. Sources
https://hbr.org/2013/04/change-management-needs-to-cha
https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2015/11/12/corporate-culture-matters-says-new-study/#109339e922b4
https://blog.storagecraft.com/data-loss-statistics-infographic/
https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8744-changes-at-work-stress.html