How to get employees to accept new
technology
by Sandi Jerome
Sandi Jerome Computer Consulting
sandi@sandijerome.com
www.sandijerome.com
“ If you teach a monkey to
press the Ctrl key, he’ll
happily press it all day for a
treat. Teach a human and
they’ll say, “but on my old
system I used the shift key”
Law of Employee inertia – employees will continue in
their current state unless they are encouraged to act
otherwise
www.sandijerome.com

◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Technology committee
IT director
Controller
Parts Manager
Internet Manager
General
Manager/Dealer
Mission Statement: The Technology
Committee is the forum for reviewing,
evaluating, and recommending
strategies, plans, and policies for
dealership information technology. The
specific elements of the committee's
charge include:
Identify strategic directions,
capabilities, and objectives IT support,
including learning technologies
Identify opportunities where IT can help
achieve the dealership’s goals and
recommend priorities
Ensure a coordinated
implementation of the dealership’s
IT projects and initiatives
www.sandijerome.com
"I hear and I forget. I
see and I remember.
I do and I
understand."
www.sandijerome.com
 Manuals,
Knowledge-base, FAQ
 Live instruction
 One-on-one
 Levels;
◦ Level 1 – Data Entry
◦ Level 2 – Search, Report
◦ Level 3 - Results
What is the best way to train your employee
to use the DMS better?
www.sandijerome.com



List of used
vehicles over 60
days old
Customer’s
service history
Expenses over
$500



Where did they
come from?
When was the last
time they had their
tires checked?
Which ones have
increased over the
past year?
Can you make it fun?



Integration with factory
 Reduced innovation
 Getting better with Star Standards
30 years of limited choices
 Uses want it to be the same
 Keyboard/form-based systems
Integration with “modules
www.sandijerome.com




Cost, cost, cost – need 30% savings
CRM needs
◦ Integrated vs. Interfaced
◦ Access to the data
Contract is up
◦ New contract is too long or costly
◦ Contract is too complicated
Outgrown the system
www.sandijerome.com
Take this Quiz
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Stable workforce
Controller /Parts manager “on board”
IT director/manager to help
Cost savings – 30%
Your data can be converted – not archived or held
captive
Your CRM is not held captive by their server
www.sandijerome.com
Technology Budget
Retail Units
Employees
Core DMS system
Users (less CRM)
Total
Parts Catalog
Other (forms, credit bureau, etc.)
CRM Software
Users
Total CRM/BDC
IT/PC Support per user
Monthly
Total Monthly
Annually
Budget range
Technology needs – what can’t you live
without? – Case Study;
Other Industry Guidelines
Users
Total Annual Budget


◦
◦
◦
Multi-company
CRM interface/integration
Report writer – with Excel output
www.sandijerome.com
High
200
80
$
125.00
55
$ 6,875.00
$ 1,200.00
$ 4,500.00
$
75.00
25
$ 1,875.00
$
75.00
$ 6,000.00
$ 20,450.00
$ 245,400.00
$
Low
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
75
35
50.00
25
1,250.00
750.00
900.00
50.00
5
250.00
25
750.00
3,900.00
46,800.00
9,000.00 $
2,000.00
80
30
$ 720,000.00 $ 60,000.00
 Payroll
- distribution
 Payables – Checks, one per vendor
 Stock transfers, “views”
◦ Parts
◦ Vehicles
◦ Combined reporting
Most important….Customers!
www.sandijerome.com
Combined “view” of Customers –
one file
All vehicles
purchased at
any dealership,
repair orders,
parts



Access to your main database files and
transactions with security
Ability to select fields, criteria
Export to csv, XML, Excel
1.
2.
3.
Prospect and Lead Management
Contact management of actions,
letters, emails
Data Mining of your sold customer
database for service/sales
www.sandijerome.com
What are Tier providers?
Case Study: Based on CRM/Multi-Company/Report Writer

Tier 1
◦ ADP, DealerStar, R+R (ERA and Power)

Tier 2
◦ DealerTrack/Arkona, ACS, Auto/Mate, MPK,
DealerBuilt, PBS, Quorum

Tier 3
◦ AutoSoft, System 2000, DPC, DDS
www.sandijerome.com










Parts scanners
Driver’s license scanners
Labor time guides
Service pricing guides
Internet site - inventory
Internet leads
Titling
Audit – CPA firms
Sales tax reporting
Credit Bureau
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Service Scheduling
• Service Scheduling
Appointment Scheduling
• Appointment Scheduling
F&I Menus
• F&I Menus
Desking
• Desking
Contract submission
• Contract submission
Rental vehicles
• Rental vehicles
Data warehousing
• Data warehousing
Automated parts picking
• Automated parts picking
Parts locaters
• Parts locaters
Parts catalogs
• Parts catalogs
www.sandijerome.com
Item
Your
Value- A
ADP Drive –
my rate B
ADP score A*B
Arkona - D
Arkona Score
A*D
True ASP – ease of upgrades
10
5
50
8
80
Integration with Ford
Training required vs training
proposed
Less training required
Setups and conversion required
6
4
9
8
7
7
3
2
Future price increases
Proposed CRM
2
9
9
6
5
Total Scores
www.sandijerome.com
What do
you really
use?
www.sandijerome.com





Financial statement
Parts orders
Warranty submission
Parts tapes
Labor time guides
But how much does it
cost you?
www.sandijerome.com





Combine technologies; CRM, DMS, Payroll
Use a company that has fixed pricing
Avoid annual price increases by considering a
contract and read your contract
Understand EVERY item on your billing
Compare the pricing on items you can buy
elsewhere
◦ Printer ribbons
◦ Credit bureau fees
◦ Paper, toner, forms
www.sandijerome.com
 Required?
 Space, Speed
 Newest versions – will you
use these features
Watch the “it will cost
less” pitch!
www.sandijerome.com







Take the “can you change?” test again
Pick a perfect date; end of quarter, no vacations, no
other major changes
Make a training plan (not too early, not too late)
Determine a “go-no go” date and how to access
Document what data will be converted
Backup data that won’t convert; GL detail, parts
sale detail
Consider steps; Parts and Service, Sales, Payroll
www.sandijerome.com
 25
Repair orders
 25 Parts Tickets
 25 Car deals
 25 Checks
 25 Receipts
 Parallel payroll – 2 runs
www.sandijerome.com


Use their support website
Be clear
◦ Screenshots
◦ Examples; On job 3700 when I bring up repair order
CV120330, the customer address2 field shows Suite
36 instead of 362. Instead of “customer fields are
too short.”

Keep your own support log
www.sandijerome.com
Sandi Jerome
www.DealerStar.com
www.sandijerome.com
sandi@dealerstar.com
Phone 360-406-5062 x 706
Fax 503-715-5600
www.sandijerome.com