Document Storage & Retrieval

[jwstrickland]

Does anyone have installed and currently using a "great" electronic storage system? Has anyone used the new ADP system? Kodata? Others?

[Vernon]

Haven't heard of the system but would be careful in signing a long term contract with a system that allows you to do away with paper unless it could be downloaded onto another system. Once you are in you are in because you would need the history of all later.

[jazdale]

ADP has the ability to extract the data from RR and use it on the ADP system - and vice-versa.
As far as the stand-alone systems are concerned - I don't know.

[LBBarrow]

Auto/Mate has released a browser-based extension of its archiving system. It's called Sales/Mate. Very inexpensive ($20/month for support).

[Paladen1]

Under the current business environment and the changing landscape of how we must handle customer information I would caution anyone regarding the use of electronic storage and retrieval systems. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act changed how we can use customer information and as of May 23, 2003 the FTC Safeguard Rule tells us how we must protect and store that information. By subscribing to any service the dealership must exercise extreme due diligence in selecting a vendor.

Is the Vendor Bonded? How is the dealership protected in the Vendors files are accessed? These and several other questions must be asked prior to entering into a contract with off site or web based service providers.

Other options are to purchase a high-speed scanner and create your own electronic storage system. Contact your local Office Supply / Support company and outline the project, give them a monthly target of the number of records to be stored. You may have to go to a smaller business as apposed to a chain store. Ask for a demonstration of what they have to offer and be clear that you want to record the records on CDs or DVDs for backup along with off-site of hard copy.


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Paul J. Montessoro
President
Paladen
e-mail paulm@paladenonline.com

[wrenchbender]

We have had the ADP DSDA electronic archive system for about 4 years now, and have not had a problem with it at all. We do not scan any sales deals, but all accounting, purchase orders, repair invoices, parts invoices all are in there. We keep and store electronic documents for the same time intervals we had before dsda, actually keeping some for many years more due to the ease of doing so. We also keep all paper records for at least one year as a precaution, although we have not had to refer to them. In service it saves a lot of time looking up old records, and purchase order records. Saves space too. We still keep hard copies for over the 1 year required for the manufactures for audits. It has been pretty flawless for us, knock on wood. We run a 9200 adp system, the dsda is an 8800 running side by side, with optical disc storage for volume storage and back up.