R & R IT'S YOUR DATA

[JASKEW]

HOW IS IT THE NEW CEO OF REYNOLDS HAS SPENT BIG BUCKS TO TELL US THAT OUR DATA BELONGS TO US, BUT WHEN COMPANIES LIKE ONE VIEW WHO MANAGE OUR DATA BOTH SCANNED AND PRINTED FOR STORAGE, REYNOLDS SEND US A LETTER THAT THIRD PARTY VENDORS WITHOUT THIER CERTIFICATION CANNOT ACCESS OUR DATA?

NOW THEIR CERTIFICATION CAN COST AS MUCH AS $30,000. FOR WHAT SO WE CAN KEEP OUR OWN DATA?

[stmarc]

I work with at an ad agency for one of the domestic mfrs. We're working with Cobalt to extract data from DMS's to track programs and provide analysis. We're having a similar situation with ADP. They are "upgrading" their dealers, i.e. installing a new modem that does not allow any third-party access whatsoever regardless of their customers' wishes.

While we haven't had the same experience with R&R, I think both these situations demonstrate the level of respect these companies have for their customers, and the need for personnel at the dealership to make sure they understand and stay informed of what these companies are doing and how their systems work. ADP in particular continues to take such an "old-school" approach to customer retention.

[Richard]

Your data DOES belong to you, as long as you pay the DSP for access to it. When we switched systems last, our old provider generously, (And I'm not being factious, it WAS Generous!!) gave us access for 6 months, but after that wanted $1k a month for us to continue having access to data on an AS400....on OUR site, that WE owned....

The remote systems are going to be worse!!

[texaslp]

This sounds like something that dealers need to start addressing at contract renewal time.

[stmarc]

Thanks for your input. You know, I've only worked with the DSP's and other vendors for five years but I've got over fifteen years of experience in this field, and what I'm hearing is total BS.

Richard, I'm not sure I understand your situation completely, but it should have been part of the agreement with the new vendor to port the data from your old system over.

Texaslp, you're absolutely right - I've heard a lot of dealers be concerned about OEM's having access to their data. From what I've seen you've got more to worry about from your own vendors.

Btw, if anyone knows a workaround for my ADP problem, I'm all ears.

Thanks again.

[Richard]

Stmarc,

They did pull SOME info over, but not enough DETAIL....like tech #, CCC, ect....

[Matt Parsons]

In Richards case, when he switched to a new systems provider, he was provided access to his old system for a period of time, after which, if he wanted to continue to access the system (and in essence the applications and data) there was a fee associated with that.

I would compare this to me buying a new car but telling the dealer and OEM that I still needed to use the old one for some last minute trips and errands and expecting to use it for no charge or even a reduce charge.

My question would be, why did the new provider not convert all the informaiton that was needed from the old system or dump the data into some type of alternative archive like and access database if you need to review something at a later date?

[stmarc]

The answer is simple - just another case of one of these vendors providing the level of service that is typical in this industry, and taking advantage of the fact that their customers don't have the expertise to know any different (no offence Richard.) I've seen in over and over.

With my situation I contacted ADP on Monday regarding this issue saying I needed to get back to my dealer with a response before the end of the week. Guess what? It's Friday, and I haven't even received an acknowledgement that my e-mail was received from their Web site. From a Web service level standpoint, that's inexcusable. My perspective - it is either an indication of their attitude towards customer service, or an indication of their attitude towards the level of back-end technology that is acceptable. Either of these should be greatly concerning to any current or prospective customer.

[Westfall]

Despite the fact that this issue has been around for many years, it seems to be coming to a head recently.

If you have a Reynolds system and want your BDC or CRM system to have access to your DMS data, the vendor has to go through the Reynolds Certified Interface program to get the data connection. I believe that their policy is intended to ensure that access to the DMS system doesn't jeopardize the security or stability of that system, so certification seems like a good idea. However, why not publish a specification that the dealers (and their vendors) can use whenever data access is needed? If youre an ADP customer, I dont think they have a public data policy or program.

Because of the costs and lack of information available from the major DMS vendors, dealers (and their vendors) are essentially forced to get very creative to get data in or out of a DMS. Net net, because of current practices it is harder and more costly for dealers to run their businesses.

There are two organizations out there trying to address this issue, so that the rightful owners of data can use it to run their businesses: Open Secure Access (www.opensecureaccess.com) and Oxlo System (www.oxlo.com). Full disclosure, Im with Oxlo.

I think texaslp is on the right track. Dealers pressuring vendors is one way to address this. Strong statements through NADA and other dealer organizations may be another effective route. Ultimately, if dealers start switching to new DMS systems, like Microsoft and SAP, the pressure for improvement is only going to increase.

[Matt Parsons]

stmarc - I have spoken with Dave Pagel from ADP who handles all GM/OEM programs and interfaces and he will be contacting you shortly to discuss.

I apologize in advance for any delays with regards to working with ADP.

Matt Parsons