Hang on just a second.
Its about a lot more than just dollars and cents.
Lets break the problem down from its roots.
First of all someone has to take ownership of this project.
We would have to depend on the salesperson who fills out the stock-in sheet
or appraisal form to be 100% accurate. What are the odds?
Perhaps the Used Car Manager would volunteer? . Not a chance.
Then we would need the F&I department to make sure that the DMS is loaded with ALL of the cars data Yeah, Right!!!
Then who would do it??? Depending on the architecture of your stores hierarchy who would be the best candidate to poll all the data and then make sure it is accurately
edited in you DMS or on your web page. A clerk in the back may be incredibly accurate
but, he/she is so far removed form the process that you open yourselves to error by
ignorance. Its not anyones fault they are just too far out the loop. They will never go outside touch the car to check the data. Right?
So lets examine a few other options; an out side serviceOK at least you dont have
do the work yourself. But typically their data is proprietary. It will not interface with all the places you might want to past your inventory. So does that mean that you only talk to the channels that they have in place and if that is the case who would be responsible for pulling off sold cars? Most outside vendors do not take care of this part of the equation.
Although I have had a few conversations with several of them lately and they can make adjustment To receive my data in a format they can handle. Whether it be a push from my Web Page or a data stream from Supersale.com. But vary few posting sights will take data from their competition.
It looks like we are back where started, right? Not at all you have just walked through the minefield I just passed through.
We are working 2 options:
I am the E-commerce Director for a mid-size dealer group in Texas. A few of my Stores are about to implement the Supersale.com and its Digital Lot solution. More than likely we will have the job handled by the UCM and Make Ready manager The ISM who reports to me and the GM will police them for accuracy.
My smaller stores use the web page polling 2 times per day and edited by the ISM as the data as it hits the Internet. He is policed by the UCM. I test most of our inventory links several times per week for accuracy when I find an Issue I call my Web Master or R&R and have them track down the error so it corrected ASAP. However, I have no doubt that my smaller store will be moving to the Digital lot solution Quickly.
I do have a bit of an advantage for the past two years I was consulting dealership on E-commerce selling so Ive seen some great programs and some that are not so great.
The cost of an undertaking like this should never be measured in what it cost. Only
RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
I dont are if you are selling 15 or 500 cars on the Internet or to walk up traffic that is Influenced by what they saw on the Internet. Getting your product in front of as many eyes as possible is the key. The more complete the information you offer the more Likely you are to sell the empowered shopper. Remember the largest number of web shopers do not enter your store via email they use the front door.
OK Ill get off my soapbox now.
[This message has been edited by machado (edited 08-23-2000).]