ADP vs R&R help needed

[cantfind122]

Jay,

It gets better. I will say I admire the fact that you use your real name (I think) for these posts. I know my answer was a lot of technical smish smosh but I do try very hard to not be full of BS ( I never take offense at the inference). Software is very compicated considering all the considerations and I will not defend any one side. I will say, however, that from a counter users standpoint navigation is paramount and I agree all the legal issues should not impede on that premise. How this can be addressed is a constant dynamic considered by progressive players in an ever changing market place. Like the current car industry slower movers will be overtaken by the needs of real time needs. Learn as much as you can, be as constuctily critical as you deem and keep letting people hear your voice. Its how it all gets better. I hope to hear more from you and remember.....Cars are cool but baseball is watching an impeccably mown field with a cold beer and awesome food smells while kinda caring about who wins. Life is good.

[Jay Daniels]

Cantfind122: I asked my wife to read this post and the first thing she noticed was that I had mispelled Sarbanes Oxley. I had spelled it Surbanes/Oxley. She further agreed with me that it only requires that data be retrievable by people with proper credentials and not by just anyone. So; once again why is so much unnecessary information/clutter left in the parts screens?

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Jay Daniels

[Jay Daniels]

Cantfind122; Jazdale; Matt;
At one time there was an ADP user's council.
Does that stil exist? I had the honor of being on a 'transitional' user's council in the late 1990's. It was composed of three dealer principals, three parts managers, and three service managers. There should be a liaison between the dealers and the providers of a DMS. The downside is that too many managers believe they are qualified to speak for their department, without even getting input from members of their department. There are so many things that can make a counterman more productive that a manager may never see and the average counterman may never think to bring to the attention of the manager. I am not the average counterman. I have over 41 years in the business and over 3/4 of that as a parts manager. I would truly like to make things better for the counterman before I "hang it up".

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Jay Daniels

[cantfind122]

As I always start my personal posts with the caveat "No points off for spelling" so I'm hoping that applies here also. Just to interject a little sidebar on the Sarbanes-Oxley thing, a part of the intent of the act was to keep checks and balances in place so people couldn't be moving money into their own pockets "underhandedly." An example in our world would be sending your driver out with three widgets at 50 bucks a pop collecting for the three. Then coming back and adjusting the counter slip to two and pocketing 50. Its an academic difference in how ADP handles their invoicing with political ramifications. Don't get me wrong it was merely fortuitous that ADP had their system set up to do this before Sarbanes but it fit right into their philosophy of business. I've always explained it this way. Years ago when everything was hand written the forms boxes that always came in the door had the words Reynolds and Reynolds on them. In fact R&R started in the auto business in 1927 (I believe) therefore they built their software from the user side. ADP, on the other hand began as a payroll company (loosely translates into accounting). Hence, they view things from an accountability perspective. Your desire, and rightfully so, is to get the best of both worlds. I also have a decent manufacturers background so I can pull out how/why the software does things from that angle. The various needs of all parties can sometimes be conflicting making it difficult to put it all together. I agree with your desire to get all parties together in the hopes of working it all out. The question is how?

[TheOne]

Just like the two of you are doing it right now!

[Jay Daniels]

cantfind122: "I agree with your desire to get all parties together in the hopes of working it all out. The question is how?"


TheOne: "Just like the two of you are doing it right now!"

Gentlemen: my thoughts are; one may say that an interchange such as this is the way to "work things out". I'm not sure I can agree. Unless we have the proper people in the discussion, it is unlikely anything will come of this 'thread' other than an opportunity to 'air one's frustrations'. A "lonely voice in the wilderness" goes un-heard unless there is someone with the power to effect change who listens and acts. How can one contact people with that power? As I stated in an earlier post, "At one time there was an ADP user's council". Does anyone out there know if that still exists? Have the DMS providers come to believe they are beyond the need of user input to achieve product improvement (or do they believe the product no longer needs improvement)?

I had hoped that Matt Parsons and jazdale would have brought more to the table for opening channels of discussion between users and ADP. I believe there are parts managers out there that are interested in making life easier for their counter people. If indeed there are, it is time for them to STEP UP and make a difference. If I am mistaken then the attitude must be: I have all the tools I need so just let those 'mules' carry their own load.

Just a thought (or two), What do you think?

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Jay Daniels

[gmcgrew]

Jay I haven't been in the parts business nearly as long as you have or many of the other managers on here and the only DMS I have used is ADP. With that being said I didn't have an issue with some of the things you have because I have always had to work around those issues. However I have had issues with ADP and from what I have heard from other people the issues are the same with other DMS providers. Mainly the controls look at parts on a monthly basis not daily basis and they haven't changed it. In the 15 years I have been in the parts business none of the manufacturers have had monthly stock orders and most of them had daily stock orders. The manufacturers evolved their business to meet customers expectations but we have been forced to try work arounds. I also believe this lack of development left the opening for programs like RIM/ARO. If the DMS providers had upgraded their platforms none of the parts managers would have been willing to pilot the program because the DMS would have worked in todays world.

I don't know and have never heard of an ADP council but it would sure be nice to have one that made some much needed improvements unless of course ADP feels they are to big to change...then I just want to say look around not even GM is safe.

[jazdale]

Rest assured guys, ADP's product managers are looking at this forum as input for future releases. Where an issue sits in priority is based on the severity and commonality to all other dealers.

Personally, I think this forum does a great job in communicating the needs of our customers - with more impact than the issues of a few dealers in a meeting.

[Jay Daniels]

Jazdale: In my career I have been involved in "more than a couple" of national Panels/councils/task forces (You name the title). I count as a dear friend another parts manager in the Dallas area with similar credentials. We, among others, helped to direct the path taken by a major (worldwide) corporation. We both were in frequent contact with our colleagues seeking input and always encourging them to get input from their people 'in the trenches'. We were never "self serving" but instead were in constant pursuit of a better business inviornment for all parties concerned. For us the term "WIN / WIN" was not just a "buzz word". Perhaps I am ignorant of the way councils work in the 'real world'. It would be unfortunate if those selected to a panel/council only pressed his/her agenda. I personally agree with you that an open forum, such as this, is a better medium. My only concern was/is that no one in a position responsible for DMS prodcut improvement was/is in attendance. In a "face to face" meeting, at least business cards are usually exchanged with titles and claims of responsibility/authority for specific products/services are expressed. There is no way to check credentials in an anonymous forum other than the manner in which one presents himself.

GMcGrew: I am so pleased to see you had the B***s re-enter the thread. It is difficult for me to stand by and let the rest of the world expect "EXCELLENCE" from me and not expect excellence from those that provide services to me. My wife is a business analyst for a software developement company (not automotive). She is currently engaged in a project that involves a Country in Africa and a well known World wide company based in Europe. She agrees with me that 'work arounds' are simply a tempory situation with which you deal until a 'fix' is installed. Depending on the severity and number of "BUGS" in the procuct, that could range from 1 month - 6 months. If you are still using 'work arounds' a year later, the software company has won the battle. You are no longer complaining that the product doesn't work so that complaint is dismissed. You are correct, the parts department is a "forgotten department" until it comes time to add it's profit at the end of the month. You are correct in saying that all DMS providers have their problems. I didn't enter in to this trying to say that R&R is better than ADP. It is just that from my experience (with both), from a parts counterman's perspective, R&R is head and shoulders above ADP. The only way that is true is because of ADP's unwillingness to commit resources to improve the parts programs. It boils down the the fact that no pressure is being applied to change
any parts programs. Until that happens, the same 1943 (or whatever the copywright date is) system will continue with an occasional (perceived) enhancement just to say "we haven't forgotten the parts dept.".....

Talking with my wife tonight, I asked her why I should even get involved. It is highly unlikely I will see any changes in the time I have left. Her response was that because I CARE about "right and wrong". I sometimes wonder why I got out of management but then again, all my offers were away from my kids and grandkids. Grandkids won.

Unfortunately at this time in history, so many parts managers (and other managers) are simply worried about their jobs and don't have time for something like this. Others are so comfortable in their job they are not willing to "rock the boat". In order to receive changes it will be necessary to get many managers and perhaps counter people involved.

All of you parts managers out there need to get in on this thread. Get with your countermen and ask what would make their life better. I can't beleive that 100% wouldn't say that being able to apply a quote to the right job wouldn't be better. Ask a thousand counter people and you will be amazed at the number of answers you will get......
O.K. all you parts managers get out there and ask.... Then post on a new thread.

[CarolP]

If your comment doesn't print, you have to log off the printer with INV and log it back on. That worked for me.