Transitioning to a new DMS system

[Hawk]

I am an ADP 8800 user planning an upgrade. I could stay with ADP or change to R&R, maybe EDS, or even go to Autosoft, Arkona or other "PC System" vendors. I would like to hear from ANYONE who moved from ADP to one of the above systems (or any system) as to how the transition went. Obviously, one of the factors to consider is how much our people want to deal with change.

All sales, office, parts, and service department employees have their own PC's (except techs and detail), so they are comfortable in that environment.

Thanks for any help or suggestions I can get.

Tom Hawkins

[gmpartsmen@aol.com]

3yrs ago we switched from adp to reynolds,last month we switched back.We found that not only the support from adp to be much more superior. We originally switched for their front end product salesvision.Little did we realize that 18 months into a 60 month aggreement and all the "futures" that they sold they were no better and in most areas much worst.Sometimes your better off with the devil you know !!

[Joe]

We transitioned from EDS to ADP in October 2001. EDS was a menu driven system were ADP requires you to remember 3 character codes.

The installation was started mid-week so that by Friday afternoon the system was functional. In order to instruct the employees in my department,(Parts)we came in on Saturday so that we could learn the system without being under fire. It took the total dealership 4 to 6 months to feel comfortable with the basics. After 1 1/2 years we are still learning by trial and error. Hope this helps a little.

[mh]

We went from the 8800 to the 9400. Amazing increase in processing speed with surprisingly few glitches except with DCS. The dialup modems have been giving us problems ever since.

[johnnyo]

In looking over a lot of posts over the years this changing over to a new system is perhaps the most asked.

Interesting that the same basic reason everyone leaves is not the system but rather that its simply does not seem to do what one requires of it. Yet this is constantly proven incorrect as many who originally leave a system often revert back to the original DMS.

Lets face it most of the key systems in the market place do virtually everything. Ninety nine percent of the time it is a dealerships lack of commitment for training that kills the relationship between the software the and the user and in turn with the DMS provider.
However many dealerships will spend an average 100,000 USA dollars or more to change to a new platform. Amazing, when all that was needed was monies spent on training how to use the tools that are available.

Is it a company policy with virtually any dealerships that says a new employee must go through the training programs provided by the DMS? NO ! Is it policy where you work to contact the DMS and immediately communicate that a new employee is on board and that arrangement are made immediately for training. Will your dealership fly a new employee to the headquarters of your provider and arrange hotel rooms for them to stay a week for upgrading and education. Virtually no dealership is doing this.

Consider that computers are the leading edge of technology and require a sophisticated and substantial knowledge base to be successful. Todays dealerships require a rethinking of priorities. Today the employee (the parts or service or sales manager) that can manipulate information the best will generally be the most successful and most profitable.

Yet what do most dealerships do as a knee jerk reaction? They buy a new system and train only when its installed. Then as employees change over and leave the training and education is lost. Unhappiness sets in and the DMS provider is blamed. In fact what occurs is the same errors and problems in house that caused the dealership to look elsewhere in the first place.

So if your considering leaving , really review your own policies and procedures as far as employee training and DMS correspondence. If you do not have current policies like this now and no intention of doing this than the next DMS system will let you down even faster than the last one didas well you will be out the 100,000.

Its a lot less expensive to have education policies in place.. In fact knowledgeable staff will create revenue.