881 dealership software product records

How to choose between product records

Start with the job, not the brand. A dealership rarely buys "software" in general.

It replaces a scheduler, a CRM, an inventory pricing tool or a finance menu, and each of those jobs has its own questions. Pick the workflow first, open the category guide for it, and only then read the product records inside it.

Two products in different workflows are not competitors, even when one company sells both.

A product record is the unit most dealers sign. A company may sell a dozen lines, and each line has its own price, contract and integrations, so read the record for the line you would buy rather than the company overview.

Look at three things on every record. First, which workflow it is mapped to and which other workflows it touches.

Second, what the provider says it does in its own words, as opposed to what a reviewer says. Third, which systems it connects to, because a tool that does not write back to your DMS creates work for your staff.

When two records look alike, compare them on the checks that decide results in a store. How does a lead, a repair order or a deal move in and out of your DMS?

Who owns the data after you leave? What does the monthly price include, and what is billed by volume?

How long does setup take, and who trains your people? Does the manufacturer program you belong to approve the tool?

Ask for a reference from a store that uses the same DMS and brand. Evidence labels on each record describe how far the directory has checked the provider's own pages.

They are not quality ratings. Use the demo scorecard on the templates page to score two records on the same questions before you book a second demo.