Evolution of CRM to include DMS functions?

[Jarrett]

Community,

Reynolds, ADP and now DealerTrack have the majority of the market (New Car Franchises). But they seem to be the most outdated of all the software we at the dealership use.

Is it time for a Mashable DMS? A DMS that is in tune with current technology? Bring Manufacturer driven data into the same screens we use to desk deals, write repair orders and sell parts from? Bring CRM data into the same screens so we have the whole picture...

I see my DMS provider as a nice calculator with a general ledger and factory communications. I want my DMS to have the customer at the center of all transactions. I want to be able to communicate with my customer through my DMS so I can see past discussions on future transactions like CRM allows.

At NADA 2008(ish) we saw Microsoft announce their entrance into the DMS market with a custom implementation of Dynamics (A CRM tool); since then we have not heard much from them. At the time Infomizer was taking the lead, since then Quorums name has come up a few times.

Can CRM + Factory Communications replace DMS?

 

[mattwatson81]

I have so many thoughts on this I don't even know where to start! CRMs and other programs take data out of the DMS and make the data usable!

I think the Microsoft DMS is gone. I don't think it ever got anywhere. I guess we will see at NADA this year if they make an appearance.

 

[Jarrett]

Hah, was reading other thread and came across some comments from Alex along similar thought

http://forum.dealerrefresh.com/f19/what-do-you-want-out-your-inventory-tool-99.html#post637
Quote from Re: What do you want out of your Inventory Tool? / Alex Snyder 04/27/2009
"I'd like to see a CRM, desking solution, F&I solution, and a DMS be one tool. I'd like to see an inventory management tool with pricing metrics like vAuto and something that also records all of my stats on Cars.com/AutoTrader and uploads to eBay/Craiglist."

It is time for a DMS to offer / promote mash-ups with best-in-class solutions; be it desking, menu's or whatever.

 

[Alex Snyder]

Jarrett,

2010 is the year of consolidation for me. I have been watching our sales managers work out of too many systems and I've been troubleshooting too many communication errors for too long. We area finally at a point where we can begin to put one hat on numerous technologies.

I don't think we're far enough down the consolidation road to include the DMS in there yet. I believe that day is coming. I think DMS will become a secondary data hub to the primary CRM hub, but we've still got a ways to go.

Right now, DMS is still a very central and integral technology to dealerships. The giant DMS companies have found comfort in massive paychecks which has made them so conservative they're almost stagnant. If this past decade has shown us anything, it is that the big dogs are not invulnerable. I hope we see a shift away from all the paper products they sell and see some more companies offer more modern DMS technologies. I think the CRM companies are in the prime position to jump on this opportunity.

There are some major hurdles to clear first. CRM companies will need to get into the inventory game, service, parts, accounting, and also have relations with the technology companies the OEMs use. They'll also have to be driven by pride. If they're completely driven by money, then the big DMS companies will buy that CRM company before it ever becomes a competitor....and we all lose again.

 

[ghen]

CRMs biggest technical hurdle to get into the DMS game is the stability of the database, interfacing with the database, and speed of the database. Anyone can write an inventory control program these days, but when you're fighting a system that is so entrenched and honed over the years to do one thing really well you need to be the best.