Single System Platform

Auto-Mate Evolve is a Dealer Management System that drives customer relationship management (CRM), departmental efficiencies and makes cost management transparent – all within one single system. To date Dealers have had to use various different systems plugged into their DMS to achieve the necessary outputs for CRM, Workshop and stock management, with Evolve this is no longer the case. In order to properly manage all these processes, the DMS must look at the business in terms of the Customer lifecycle – Prospect generation, Sales support for Vehicles, Parts and Service and Customer retention. The Evolve system includes modules for all key processes that a profitable dealership requires:

Customer Relationship Management

This involves:

1. Prospect generation. This typically comes from various advertising forms, web contact management, walk-ins and other channels. Once these prospects have made contact, it is critical that their details are recorded and then followed up. Evolve caters for this and support the process with task management. Each prospect is recorded on the system and assigned to a person to follow through. Where appropriate, the system itself will send relevant and customized communications in the form of Microsoft Word templates. These letters will be set up in the system to your requirement.

Each prospect and customer is linked to a lead source which will expose the profits made from the particular marketing channel. This means that the Dealer can drop ineffective channels and concentrate their spend where it is most effective. This is how Evolve drives demand generation and return on marketing investment.

2. Customer Retention. Once a vehicle is bought it is crucial and profitable to ensure that servicing, parts, accessory purchases and next vehicle purchase happens with the selling dealership. The Evolve CRM can be programmed to automatically send out personalized and relevant communications that will build customer loyalty. These relate to post purchase congratulations, service reminders, accessory specials, events (relevant only to the specific make and model they bought so no more blasting out mail-shots!).

The system will also track customer hobbies and interests so you can drive selected events through the system and measure the return on investment.

Vehicle Sales Management

Evolve manages profitability for you through a unique tool called the Vehicle Deal Builder. This tool incorporates all the relevant information around the deal on a single screen that requires authorization to be processed.  One of the key factors in Dealership profitability is the management of margins on sales of vehicles and all the hidden costs that go with it.

Once the deal factors are in place a Manager can review all costs relating to the preparation of the vehicle and decide if the required profits are in place. If necessary, changes can be made and the deal resubmitted.

Overall, improvements have been made to ensure minimum clicks to simplify and improve the process of selling a vehicle.

Parts Management

Another key element of Dealership profitability is the management of parts inventories. Auto-Mate Advanced Inventory Management has been incorporated into the fundamental design to release the potential of precise stock management of fast, medium and slow items. Evolve will also enable the assurance that there is always stock of the items needed for pending servicing of vehicles.

Parts are only invoiced once the final customer invoice is done – this ensures that these items move quickly to where the need to be and are accounted for when the work is done.

The system will dynamically determine the order status and lines and will effectively track from order through to binned status.

Service Management

Improvements in the Service Module include Customer activity tracking and task allocation. Multiple jobs and job types (Warranty, Non Warranty, Outsource) can be created from a repair order in an easy to manage process. Comments from the Customer, Service advisor and Technician are tracked in the system (with spellchecker).

The overall process has been improved to create new efficiencies. Workshop capacity can be determined in advance to assist with service bookings.

General Ledger

Auto-Mate Evolve retains its tight grip on accounting practices. Improvements in the GL mean that several admin intensive  processes have been dramatically streamlined. More information is displayed on each screen and the user is able to drill down to the detail. Reconciliations are quick and easy and there are several key industry integrations that have been given the go ahead.

Expenses can be distributed automatically once the initial set up is complete. The bank reconciliation process has been streamlined and improved considerably.

Management

Information availability can mean the difference between making decisions based on accurate and live factors as opposed to guesswork that can bring unwanted consequences.

The Evolve management module is designed to provide accurate and key information at a glance. For example, a customer's full sales history can be viewed across all modules and drilled into to find any relevant information needed.

Other elements include stock aging budgeting information and year on year comparisons at the Dealer Principles fingertips.

Dashboard

Each functional area has a landing page or dashboard on log in that displays key information for their function. This information is useful to users to be able to prioritize and manage important tasks

Other key Evolve advantages:

• Audit tracking. All actions by users on the system are recorded for review at any point.
• The system has very easy to use search functionality on all screens which increases productivity and accuracy
• User profile management. Each user will only see their required functional access, thereby reducing risk and improving efficiency.
• System look and feel. The screens are simple and easy to use. They can be resized and multiple screens opened to enhance productivity. The system tracks open actions for convenience.
• All existing Auto-Mate V3X integrations have been written into Evolve to ensure easy integration – although some of the add-on systems will not be necessary after implementation.
• A broad range of information can be accessed quickly and easily and exported into Excel, Pre-written Excel templates, PDF or even HTML.
• Day ends are quick and easy and will enable longer uptime.
• Evolve remains a real time system meaning that all information displayed is up to date.