On Thursday, CDK Global announced the launch of its new Fortellis Automotive Commerce Exchange platform.

The company described the new platform as a technology engine and “plug-and-play platform”that works to allow developers, OEMs and dealers to securely integrate solutions and workflows to ramp up sales, operational efficiency and profitability. 

Through the new platform, CDK Global shared:

• Software developers can offer customers new solutions in a secure e-commerce environment.
• And dealers can find new solutions and connect them with others to develop unique and custom experiences that provide new efficiencies.

Through the launch of the Fortellis platform, CDK Global was trying to solve a few specific issues. First, shopper and auto consumer expectations are changing quickly. And more shoppers are moving online for more of the research and purchase lifecycle.

But there’s often an issue with this trend: a lack of connection between online and in-store experiences. And in an effort to improve the online environment for their customers, dealers have to adopt technology solutions that often do not work across providers — which again hinders their ability to create a seamless customer experience.

“We recognized that our industry is ready for an entirely new and collaborative approach to address the major roadblocks that are impeding innovation that leads to better customer experiences,” said Brian MacDonald, chief executive officer at CDK Global. “We have been listening, and we know the entire industry wants faster and simpler ways to create solutions that can build a competitive advantage.

"Given the primary role that CDK plays in the industry, along with its technological scale, we are uniquely positioned to reimagine how the automotive industry connects and to bring Fortellis to life," MacDonald continued.

New technologies are coming out every day to make the dealership more efficient and profitable. But sometimes there isn’t a way to connect them into dealer workflows, or with eachother.

“When we look at all the systems and tools that dealers need to keep up with the changing marketplace, there is no easy way to weave together new solutions without a significant amount of custom development and integration,” explained Rajiv Amar, executive vice president and chief technology officer, CDK Global.

“Fortellis streamlines the process for dealers and OEMs as well as software developers, allowing them to easily select and combine the solutions and services they want without reinventing the wheel each time. And it makes changing those services a simple administrative function. With advanced interfaces and modern standards built in, this raises the quality bar for all offerings in the industry,” he continued.

There are two elements of the Fortellis platform that aim to solve these challenges — the Fortellis Developer Network and the Fortellis Marketplace.

A ‘developer network’

The Fortellis Developer Network, part of the Fortellis Automotive Commerce Exchange, is designed to allow developers, dealers and OEMs to design, build and publish solutions.

CDK Global explained that these solutions can be developed through available application programming interfaces (APIs) through the program. What the company is calling “API building blocks” are adaptive and interchangeable. But developers can also provide their own APIs to the network for others to use.

Over time, ideally the combination of existing and newly developed APIs will increase the possibilities and connections. Today, the Fortellis Developer Network already includes several standardized APIs “that span a variety of workflows to improve efficiency and productivity for dealers,” CDK Global shared.

The APIs at initial launch focus on service and sales, but over time, CDK Global explained APIs will be created by Fortellis users to support all workflows in the dealership.

The Fortellis marketplace

The Fortellis Marketplace is also a key element of the new offering, and allows automotive retail technology providers to sell their integrated product or services in one location.

The Marketplace provides automated billing, provisioning and subscription management. It aims to provide a wider and ready-to-buy audience to developers, as well as help OEMs deliver a more consistent brand experience.

“As we continue to listen, research and develop, we are confident that the most transparent and effective way for the industry to advance is to create a hub of possibility,” said Ron Frey, executive vice president and chief strategy officer, CDK Global.

“In fact, we believe that the best solutions are going to come through collaboration and innovation from a broad community even if — and when — these solutions come from others. Imagine a world that is only limited by the ingenuity and drive of the greatest minds in our industry. By joining the efforts of global partners, collaborators and even competitors, we are optimistic and passionate about the future of automotive commerce,” Frey concluded.