After previously sharing four key reasons why dealerships should prioritize a mobile-friendly website, DealerFire this week returned to the subject of store websites, identifying 10 design elements that are essential for dealerships to thrive online. DealerFire began its recommendations by emphasizing a dealership website needs to look great and function well on any device, whether […] [Read More]

Fleet management provider Merchants Fleet has selected fleet orchestration company Ridecell and its Ridecell 360 fleet solutions to optimize the management of its short-term fleet. In a news release, Merchants Fleet said the strategic partnership will significantly enhance operational efficiency and employee productivity to support its continued growth in the short-term leasing sector. The companies […] [Read More]

Dealer Services Network has added two senior executives to its leadership team. Daryl Ludvik is joining the technology-enabled provider of title and registration services for mobility customers in the newly created role of chief technology officer, and Melissa Spiller has come on board as vice president of human resources. “As we continue to scale and […] [Read More]

A federal judge in Illinois has granted preliminary approval to a settlement in which CDK Global agrees to pay $100 million to resolve claims in an antitrust lawsuit. The class-action suit was filed in 2017 by dealerships accusing CDK and rival dealership management software provider Reynolds and Reynolds of colluding and conspiring to “restrain and/or […] [Read More]

A study by Repair OnDemand’s Mobile Tech RX looked into the priorities of automotive reconditioning technicians when it comes to digital tools. The Mobile Tech RX Foundational Research Study surveyed 174 auto-recon service providers, mostly mobile operations and mobile/fixed shop models specializing in paintless dent repair or hail damage repair across the U.S. The report […] [Read More]

Fleet telematics systems provider Zubie has reached an agreement with Toyota Data Solutions, a deal Zubie said represents “a significant step in redefining” the way businesses use vehicle data for fleet management. The collaboration leverages Toyota’s commercial vehicle connectivity platform, offering a suite of services, including real-time vehicle insights, that align with Zubie’s mission of […] [Read More]

PAVE recently formed another relationship with a company aimed at leveraging its vehicle-inspection technology. Mitchell, a technology and information provider for the property and casualty claims and collision repair industries, recently announced that it is teaming up with PAVE to automate vehicle inspections and conditioning. Using Mitchell’s cloud-based appraisal solution, comprehensive data and open platform […] [Read More]

Just like some managers want their rows of cars on the dealership blacktop precise and uniform, the Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail (STAR) is continuing to make headway toward interoperability across the industry. On Thursday, the automotive IT standards organization announced the public release of the STAR XML Version 6.2.4 schema repository. Officials said […] [Read More]

Many folks work remotely nowadays, and now ConditionReports.com has its version, too. This week, the provider of vehicle condition reports and inspection solutions announced the launch of Remote Inspect. This service can enable remarketing professionals to obtain “accurate and cost-effective vehicle condition reports in minutes,” bypassing the need for traditional in-person inspections. Remote Inspect guides […] [Read More]

In recent years, dealers enjoyed record-high gross margins on new and pre-owned car sales. However, with inventories returning to pre-COVID levels, dealers are facing a marketplace with increasingly compressed sales margins. Salesmanship is important, but dealers recognize the importance of using cutting-edge technology to help sustain profitability. I am often asked what technology I recommend […] [Read More]