HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. -

CDK Global wrapped up its fiscal year on a high note.

The company highlighted this week that it secured a record number of contract renewals during its fiscal fourth quarter, which ended June 30. With customers citing improved levels of service as the company continues to transform its operations, CDK Global indicated 670 customers renewed long-term contracts — a figure leadership said included customers representing approximately one in five of CDK’s automotive dealer management system (DMS) sites.

“CDK is laser focused on our customers and listening carefully to their business needs,” CDK chief executive officer Brian MacDonald said.

“Recently expanded programs like Service Connect and better processes have helped us dramatically improve our service levels, and customers have taken note,” MacDonald continued.

“CDK has a clear transformation plan, and the unprecedented level of renewals representing nearly 10 percent of all franchise auto and heavy duty truck dealership sites in North America is a tangible expression of our customers supporting our plan,” he went on to say.

MacDonald recapped that improvements to Service Connect — CDK’s online chat-based service platform — have shortened service response times by 85 percent since May of last year.

Additionally, the Service Connect Community, which is a cohort of dealers working together to address common topics within their dealerships, has also grown to nearly 47,000 participants.

“CDK is dedicated to becoming more efficient and committed to meeting our customers’ needs,” MacDonald said.

“The success of our latest efforts to renew more customers is just one of the many accomplishments coming out of our work to evolve the automotive experience through a carefully implemented transformation plan that has just begun its second year,” he added.