Vehicle Management

Having a truck show up with new vehicles means you need to have someone drop what they are doing to get them checked in and confirm features and specs so they can be inventoried. Additionally, taking days to finish evaluating and preparing a newly-acquired used vehicle for inventory are days you aren’t capitalizing on the highest margins. In a chaotic world of inventory, how do you ensure speed and accuracy so you can maximize return on every vehicle?

What if you could...

  • Use the freshest data available to make faster, more accurate, and more profitable inventory decisions?
  • Automatically dispatch work throughout your reconditioning process eliminating delays and speeding up approvals?
  • Scan every used vehicle for recalls automatically when you stock it in, regardless of make?
  • Instantly know what features and packages are included on a used vehicle, no matter the manufacturer?

Here’s How

AutoVision

Acquiring and selling used vehicles can feel like trying to hit a moving target. First, you have to search high and low to find the right cars to stock your lot. Then, hoping the recon process doesn’t take ages, you have to price vehicles competitively in a market that changes by the day. Delays and inaccurate data can lead to imprecise vehicle valuations that cost your dealership money. AutoVision sources the freshest data in the market to help you turn used vehicles faster, and for higher profits. Rather than taking the same approach as every other dealership, AutoVision helps you execute your dealership’s unique inventory strategy.

  • Find the right vehicles more effectively by customizing your search however you choose.
  • Save time with the ability to review cars from any source instantly without leaving your browser.
  • Stay ahead of the price fluctuations in your area with access to daily market data.
  • Cut out unforeseen costs with a detailed inspection process, and make the information available to all departments automatically.
Man on dealership lot using AutoVision on a tablet
ReconVision

When you ask your service advisor when a used vehicle will be done with recon, he has to respond, “Let me get back to you.” There are few things more frustrating.  You have someone ready to buy the car.  Maybe worse, he says he’s waiting for you to approve the work, but you had no idea.  Or, he says its waiting on the wheel guy who will be in Tuesday.  With so many people involved in reconditioning a vehicle, the delays can kill your volume for the month.

ReconVision is a vehicle reconditioning management solution that automatically dispatches a vehicle to the next person in your process and alerts them to help you start measuring recon time in hours rather than days, or even weeks.

  • Streamline the reconditioning process with custom step-by-step automated workflows that get vehicles on the lot for sale quicker.

  • Eliminate handwritten RO’s and sticky notes that get passed from person to person with a completely digital system that includes notifications when a new job is ready for review.

  • Centralize all reconditioning steps with comprehensive tracking and reporting that gives you a full picture of your entire recon process and cycle time.

  • Create fully customizable workflows that fit your dealership’s exact recon processes.

Hendrick Testimonial Video - ReconTRAC

Greg Uland:  Hi, I'm Greg Uland. And today I get to sit down with Chris Little, the vice president of variable operations at Hendrick Automotive Group. Chris, thanks so much for sitting down and talking.

Chris Little:  Yeah, looking forward to it, Greg, thanks a lot.

GU:  Chris, we've had quite a partnership over the years and we're very proud to be able to continue to expand that partnership through our reconditioning software called ReconTRAC. You know, obviously, Hendrick is one of the largest automotive groups in the country. So how many locations are you installing ReconTRAC at?

CL:  So we've got slotted eighty six locations to take, that, it's going to take a good bulk of the year, but we're really looking forward to working with your team to get them put in.

GU:  And that's a big investment both time wise, process wise, people wise, there's a lot that goes into it. So thinking about that for you and for your team, why is the reconditioning process such an important one and really worth investing in?

CL:  Everyone knows speed to the front line equates to more turns, which helps the overall company do better in terms of parts, service and inventory buys. And so when you can really take the time to measure and manage that and perfect that, you're going to increase your turns, you're going to increase your gross profit and you're really just going to increase the amount of used cars you can sell because you're getting them out on the front line quicker.

GU:  So what does your reconditioning process look like? Does each store do their own reconditioning? What does it look like for your organization?

CL:  Yeah, each individual store does their own, and that's why we're really excited to try to get a common process in all these stores so that we can commonize and see where we can get pluses and minuses in the reconditioning process. And 12 to 15 people really touch a used car during the reconditioning process if you map it all out. And you take that times 80 stores, and that's a lot of people that can do things and you can have a lot of leakage. And what we really found was ReconTRAC is going to help us commonize all these processes, find best practices, compete... I really like competing the stores, you know, we got a little racing heritage in us. So we like to race and compete, you know. So we found that if we do that, we get better together.

GU:  That's great that you're able to leverage really both, you know, focus on the individual and focus on the organization as a whole.

CL:  What we really like is the integration points that we now have with Reynolds. Because as soon as that F12 key's hit and the deal is stored to go, we are able to create an RO. We're able to have that go in the system and the clock starts then. And so being able to have that in all the locations, now it's gonna take a little bit, but in all those locations, we can see how long does it take from people to as soon as they close the deals to the RO is actually taken and put into action and then it goes through the technician touches it, the parts guys get it. The detail guys get it. The third party vendors get it. And so picking up an extra day or two here and there means a lot to us in terms of net profit.

GU:  So Chris, you mentioned, you know, previously taking about five days or so to get through the recon process. What was taking so long? Where were those bottlenecks?

CL:  Well, they were really, I think in the approval process that used car managers had to approve the deal. He's working deals or she's working deals or at the auction or doing something, and four or five hours go by, then he comes back, says, OK, we'll approve that and then we go, and then the technician takes it to the parts counter and the parts counter guy's got to go pull the parts and there's another hour. And so pretty soon the stuff started compounding into, you know, days to get going.

GU:  How did you come to the conclusion that using software to automate a lot of this was the right answer? How did you get there?

CL:  I got really tired of hearing people tell me when I say, how long does it take to get cars to the front line and they go about five or six days. That tells me I don't know. And that means 10 days, really, if you put it. And then we would do trials where we just put a grease pencil on the window the day that it was taken in, the time it was taken in. And that stayed on that car until it was brought to the used car manager and fully done. And it was astounding that some of these were seven, eight, nine days. And we're thinking, you know, industry, our best, what we want to be is three days or less. That's our goal at Hendrick Automotive Group to be there.

GU:  What led you to ReconTRAC specifically? Why did you decide to go that route versus another?

CL:  100 percent decision was the integration. We think it's a valuable tool to have everything talk as one. And if we can do that, then that will define where the leaks come from and nobody can hide behind that stuff. So that really helped us make our decision as being one hundred percent integrated.

GU:  To kind of put a bow on this, you know, if a dealership were to come to you, and they said, you know, we're thinking about installing this product called ReconTRAC. We have a little bit of an issue in recon and we want to speed it up. You know, what's your advice? What's your perspective?

CL:  I really think you've got to be able to measure it to manage it, and that's what the tool really will help you. So if you're really going to get serious about and you really want to increase your gross profit, I would say that you ought to buy a ReconTRAC software to be able to come in and help you manage this process. Once it gets put in and the processes are set, it kind of manages itself. Everybody knows what they've got to do. And I'll promise you, you'll get really good results out of it.

GU:  Chris Little, vice president of variable operations at Hendrick Automotive Group, thank you very much for your perspective and for taking the time to talk today.

CL:  Hey, it's been a pleasure. Thanks again for everything you all do to help us get better.

GU:  Absolutely. Talk to you later.

Recall Management

Each day it seems like a new recall is released. How are you keeping up with them and ensuring you aren’t selling vehicles with open recalls, especially for off-make vehicles? Recall Management, powered by Recall Masters, is the only comprehensive recall solution that provides recall data for all OEM brands, allowing you to catch open recalls on all vehicles in your inventory, service lane, or reconditioning lot.

  • Get unique data points from Recall Masters’ comprehensive recall database using more than 50 leading providers supporting 46 brands.
  • Enter the vehicle’s VIN in your Reynolds DMS to initiate the automatic recall check. 
  • Stay compliant, and keep potential customers safe, with “Stop-Sale” indicators regardless of brand.
Customer on phone for recall notification.
KeyTrak Edge

Is ineffective key control hurting your customer experience? When you have a customer ready to buy, she doesn’t want to wait around while you hunt down the keys. And she certainly doesn’t want to drop off her new vehicle for service, only to have it stolen because an employee left the key in the ignition.  At the end of the day, ensuring every key makes it back to the office could take you hours, and every once in a while, a set (or more) is missing entirely.

With KeyTrak Edge, you’re able to electronically manage your keys, plates, and inventory across sales and service.  You’ll know who’s checked out an item and why.

  • Store, track, and audit your keys efficiently through an electronic system.
  • Automatically authenticate users and get keys quickly with a fingerprint reader and QR code scanner.
  • Receive alerts for invalid login attempts, overdue keys, keys out, power outages, or other scenarios so you can stay ahead of any inventory issues.
  • Look up vehicle information while walking the lot, reserve keys, transfer keys to other users, view reports, receive alerts, and more with the KeyTrak Mobile app.
KeyTrak Edge 3-Drawer Cabinet

What can you experience:

“Before we started using ReconTRAC to manage our reconditioning process, we did everything manually. What previously took 11 days to cycle a vehicle, now only takes three.”

“Recall Management provides a visual ‘Stop-Sale’ indicator and a notification to prevent the accidental sale of a vehicle with an open recall. That used to put my dealership at risk for a product liability lawsuit. Those are concerns of the past.”

“The recent integration of AutoVision with Reynolds and Reynolds has further streamlined operations. This connected system facilitates more efficient data sharing and process management, enhancing overall operational efficiency and customer service.”

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