Page 34 - GIADA-Feb-2018-Final

DEALER TIPS

Tips on

Converting

Dealership

Computer Systems

By Mike Esposito

Changing a dealership management department manager. They need to should ask every department head for a
system has been likened to getting a heart be detail-oriented, familiar with all complete list of what the managers want
transplant. applications and possess excellent converted. Provide the list to the new
communications and organizational DMS vendor.
For this reason many dealers are reluctant skills. • Schedule a pre-pull. Several weeks
to switch DMS providers. However, just as • Ensure the new vendor has data access. before the live pull, a pre-pull allows
medical advances have improved patient The current DMS vendor may shut off department managers to see how their
outcomes for heart transplants, so too has access to all data on the last day of the data is converted and how it displays
technology made DMS conversions easier. contract. Make copies of DMS data and in all the new reports and setups. This
retain one copy so it can be accessed helps to ensure that no information will
Transferring the data from is the trickiest after the conversion. be missed.
part of the equation. Every dealership is • Know where your information is. DMS • Prepare employees. The last thing you
different, so it requires a personalized, data conversions would be simple want is two DMS systems running side
hands-on approach from the new DMS if every dealership used the defined by side, with employees using both. This
provider. Most time and energy will be fields within every application as creates a double-entry situation, causing
spent preparing for the conversion. planned. Unfortunately this almost more work for both the dealership and
never happens. To prevent missing DMS vendor. If your old DMS is still
To ensure a smooth conversion, make fields, the point person needs to enlist running after the conversion, you may
sure there is always an open and direct every department manager to provide want to restrict employee access so they
line of communication between the entire a complete list of all customized user will be forced to use the new system.
dealership management staff and the DMS fields. • Most DMS vendors will perform the
vendor. • Purge outdated and duplicate actual conversion after-hours. Chances
information. Switching to a new DMS are there will be some data that was not
The primary goal of a data conversion is the provides the perfect opportunity to transferred, which is why it’s critical to
preservation of data. Many dealers assume clean house. have a copy of DMS data on hand. It
the new vendor will convert all of their • Understand responsibilities. One of typically takes from a few weeks to six
data, but that is rarely the case. the most critical tasks for the point months to fully adapt to a new DMS.
person is to find out exactly what data • Take advantage of training tools and
Dealers must actively participate in the new DMS vendor plans to convert. services provided by your new DMS
determining which data is necessary. Every supplier is different in what they vendor.
Vendors cringe when a customer says, will or won’t (or can’t) convert. When a • Finally, encourage employee patience
“We just thought you did that.” Always ask, new DMS provider says it will convert while kinks are worked out. n
never assume. service files, that may just mean service
names, while the dealer assumes it Former dealer Mike Esposito is president and
Here are more tips: means names, history and all service op CEO of Auto/Mate Dealership Systems, a
codes. dealership management system provider. He
• Assign a point-of-contact person. • Create a department rundown of what can be contacted at mesposito@automate.com.
It could be the office manager or a should be converted. The point person

32 | GIADA Independent Auto Dealer FEBRUARY 2018