Eleven rules of choosing business management software: Rule 6

Continuing with our list of eleven "rules" to help guide small and medium sized companies when they evaluate potential suppliers of business management software...

Rule 6: Choose a supplier that provides more than just a system

There is much more to choosing a software supplier than simply picking out an application.

What the dealer is really buying is a homogeneous package of services that includes the actual design of the system, but also its installation, configuration (based on the particular needs of the dealer), training, after-sales services and technical support.

Thus are the buyer's and seller's activities inseparably fused.

We no longer live in a world where we need to conform to business systems that merely address accounting or administrative issues and offer no other added value.

On the contrary, a dealer management system is a business software solution that has been specifically designed for the dealer’s particular industry, and is the prime tool through which:

• All of the information to and from the Manufacturer is processed

• All business transactions are recorded

• Management information is obtained

• The company is managed

An ideal supplier will have specific industry knowledge and experience. The vehicle industry has many idiosyncrasies that make it quite different than other industries. A generic software package cannot hope to offer the wealth of benefits that a dealer management system can provide.

If the supplier has good knowledge of the dealer’s specific industry, they will also be able to continuously recommend best practices and help implement them, with the end goal of increasing the dealer’s bottom-line.

A good dealer management system will support these process improvements and serve as their framework.

Posts in this series:

• Rule 1: Make sure the new system can accompany your company’s growth
• Rule 2: Does the system stay up-to-date regarding fiscal compliance?
• Rule 3: Attend a demo
• Rule 4: The system should be flexible
• Rule 5: Training is essential
• Rule 6: Choose a supplier that provides more than just a system
• Rule 7: Ask how technical support is handled
• Rule 8: Be wary if the system is too simple
• Rule 9: Discounts can be pyrrhic victories

Tags: Autologica, DMS, ERP, SMB, SMBs, dealer management systems, auto dealer software, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry, auto dealer, auto dealers, car dealer, car dealers, motor vehicle dealer, motor vehicle dealers

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