Many of you by now, I am sure, are aware how critical I have been of the Software Industry’s products and service offerings to our Industry. Well I might have to reevaluate some of my thinking soon. Whether it was in my education or my work as a data processing manager, or my time at a software supplier I have been involved in system work for some time.

Perhaps this has skewed my view of how our Industry needs to be served with business tools to help us serve our customers; enhance our employee’s talents with good working tools; and provide processes that had wrought our of them all wasted non value activities and left us with good value added products services. This is one of the subjects I will be covering at the AED Convention this month in Las Vegas. Lean Distribution requires good software support.

In the early days we operated batch computer systems. We would fill out forms and they would be forwarded to a data entry location and the process would begin. For some of the largest dealers they would have their own computer in house. For the rest they had to use the services of a batch service bureau. The batch service bureaus would keypunch the data from the form onto a card and run the card through a card reader to have them read by a computer. For parts sales invoicing, for example, the computer process would then be performed and the invoices or whatever sent back to the dealer for them to mail to their customers. This is one example of what we used to do.

Now with IP (Internet Protocol) Phones connected though a computer software solution we can finally start to provide value added customer service to our marketplace. The phone rings at the receptionist or a specific local and it is answered and on the computer screen of that employee pops up a customer profile; Parts, Service, Sales, Rentals, Accounts Receivable, Customer Information and the like. In real time I know who the customer is on the line with me and everything that I should know about this particular customer. This is very different from the position that we are in today where in most cases I have to ask who you are before I can start with providing to you the information for which you called me. Remember the process? Put in the customer name get the customer number put in the customer number and get delivered back a screen of information that provides me with your name and address and whether or not you have enough credit to buy anything from me. Doesn’t that sound like quite a contrast? From providing everything I need to know when I answer the phone to having to fumble my way through a cumbersome process and still not have the range of information I need to make this a pleasant experience for my customer.

Everything I need to know. Are there any outstanding backorders? Are there any machines in a service shop? Is it the customers’ birthday? Does the customer have any overdue invoices outstanding? Did the customer recently purchase a machine? Lots of worthwhile and meaningful information that will all me to personalize the service I provide to my customer. This is just like the “Cheers” television show where “everyone wants to go to a place where they know your name”.

Then there are “dashboards” to help you manage your business. When you sign on to your computer you will be met with a start up screen showing how you are doing relative to the performance metrics that have been established for your department. Exceed them and everything is green like a traffic light; be on the verge of falling short they will be orange and if you are below where you need to be then they will be red. Quite direct expressions of where you stand on your performance. These are both either in place already in your market or coming; and coming soon to a market near you. In a year or so we will be wondering how we did our jobs without these tools.

If this is where the Industry is going to go from a software perspective then I might have to eat some of my complaints because someone will finally be delivering what we need in a manner that we need it. So keep your eyes and ears open there are changes coming to us from a software business near you.

Ron Slee (rjslee1@msn.com) is the founder of R.J. Slee & Associates, Rancho Mirage, Calif., celebrating more than 20 years in business in the United States, a consulting firm that specializes in dealership operations. Ron also operates Quest, Learning Centers, which provides training services specializing in product support, and Insight (M&R) Institute which operates “Dealer Twenty” Groups.