Canadian dealers are sharing first-hand insights into how the technologies used in their dealerships support their operations, where system gaps exist, and which tools — including artificial intelligence — have the greatest impact.

The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) today released the results of its first-ever Canadian Automotive Retail Technology (CART) Study, a nationwide assessment examining how franchised car dealers across Canada adopt, use, and evaluate the technologies implemented in their stores.

Sponsored by RBC Auto Finance and conducted by Clarify Group Inc., the study provides, for the first time, an in-depth look at technology adoption trends, system performance, and future investment priorities based on feedback from nearly 550 dealership leaders and technology users across the country.

Understanding What Drives Technology Satisfaction

The study found that dealership satisfaction depends less on a product’s range of features than on its operational usefulness. Two factors — ability to meet dealership needs (37%) and ease of use (21%) — together account for 57% of overall dealer satisfaction.

“We identified a critical gap in the return on investment from technology: most Canadian dealers admit they are not fully leveraging their technology solutions and struggle with integration,” said Darren Slind, Co-Founder and President of Clarify Group Inc.
“The industry’s challenge is not finding technology — it’s integrating it seamlessly into daily operations.”

Key Operational and Systemic Gaps

The study revealed notable performance gaps in dealerships’ core systems. Dealer Management Systems (DMS) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms — the most widely used — both scored below the industry average for satisfaction.

The report highlights three ongoing operational barriers limiting dealers’ technology ROI:

• Underutilization: 59% of dealers report not fully using their current systems.

• Integration issues: 55% struggle to integrate new tools into daily workflows.

• Training and support: 41% cite a persistent lack of ongoing training and support.

AI Adoption : Opportunities and risks

Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly prevalent in Canadian retail automotive operations, with 60% of decision-makers saying they actively use it — primarily for marketing and sales. However, only 42% of frontline employees report using AI tools, revealing a governance–adoption gap that raises data security and compliance risks.

Despite these risks, 93% of AI users say the tools have improved their efficiency.

“This report calls for a shift from a tactical approach to technology management in Canadian automotive retail toward a more strategic mindset,” said Vince Eastgate, Vice President, Dealer Development and OEM Relations, RBC Auto Finance. “It encourages industry leaders to develop long-term plans to achieve their technology investment goals.”

Tim Reuss, President and CEO of CADA, emphasized the importance of this national benchmark:

“The CART Study is invaluable because it’s based on dealer input. We now understand what dealers see when comparing their technology solutions to others — and the likely direction of retail technology evolution,” said Reuss. “For suppliers, these results serve as a roadmap for how to best position their solutions to dealers for maximum impact.”