Connected vehicle platform designed to assist cost recovery, boost efficiency and customer service.
Courtesy fleets are part and parcel of a modern franchised dealer operation.
Yet for decades, how dealers were able to manage fleet operations and monitor loaner vehicle usage, including mileage, fuel consumption, repairs and maintenance, toll charges, etc. often relied on paper transactions, presenting an often challenging, time-consuming and not always accurate strategy.
In the digital age, more and more OEMs and dealers are adopting software programs that allow them to monitor fleet operations in real-time, resulting in far greater accuracy and efficiency.
Automating processes
Dealerware, with its connected vehicle platform, is designed to bolster the service experience for OEMs and dealers, which includes courtesy vehicles.
It does this by automating specific processes, including cost recovery and by automatically tracking billing data and costs to customers, the result is greater efficiency and accuracy, not only in recovering these costs but also in limiting those expenses in the first place.
Since it launched in Canada in 2020, Dealerware has expanded its reach, being adopted by dealers representing 16 different OEMs to manage their fleets as well as being granted preferred status from Jaguar Land Rover Canada.
More recently, Audi Canada has chosen to adopt Dealerware as the preferred fleet management software for its courtesy vehicle program.
A recent press release stated that with Dealerware already established as the preferred provider to Audi’s U.S. retail locations, the platform will now service the 49 Audi retailers in Canada, many of which currently use paper-based fleet management systems.
“For years we were using a paper-based system with folders,” said Mark Botelho, Service Manager at Audi Downtown Toronto, one of the first Canadian Audi dealerships to implement Dealerware.
“Since we subscribed with Dealerware, managing our loaner fleet of 20-25 cars is easy,” said Botelho. “We can track the location, mileage, fuel usage, toll charges, and if we need to locate a contract, it’s just a few clicks away. The amount of time that Dealerware has saved us has been tremendous. It is the definition of working smarter, not harder.”
Streamlined vehicle management
Dealerships that elect to power their courtesy vehicle operations with Dealerware will be provided with a streamlined vehicle management platform, Dealerware’s 60-second mobile contracting, automated cost recovery and robust reporting tools.
“The application of Dealerware to our retail network is one of the first of many steps we are taking to rapidly accelerate various mobility solutions for a modern, customer-centric experience,” said Audi Canada Director of Business Development Douglas Black.
“By beginning with fleet management, we will have the ability to offer operational efficiencies to our dealer partners as well as an enhanced service solution for Audi customers.”
Dealerware’s launch of French-English language support and bilingual customer support teams now makes the benefits of its modern, mobile-first fleet management accessible to all Canadian customers. Bilingual support includes:
- French and English employee language preferences
- French and English customer language preferences (for contracting and other customer-facing screens/messages)
- Dedicated bilingual implementation & support teams
- Extensive content library with French and English training, playbooks, guides and more
- Metric measurements in French and English, plus Canadian currency support
“The need for modern fleet management and mobile-first experiences is growing every day,” said Dealerware Chief Executive Officer Matt Carpenter.
“Dealerware is ready to help Canadian retailers deliver enhanced experiences to their customers around fleet use, and we are excited to work with Audi Canada and the Audi retailers on the even larger-scale mobility opportunities of tomorrow.”
