DealerBuilt
Enterprise DMS for Dealership Groups

Initially conceived as a business idea by an active auto dealer who was desperately looking for a better way to improve profitability at his Toyota/Chrysler dealership, DealerBuilt has evolved into an industry leading Dealer Management System solution provider, with hundreds of dealers throughout the country. Founded by John Hosmer, Chairman and CTO, the company offers a full- featured DMS to address every aspect within a dealer group. This includes a one-of-a-kind view of the dealer’s customer at the enterprise level. Couple this unique approach of viewing a customer with an enterprise accounting solution, DealerBuilt has come a long way from its modest roots.

The technology platform is ‘Windows-based’ providing a rich graphical-user-interface that seamlessly integrates the various business units within a dealership. The dealer’s data resides on a single database construct that allows unparalleled access to information. DealerBuilt’s LightYear DMS can be hosted at the corporate data center or in-house, a preference given to the clients based on their needs.

DealerBuilt works closely with domestic and import manufacturers to build strong solutions. A key differentiator from vertical markets with similar operating systems is based on the DMS provider’s ability to support all aspects of a manufacturer’s integration points.

“There is an increasing desire amongst dealers and manufacturers for better and innovative technologies. Today, dealers view their technology partners differently and they expect improved ROI on the money they spend on technology,” says Michael Trasatti, CEO of DealerBuilt. DealerBuilt’s vision of creating an enterprise centric view for dealership groups solemnly addresses these issues. “While we focus on developing world-class products, we also simultaneously focus on being innovative and modern,” he adds. “Apart from an easy-to-learn and scalable solutions for dealers, DealerBuilt’s LightYear DMS also provides a complete 360 degree view of the customer—their requirements, tastes and preferences, spending habits and more.”

DealerBuilt believes in ‘listening to dealers’ with an interesting ‘take and put’ policy. As they believe their core competency to be ‘listening’—the company believes in hearing (take) the concerns of its clients and then developing (put) customized technologies to cater to client needs. Being friendly with third party integrators, the company has a secure API to ensure transparency with third parties while allowing dealers to choose their technical partners.

With a complete suite of products catering to the needs of dealers, DealerBuilt's LightYear DMS has a sales and finance module that enable dealers to operate efficiently. The ‘Deal Screen’ is one example, with multi-payment options that allow dealers to calculate payments for unlimited number of vehicles attached to that prospect. Vehicle Inventory Management, another key product of the company, offers flexible, customizable inventory reports with dealer-defined fields so dealerships can have real-time information about the vehicles on their lots. In addition to the Sales Application, LightYear offers accounting, parts/service, enterprise reporting, payroll, CRM, and a dealer communications module. All modules reside on the single database platform providing a similar user experience within all modules.

DealerBuilt has a strong presence in the U.S.; including respected dealers like Galpin Motors, Performance Autoplex, The CAR Group, among others. Galpin Motors, the world’s largest Ford dealer, was in need of a centralized accounting system. DealerBuilt assisted Galpin with its scalable solutions, integrating their enterprise under a single channel to support a well-designed set of processes that has worked for them for decades. “DealerBuilt had a process that adapted to our needs. We didn't have to change our processes to meet the requirements of the DMS package,” says Andy Graff, Group Vice President, Galpin Motors.

Going forward, DealerBuilt understands that security is the buzz word in the industry and consolidation of data plays a vital role. Towards this, the company looks at building partnerships with technology providers to roll out secure, efficient and innovative products to dealers and OEMs.