DealerBuilt
Auto Dealers Grow with Scalable Efficiency

Iowa-based DealerBuilt is known for putting dealers’ needs first. Whether delivering the flexibility and scalability that growing dealerships need, or maintaining a platform that allows users to choose their own third-party providers, the DealerBuilt Dealer Management System (DMS) always strikes dealers as an easy-to-use system that helps businesses grow. How does DealerBuilt do it? By listening to what dealer clients want, and continually elevating the system with new functionality and capability.

Launched in 2008, DealerBuilt was the answer for dealers who wanted a price-competitive, enterprise-centric, scalable, and flexible DMS. This solution became highly sought after by automotive retailers—both large and SMBs—within a year of being launched. The reasons are clear. DealerBuilt tackles the tough task to build a DMS that can operate sophisticated dealerships without dictating how. In addition, the DMS modules were designed with built-in flexibility and choices to meet a dealer’s individual needs—including solutions for vehicle management, sales and finance, accounting, parts and service, and more. Equally important, its “open” architecture allows dealers to own their data and work with any provider they want.

“Dealers are seeking a DMS that is not just an operating system, but also an extension to their business,” explains DealerBuilt’s CEO, Michael Trasatti. DealerBuilt’s LightYear DMS is that extension, empowering dealers to make data-based decisions to spur growth and meet the expectations of today’s customers.

Automotive retail is a dynamic and everchanging marketplace. “DealerBuilt helps their dealers stay ahead of the curve with a common sense approach to integrating with third-party partners providing dealers with that edge,” adds Trasatti. Without losing site of DealerBuilt’s core competency to be a feature-rich, enterprise management system, it is important to extend the core product to offer a richer consumer experience. As an example, DealerBuilt engaged a best-in-class consumer experience service to embed directly into the LightYear DMS. This provides the dealer’s end-users with a rich set of data about a customer while providing a transparent way to directly communicate with their customers such as texting, estimate signing on the phone, and mobile check-in.

DealerBuilt helps their dealers stay ahead of the curve with a common sense approach to integrating with third-party partners providing dealers with that edge

It is part of DealerBuilt’s DNA to seek and deliver a high level of transparency between third-party products and the DMS. “Not easy at times to accomplish, but a passionate goal,” adds Trasatti.

Today, competition in the dealership market is fierce. A solution provider’s success hinges on striving for 100-percent client satisfaction. To DealerBuilt, relationships with clients matter. To this end, DealerBuilt works closely with clients, continually reviewing their feedback and working with them to enhance the product. Why does this matter? It seems Dealers are seeking this in their providers. In 2012, a large dealership group out of California, CAR Group (aka Norm Reeves), was looking for ways to be more innovative, flexible, and easier to work with third-parties. After a long search, they landed on DealerBuilt. The relationship continues while finding unique and exciting ways to enhance the product. In another case, across the country, a progressive dealer looking for that right technical partner also chose DealerBuilt. Constant feedback, shared engagement, and continuous improvement make for a great relationship. This dealer, Vinart (aka Lehigh Valley Honda), is now the top selling Honda store in Pennsylvania.

With over a decade’s worth of success stories, DealerBuilt is aiming to take the game up a few notches with a concentrated effort on building the infrastructure for future growth. With a recent influx of capital, DealerBuilt has the funds to develop a new array of tools for task automation that can provide dealers with additional reporting and dashboard capabilities, electronic finance application, and robust consumer experience.