Michigan and Texas firms team up to help automotive dealerships reduce costs and improve CSI.

Austin, TX & Detroit – Automotive dealerships throughout North America will be able to maximize the profitability and efficiency of their loaner fleet programs thanks to a new partnership between two automotive-retail technology leaders.

Detroit-based vehicle telematics firm Guidepoint Systems and Austin-based Dealerware, a modern fleet management platform, today announced an exclusivity agreement between the two companies. Under the new agreement, Guidepoint will become the exclusive supplier of GPS-enabled telematics devices for the Dealerware Platform, which streamlines fleet management for dealership loaner-car operations, vehicle subscription programs and hybrids of each. The agreement also calls for Dealerware to serve as the exclusive software provider for Guidepoint’s Loaner Vehicle Program and Rental Management tools.

Guidepoint and Dealerware have been working on a non-exclusive basis for the past 10 months, serving the needs of hundreds of dealerships with loaner tracking technology and services for tens of thousands of loaner vehicles. The Dealerware-Guidepoint integration allows dealerships to track vehicles with real-time GPS as well as automatically track and recoup costs such as fuel and tolls. In addition, customers can track mileage, battery levels, and other critical data on driving behavior that impacts the value of the vehicle

“Loaner fleets are one of the most important sources of profitability at dealerships today, so it’s critical that dealers maximize their fleet’s efficiency while also delivering an exceptional customer service experience,” said Tom Gafford, co-founder and chief technology officer of Guidepoint. “We have teamed up with Dealerware to create a best-in-class solution for dealerships that want to reduce fuel-and-maintenance costs, improve their CSI scores and maximize their fleet vehicle remarketing.”

With this integration, dealership personnel can monitor loaner vehicles from any Internet-connected smartphone, PC or tablet on a customized Dealerware Dashboard, which provides direct insight into fleet utilization and other key performance indicators (KPIs). The integration leverages Guidepoint’s robust capabilities via an OBD2 plug-in harness that allows for easy installation or swapping the unit to new vehicles. This simple process eliminates the complexity of a wiring connection to vehicles and means personnel can install the module in less than 20 minutes. Each vehicle is also supported with around-the-clock alert notifications, emergency service dispatch, stolen vehicle recovery and law enforcement assistance.

“Modern retailers require partners that allow them to maintain or even increase profits through fixed operations that are enabled by digitalization, automation, and a customer-centric approach,” said Russell Lemmer EVP and GM of Dealerware. “Together, Guidepoint and Dealerware provide a best-in-class technology that allows retailers increase profitability and delight customers with high-touch, seamless services.”

Links:
Dealerware
Guidepoint