The Reynolds and Reynolds Company announced that it has joined the Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail (STAR). Reynolds customers enjoy the benefits of the industry’s only Retail Management System, and joining STAR is another step toward bringing the automotive ecosystem together to increase efficiency and drive long-term success.
Reynolds will join STAR’s steering committee and participate in working groups to help identify new standards and modify existing ones.
“With the amount of disruption occurring in our industry, now, more than ever, dealers and OEMs need to be as efficient as possible while maintaining a high level of security when it comes to the data they possess and use,” said Chris Walsh, president of Reynolds.
STAR has been developing voluntary industry-leading standards for the benefit of OEMs, technology vendors and dealers for the last two decades. In 2020, Rafael Maldonado, former CIO for the National Automobile Dealers Association, assumed leadership of STAR as its chairman. With this move, the association placed a renewed focus on broadening the communication of, and involvement in, establishing standards across the automotive industry.
“We want to make sure that people understand this is not your grandfather’s STAR,” noted Maldonado. “We understand the transformational power a common set of standards would have in our industry. This is a real need as we move forward in helping our entire ecosystem develop the efficiency, speed and agility necessary in today’s competitive landscape to provide the retail experience customers are demanding today.”
Reynolds uniquely understands how to accomplish this goal, due to its experience building the Reynolds Retail Management System.
“As we continue to strengthen ties with industry groups and associations, it is our pleasure to share our extensive experience as we work together for the benefit of the industry as a whole,” said Walsh. “Increasing the profitability and long-term success of dealerships and OEMs is paramount to our philosophy, and the standards we create must share that goal.”
According to Maldonado, it just makes sense to have Reynolds involved when discussing standards for the industry. “Frankly, I don’t think we can be successful without industry leaders like Reynolds being part of this effort,” said Maldonado.
