Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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rt-.~c~, ~ .w
RETAYL DEALERSHIP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
FIELD
The present invention relates to a retail dealership management system. In
particular, the invention automates retail sales of merchandise such as
automobiles
by storing customer information, inventory information, finance information
and
other related information and by providing the information to the dealership
personnel in order to efficiently match the customer's needs with available
inventory
,~.: ~..-~~
and financing.
o
BACKGROUND
Conventional retail dealerships employ a sales force to meet and greet
customers and to gather information from the customers in an effort to match
products for sale with the customer's needs. While reference is made herein to
an
1 ~ automobile dealership, it is to be understood that the invention applies
to any retail
dealership. Retail dealerships typically maintain some recvrd.s such as a list
of
products in inventory for the salespeople to refer when attempting to match
the
customer's needs with a product in inventory. However, since some purchases
require thought by the customer (especially large purchases) the customer may
visit
~ 0 the dealership on more than one occasion and discuss his needs with more
than one
salesperson. As a result, the customer may be spend a significant amount of
time
ex~la~ni.ng his needs to each salesperson, and the second salesperson may not
have
the benefit of understanding the customer's needs as they were explained to
the first
salesperson. This duplication of effort is often inefficient.
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Another typical service provided by retail dealerships is to assist in
financing
and insuring the products for sale. In order tv do so the dealership must have
information from the customer regarding the customer's financial
qualifications,
which is often discussed with the salesperson, and the financing and insurance
plans
available from lenders anti insurance companies. ~Iowever, after the
salesperson has
e~ - Iy,TCa1-a' fl ..
i~ntified the product and the customer agrees to purchase the product,
conventional
retail dealerships pass the customer from the salesperson to a finance
manager. This
financing procedure requires the finance manager to interview the customer a
second
time regarding the customer's qualifications to finance the purchase. Many
~ o customers find this second interview time consuming and annoying. Then the
finance manager must complete a credit report and manually search available
financial products an in effort to identify a product that fits within the
customer's
financial qualifications. Each tune the customer suggests a modification to
one of
the parameters such as the down payment or the monthly payment, the finance
manager must manually recalculate the terms based an available financial
products.
This time consuming process often frustrates customers.
If all goes well and the customer purchases a product from the dealership,
maintenance and other follow~up services may be necessary. Conventional
~ ,~ "~,x.x. 9 d~~le~ships spend countless dollars advertising in newspapers
and other media in
z 4 order to try to attract their original customers back for service.
Conventional
dealerships do not maintain a database of service intervals for the products
sold
along with the customer information. As a result, customers may miss their
recommended services or have the services performed at alternate facilities.
Moreover, as products are sold tv customers, conventional dealerships are '~
2 5 slow to update their records after the sale is completed and compile their
sales
records only once a month or so. Often, this information is not timely enough
to
order new products for inventory and not timely enough to effectively manage
the
dealership.
A goal of the invention is to overcome the identified limitations in
3 o conventional retail dealership management. 'that is needed is a retail
management
system that streamlines the sales process and that allows the customer
information to
be stored in a database for retrieval by all dealership personnel. rn this
manner, the
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' customer need only discuss specific information with vne salesperson and
that
information is available for all personnel to assist in matching products with
the
customer's needs and the customer's ability to finance and insure the product.
Moreover, once a sale is completed, the information is instantly available to
the
other dealership personnel that can use the data for inventory tracking,
accounting
and other services.
SUMMARY
The invention overcomes the identified problems and provides a dealership
~. ~r.~>:.~.9 ,~. :,
1 o management system that improves the productivity of the sales process. The
invention retains customer contact information, reduces repetitive data entry,
allows
salespersons to effectively sell products, correlates actions of the sales
force with
accounting and provides a tool to quickly negotiate with the customer to
arrive at
mutually agreeable terms. Tn addition, the invention provides the retail
dealership
Z 5 with timely accounting to track sales of products in inventory, a
mechanism to
generate work lists to assist the dealership personnel in improving
productivity and
other features described below.
Automotive dealers have recognized the importance of relationship selling in
the last decade since attracting new customers is becoming cost prohibitive.
The
2 0 invention focuses on retaining current customers a~ad building on existing
customer
relationships. One tool that is missing from corwentional techniques is a
robust
contact management system. The invention solves this problem by storing
~, ~ ,~,t... 9 in~~or~ation that chronologies the history that each customer
has with the dealership.
Armed with this information the dealership personnel can have a much more warm
2 5 and intelligent conversation with the customer. For example, a salesperson
can
review a customer's service history or sale terms of their present vehicle in
order to
help recommend an appropriate replacement. Personal notes, such as a birthday,
number of family members, work, hobbies, and mileage driven are au maintained
and useful in helping a customer deternnine the best vehicle and terms for
their
3 o needs. During the buying process the customer may return two or three
times
before making a purchase. Conventional systems do not organize the storage of
notes regarding previous conversations or agreements, so often negotiations
must
~.sr~ssrncw 3 ia~a~a
~ ,~-~.:... a ,~.,
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~-><xz... 9 w, n
start all over again. One powerful use of the invention is in managing the
prospective customers who have made an initial contact with the dealership but
have
not yet purchased a product. Current closing ratios in an average dealership
are in
the 2096 range. Out of the 8096 of customers why do not purchase in the
initial
visit, few if any are recorded in a follow up system. Traditional follow up
methods
are a guest log, with limited information and maintained for 72 hours of
follow up.
Salespeople werc taught to follow up the very next day regardless of the
conversation that may have taken place. However, salespeople seldom remember
details of even yestcrdays conversations so follow up calls are often awkward
and
1.0 ineffective. The invention allow the salesperson to enter personal
information about
each prospect, vehicle preferences and hot buttons. For example, a note can be
entered to indicate that a prospective customer likes a specific new vehicle
but is
r~ "x'.~~ ° Hoping to get a little more for their trade and will not
make a decision until their
spouse returns at the end of the week. Traditional follow up would be a phone
call
the next day asking if the prospect if he/she had made a decision yet. The
invention
prints a personalized thank you letter for visiting the dealership and allows
the
salesperson to determine the best day for a telephone follow-up. The prospect
may
'fir
be marked for a three day follow-up. The record is then made part of the work
list
for the assigned day. The salesperson is prompted to call vn the assigned day
and
2 o ask the prospect if their spouse is still planning on returning in a
couple days. If so,
the salesperson can schedule an appointment because the used car manager may
have
indicated that there is another buyer for the trade-in. This personalized
approach
more than doubles the return ratio. If a salesperson fails to make a fellow up
as
indicated the file goes immediately to a sales manager's daily work plan for
review.
2 5 Prospect information gathered on this system has not been accessible yr
assessable before. For example, the invention can record other vehicles in
their
Wit. - re .r<y. ' O ar ~'
household. This nit only creates another service prospect but also cuts the
trade
cycle in half for future sales. Additionally, most lenders ask for at least
three
personal references on a credit application. Because this information is taken
3 0 electronically personalized letters will go out to these references
letting them know
that the dealership would like to provide them with the same great service
that their
friend or relative received. The system queues customers with the same work
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number to prospect additional workera in the same company and a cross
directory
will allow for the solicitation of neighbors that are looking at the new car
in the
f~ ftxi.~~ a ,~, .1
driveway. Repeat, referral and reputation are still among the top reasons
customers
choose to do business at a particular dealership. Conventional tools did not
allow
for the ident'iftcation and active pursuit of these hat prospects. With the
invention,
current customers can easily be reassigned when there is employee turnover.
When,
new incentives are announced, extensive sort features will identify those
customers it
rnpst likely interested in the current promotion. Data managed at an
enterprise level
can reduce direct marketing costs and improve response rate. Today's consumers
1 o can do all their research information from home. There is a steady
increase in the
number of consumers shopping by the Internet, e-mail, phone and referral
services
such as their credit union or auto club. It is increasingly important to
manage
prospects form every point of contact. The invention represents a product in
the
market designed exactly that way.
Additionally, sales person productivity is a big issue. lrighty percent of
sales
~ ~, ~_-~~ ~ wc~rlcoceurs on the weekend and out of every 10 walk-ins only 2
will purchase
vehicles. The challenge surrounds customer tracking and utilizing such
information
to leverage sales force and increase productivity. Most conventional
dealerships
operate a manual System that does not allow for short term and long term
2 o management of customers and does not allow for automatic manipulation of
such
information to maximize sales productivity by leveraging the value of such
data.
The invention allows for timely collection of customer related information
that is
made available for management and that automatically plans activities for
salespeople and controls such activity to maximize productivity. Based on the
2 5 information received concerning the customer, the invention can plan
salesperson
activity during down times and provide electronic work plan which is then
forwarded to sales manager for review. For example, references are provided as
part of credit application process. The invention extracts such information
calls such
references and determines whether they would be available for a vehicle and
then
°~ 3 or''~~~~~ 9 updates database for the future. If such reference had
just bought a particular
vehicle, reference can still become service related customer. In addition,
based on
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the conversation regarding plans to keep vehicle, the system can issue a
reminder
when she is back in the market for such a vehicle.
An exemplary embodiment of a retail dealership management system for
operation by dealership personnel comprises an inventory database configured
to
store information specific to a plurality of products in inventory, a customer
database configured to store information specific to a plurality of customers
who
might be interested in a purchasing a product from the retail dealership and,
for a
least some of the customers, information regarding a specific product of
interest
selected from a group of products for sale, and a plurality of control
procedures. A
user interface is operable by the dealership personnel. A processor with
access to
the inventory database and the custonnner database is configured to process
the control
procedures instructed via tt;e user interface to assist the dealership
personnel in
matching a product in the inventory database with the customer specific
information
in the customer database in order to identify a product for purchase by a
customer.
~ 5 Another embodiment includes a finance database configured to store finance
products for customers to finance the product for purchase by the customer.
The
processor has access to the finance database and is further coztfigured to
process the
control procedures instructed via the user interface to assist the salesperson
in
~p »,:... a matching a finance product in the finance database with the
customer specific
2 p information in the customer database and the product for purchase by the
customer.
Another embodiment includes an insurance database configured to store
insurance products for customers to insure the product for purchase by the
customer.
The processor has access to the insurance database and is further configured
to
process the control procedures instructed via the user interface to assist the
2 5 salesperson in matching an insurance product in the insurance database
with the
customer specific information in the customer database and the product for
purchase
by the customer.
Another embodiment includes an accounting database configured to store
accounting information specific to the dealership management system. The
3 o processor is configured to generate an entry in the accounting database
for each step
taken by the dealership personnel and for each product purchased by a
customer.
The dealership management personnel can review the records to determine each
,.x..~, 9 ,~~
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salesperson's productivity and the number of cars or amount of gross sales
made by
each salesperson.
Another embodiment employs the customer database to identify trigger
events to generate work lists that inform the dealership personnel to perform
predetermined actions. For example, a trigger event can be initiated by the
customer's upcoming completion of a ~x~ar~ce term or lease term. The system
would
prompt the dealership personnel to contact the customer to determine whether
the
customer would like to purchase a new product and trade in the old product.
s ~st'~ s .~d~tional triggers can be set for maintenance intervals or other
similar events.
1 o Advantages of the present invention include streamlined sales at the
retail
dealerships by providing a customer database than is accessible to all
dealership
personnel. The system, based on triggers, provides each salesperson with a
daily
work Iist of contacts to be made that day. The system provides follow-up
maintenance letters and provides salesperson productivity reports. All these
advantages help ih;e dealership management manage the sales force and other
personnel very effectively.
BRIEF DESCRTPTrON OF THE FIGrURES
Additional advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading
2 0 the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings, in
which:
Figure 1 depicts the physical system architecture according to an embodiment
of the invention;
I~';.Wi.x~ fl ~J 61
Figure 2 depicts the functional system architecture according to an
embodiment of the invention;
2 5 Figure 3 shows the data gathered by the system and entered and retrieved
by
dealership personnel interacting with the system;
Figure 4 shows the deal flow in the dealership;
Figures SA-D show an example user interface for the dealership personnel to
enter customer data into the 9yStem;
3 o Figure 6 is a data structure for storing customer information in the
system;
Figures 7A-E show an example user interface for the dealership personnel to
enter customer data into the system;
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a
,r~
Figure 8 shows a credit application generated by the system;
Figures 9A-H show an example user interface for the dealership personnel to
enter trade-in data into the system;
Figure 10 is a data structure for storing trade-in information in the system;
Figures ilA-D show an example user interface for the dealership personnel
to enter finance and insurance data into the system;
Figure 12 is a data structure for storing finance and insurance information in
the system;
Figure 13 depicts the functional finance and insurance procedure according to
an embodiment of the invention;
Figures 14A-B shows a data structure for storing salesperson information and
a sample salesperson work list; and
Figure 15 is a data structure for storing dealership information.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Exemplary embodiments are described with reference to specific
con~gurativns. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes
and
modifications can be made while remaining within the scope of the claims. For
example, the exemplary embodiment is that of an automobile dealership but it
is to
2 0 be understood that the invention applies to any retail dealership.
1. System Architecture
The invention is intended to streamline the sales process in a retail
dealership. Customer information will be available to all dealership personnel
and
2 5 can be used for various aspects of sales and service in order to
efficiently serve the
~,-,~>t~~ 9 c,~t~ner.
Figure 1 shows the system architecture 10 including a server 12 with a
memory 14. The memory 14 stores programs and data as described below. The
system has an accounting interface 1~ that communicates with an accounting
system
3 o for generating accounts receivable, paychecks and other standard
accounting
functions. In some one aspect of the invention, the accounting interface is a
computer communicating with a commercial accounting service such as ADP or
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Reynolds & Reynolds. An Internet interface 18 communicates with the Internet
to
provide web-based services as described below. A spare interface 20
communicates
_. ~ A. .1
with other networks as needed. While the Internet interface and spare
interface are
shown coupled to the server 12, in an alternate embodiment the client
computers 22,
24, 26 can directly access other networks via modem.
Client computers 22, 24, 26 are the user interfaces divided by privilege level
and location in the dealership. The client computers are typically computers
such as
Pentium class personal computers running Microsoft Windows. In one aspect of
the
invention, the application programs (described herein as procedures) run on
the
1 o client computers and access data resident on the server. If the server is
a powerful
computer (e.g. mainframe), the user interfaces can be simple terminals with a
monitor, keyboard and mouse. The dealership personnel log unto their
respective
client computers and are allowed to access information according to their
privilege
Ievel. For example, a salesperson may only have access to customer data, while
a
finance manager may have access to customer data and accounting data.
r.~ .--~_- ' ~ ~~ ~-, Figure 2 shows the functional architecture including a
customer track
proccdure 30 coupled to a database 34. The customer track procedure is used to
enter and compile information on the dealership's customers and potential
customers
that is stored in the database 34. The database 34 includes an accounting
database
z o 34a and an information database 34b. Database 34a often includes some
identical
information as stored in database 34b, but is primarily used in conjunction
with an
accounting service such as ADP or Reynolds to maintain accounting records az~d
to
print checks for accounts payable and to maintain tax records. The database
34b can
be stored on disk 14 while the database 34a can be accessed via accounting
interface
2 5 16. The information database 34b includes component databases such as a
customer
database, an inventory database, a finance database, an insurance database and
a
reports database.
An inventory track procedure 40 is coupled to the database 34 and is used to
enter and compile information on the dealership's product inventory that is
stored in
3 o tie database 34. The dealership inventory can include new and used
products, such
as new cars and used cars. One aspect to the inventory procedure 40 is a value
estimator using a value database such as Kelly Blue Book. For example, the
value
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of used products can be estimated when they are placed into inventory. This
information is especially useful for trade-in transactions and for re-sale
transactions.
A web track procedure 50 is coupled to the inventory track procedure 40 and
conveys information from the inventory track procedure to an Internet server
52.
'1''ne vYeb track procedure 50 provides inventory information to the Internet
server 52
that provides web pages to display the dealership's product inventory to
potential
customers over the Internet. Moreover, the web track procedure can also send
out
inventory information to other services such as Auto-By-Tel, Classifieds 2000
or
other service. The Internet server 52 is also useful to receive inquiries from
1 o customers regarding the displayed products and to assist the dealership
personnel in
responding to potential customers. Inquiries are tracked by the Internet
server and
the web track procedure compiles web activity reports showing which web pages
were reviewed and which products were reviewed.
A finance and insurance (F&I) procedure 60 is coupled to the database 34
15 and is used to access information on tk~e dealership's finance and
insurance products.
Tlse F&I procedure 60 is made up of a finance procedure and an insurance
procedure. The F&I procedure 60 has access to the customer information and can
obtain credit reports, DMV driving record reports and other information to
.~, ,r ,<,c.~, °
deterzr~ine the customer's ability to purchase a product from inventory. This
2 o inforrrzation is typically gained by access through spare interface 20 to
a credit
bureau, the DMV or other agency, although the client computer 24 can also be
configured with another direct network interface such as a modem. The F&I
procedure 60 can store interest rates offered by various lenders and can
calculate ~r
various loan and lease options for the customer in order to match the customer
with
a 5 a finance product. The F&I procedure can also store insurance rates
offered by
various insurance companies and can calculate various insurance options for
the
customer in order to match the customer with an insurance product.
A report procedure 70 is contained within the customer track procedure 30
and is used to generate various reports for the dealership personnel. For
example,
3 o the reports procedure can generate work lists for salespersons to follow
up on
customer prospects and can generate reports for the sales manager that shows
the
:a~ ?--~°t'"' 9 ~tuz~ber of leads generated by each salesperson, the
number of demonstration rides
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given by each salesperson and the number of cars sold by each salesperson. The
reports are generated based on triggers such as a date trigger.
2. Database Generation and Deal Flow
Each of the databases is used to store information that the procedures 30, 40,
50, 60 and 70 can use to compile and process data. Each of the procedures
explained above is employed during a typical deal between a customer and the
retail
~a ,«i... a c~al~rship. Figure 3 shows the data gathered by the system 10 and
entered and
retrieved by dealership personnel interacting with the database 34. Figure 4
shows
1 o the deal flow in the dealership. The database generation and deal flow is
described
with reference to Figures 4 through 15.
Referring to Figure 4 steps I02 and 104, a Salesperson meets and greets a
customer at the dealership to discuss products with the customer and escort
the
customer to a sales desk co~gured with a client computer 22. The salesperson
will
ask the customer for some personal information such as name and address and
will
enter this information into the database 34 using the customer track procedure
50.
'phe system can also stare an electronic copy of the customer's photograph in
the
customer information.
p'igure 5 shows an example user interface for the salesperson to enter the
2 4 data. In some cases, some of the data can be entered by swiping the
customer's
driver's license in those states where information is stored on the driver's
license in
~E ><f~... a
electronic form, such as in an magnetic strip. Moreover, in other cases when
the
customer is a repeat customer, the information can be retrieved from the
database 34
by entering identifying information such as the customer's name or telephone
2 5 number.
The customer information entered into the user interface 22 is shown in
Figure 6 as a data structure 202 in database 34. The data structure 202 is
broken
into several categories including general information 204, personal
information 206,
contact history 208, vehicle information 210 and related customers 212. Each
of
3 0 these categories include elements as shown in Figure 6.
Once the salesperson and the customer have discussed possible products for
sale, the salesperson enters a vehicle description into the user interface 22
and
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retrieves a list of matching products (e.g. vehicles). The salesperson then
escorts
the eustoxxxer directly tv the vehicles with keys for the vehicles in hand. A
presentation and demonstration ride are then completed. If the customer agrees
to
purchase the vehicle, the salesperson completes an elecuonic credit
application for
the customer as shown in step 106 and Figures 7A-E. The credit information
entered into the user interface 22 is shown in Figure 8 as a data structure
250 in
database 34. At step 108, the salesperson obtains the customer's credit
report. If
the customer has a previous credit application or credit report on file, the
salesperson can simply retrieve the prior application or report.
1 o If the customer has a trade-in vehicle, the salesperson invokes the
inventory
track procedure 40 at step 110 and enters the trade-in stock number and
vehicle and
r~.~xi~. ~ ,~. n
identification number (VIN numbez) of the trade as shown in Figures 9A-H. The
system decodes the VIN numbers (often called a VIN explosion) to automatically
determine the year, make, model and other information regarding the trade~in
vehicle. The vehicle information is shown in Figure 10 as a data structure 300
in
database 34. The system 10 then references the vehicle against a value
estimate
database (such as Kelly Blue Bvok) and prints an appraisal slip at the sales
manager's desk. The credit application may also be printed at the sales
manager's
desk for reference. The system flags existing credit reports for the sales
manager.
2 o At step 112, the used car manager reviews the actual cash value (ACV)
report and
may review the customer's credit report at step 114. At step 116, the used car
manager submits the ACV report into the system, which records an appraisal.
At step 118, the sales manager simply recalls the existing information and
adjusts the deal terms based on negotiations with the customer, including a
possible
,~ ~ f,~ ~7-~°~ ~ r~ervi~w of the credit report at step 120. The sales
manager then reviews whether a
trade is applicable in step 122 and if so, appraises the trade in step 124.
In step 126, the deal is submitted to the finance manager for review and a
cap sheet is generated in step I28. Since all the necessary information is
already
stored in database 34, the finance manager can review the deal at the user
interface
3 0 24. The system calculates the terms and set up charges involved in the
deal that are
predetermined by the dealership senior management as described in greater
detail
below.
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Assuming the customer is interested in financing the purchase, the dealership
.~, ~~, >t_,: ~.
,~.,
assists the customer in deciding among various finance products that ~t within
the
financial resources of the customer. Finance and insurance (often referred to
as
F&n includes loan products, lease products as well as insurance products and
other
related products. For example, the customer may want to include an extended
warranty product that is valid for the full loan or lease term of the vehicle.
In step 128, the terms of the deal are passed to a finance manager who
reviews the cap sheet and invokes the finance and insurance procedure 60 at
step
130. The finance and insurance procedure 60 accesses the database 34 to recall
1 o available interest rates from selected lenders and the customer's credit
report to
determine what finance products are available for the customer. The initial
terms of
the ~nanee are entered into the user interface 24 as shown in Figures 11A-D.
The finance information entered into the user interface 24 is shown in Figure
12 as a data structure 350 in database 34. The data structure 350 includes all
the
:~° 1 ~a ~u~" 9 i~foi~nation that is either entered into the user
interface or calculated by the system.
If the finance manager enters selected information into the F&I procedure 60
via the
user interface 24, the system calculates some of the missing information. For
example, the MSRP can be entered along with the APR and number of months, and
the system will calculate the payments.
2 o Figure 13 shows the finance and insurance procedure b0 for calculating the
finance and insurance information. 'When the finance manager and the customer
discuss the various payment options and lenders, the finance manager can
nuodify
various parameters in the F&I procedure based on customer's financial
qualifications
and other issues (loan v. lease) to determine the best finance package for the
2 5 customer. The F&I procedure 60 will recalculate the parameters based on
the new
information. For example, if a customer wants a longer payment duration, the
payment duration can be extended and the monthly payment will most likely
decrease. The finance and insurance procedure can also freeze selected
parameters
~y ~' /'~ rc:.i->, fl ~~
that are not to be recalculated. 1?or example, the customer may request that
the
3 0 down payment be decreased and the payment duration remain the same. 'The
finance
and insurance procedure will recalculate the finance and will most likely
raise the
ending balloon payment or residual value of the vehicle. Additionally, the
finance
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and insurance procedure allows the finance manager and customer to review the
alternatives between various products such as a loan product, a balloon
payment
product and a lease product by activating the buttons 342a, 342b and 342c, in
Figure
11A, respectively. The finance and insurance procedure recalculates the
various
~'~~1 ~ ~ parameters as necessary.
With respect to insurance, the finance manager can assist the customer in
selecting among various insurance products that are available based vn the
customers
driving record and the desired coverage. When alI the terms are agreed upon,
in
steps 1.32, 134 and I36, the finance manager prints out the forms for the
customer's
1o signature. The forms are signed by the customer and then transmitted (e.g.
by fax)
to the selected lender and insurance company.
Once the transaction is completed, the trade-in vehicle is inspected by a
dealership mechanic and conditioned far resale. When the vehicle is released
as
ready for resale, the vehicle information is automatically sent to the web
track
15 procedure 50 for queuing on the Internet and Intranet sites for retail
listing. This
procedure is valuable as it avoids having used car or wholesale operations
load and
manage net based vehicle inventory. The process also allows dealer to capture
used
c,~r uiventory at the earliest possible moment and make directly available tv
the
buying public which directly improves turnover ratio and profitability. This
is an
2 o advantage over other providers of used car Internet inventories that
extract
information from ADP or similar legacy systems that does not contain an
accurate
description of used vehicles associated with VIN number explosion capability.
Additionahy, once the transaction is completed, the customer information is
automatically loaded into an electronic work plan for the salesperson tv
assure that
2 5 all sold customers are contacted at required intervals such as maintenance
intervals.
The follow-up contacts with the customer are described below under the heading
Dealership Management and Report Generation.
3. Dealership Management and Report Generation
3 o Dealership management is an important aspect of the invention. This
concept
includes both personnel management as well as financial management. The
~hrsonnel aspects of the invention provides detailed and timely information
about
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department productivity and generates work lists for the various departments
using
the report procedure 70. The personnel records can be broken down by each
person
at the dealership. The financial aspects of the invention provide detailed and
timely
information about the inventory sold and the inventory taken as trade-ins as
well as
profit statements.
The system compiles activity records for each of the salespersons in the
report procedure 70. Figure 14A shows a data structure 400 that includes
elements
,~,,».:.~ 9 ~r pach of the customers met by the salesperson, each of the
customers that the
salesperson took on a demonstration ride, each of the customers who completed
a
l o finance and insurance deal, the total sales closed by the salesperson, the
gross profits
attributable to the salesperson and the grass commissions to be paid to the
salesperson.
A work list painter 414 is also associated with the salesperson and includes
work list information for that salesperson. A sample work list is depicted in
Figure
148. The work lists can be generated by a trigger on a periodic basis, e.g.
daily,
showing what follow-up contacts should be made by the salesperson that day,
what
types of letters should be mailed out by the salesperson and so on. For
example, a
work list can be generated based on information in the database 34 such as all
customers who purchased a car ~ months ago so that a phone call can be placed
or a
2 0 letter can be generated and mailed to the customer to make sure that the
customer is
satisfied with the new car that was purchased. Another work list item includes
tasks
r' ~~ f~ 4 0~ placing calls or sending letters to customers whose Ioan or
lease will be completed
in the upcoming months and asking if they would like assistance in obtaining a
new
vehicle. Still other work Iist items include tasks such as placing a call or
mailing a
z 5 letter when a child in the household becomes of driving age and asking if
the
dealership can assist in finding an appropriate car for the new driver.
Additional work lists are created for other departments such as the fiaance
department that may want to contact customers when loan rates drop or when
lease
terms will be completed in the upcoming months. For example, the finance
3 0 manager may be able to extend a customer's lease at a rate that is
attractive to the
customer.
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'Work lists with also be generated for the maintenance department to place
calls or send out letters to customers who may require periodic or scheduled
maintenance. For each product sold, the database 34 includes a predetermined
maintenance schedule for the product and the system automatically generates a
reminder letter to remind the customer to schedule an appointment for service.
The
reminder letter to the customer to bring the vehicle in for service assists
the
dealership in keeping the customer loyal and happy and in keeping the vehicles
well
maintained for optimal re-sale as a used ear when the customer trades in the
car.
The parts department cant also use the work lists to insure that sufficient
parts
are in stock for upcoming maintenance of prospective vehicles. For example, if
a
large number of vehicles are expected to need oil changes, the parts
department will
have a work list that includes the need to insure that enough oil is in stock.
Moreover, the parts department can connect to the vehicle manufacturers via
the
Internet interface 18 or spare interface 20 to order parts that are included
on their
work list.
With respect to the financial aspects of the invention, dealership management
can review the sales force performance of each salesperson and their number of
contacts, demonstration drives, etc. contained in data structure 400. The
dealership
management will have access via the user interface 26 to access a data
structure 450
2 o that includes pointers to each of the salesperson's records 400.
Additionally, the
dealership management can, review accounting information including profit
information at any time (rather than simply at the end of the month).
4. Internet Applications for Dealerships
2 ~H=r.~~ a ,r:~ . The invention allows dealerships to capture information
about their inventory
and deliver the data to an Internet site, such as Internet server 52, for
display on the
Internet. In one aspect of the invention, the dealership can add, through the
inventory procedure 40, products on the Internet or from other locations. The
information uploaded via Internet interface 18 by the web track procedure 50
3 o includes detailed information on the dealership inventory and is updated
by the
inventory track procedure 40 each time a new vehicle is added, for example by
a
trade-in. The web track procedure and Internet server allows customers to
review
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"'~ r' ~'~~ ° t~i'e inventory and also provides a mechanism for
customers to inquire about the
vehicles in inventory.
5. Other application interfaces (DMV, MFR, parts)
Additional interfaces for the system are to the department of motor vehicles
(DMV) and to the manufacturer. The DMV interface can be useful since it allows
the vehicle records to be accessed electronically and for the vehicles to be
registered
electronically. This speeds up the registration process. Additionally, the DMV
records can confirm that the lienholder on a prospective trade-in vehicle has
been
paid in full and that the custourer has the legal authority to trade-in the
vehicle.
The manufacturer interface can be useful for identifying all aspects of the
product and for ordering new products when the inventory becomes low. The
system provides immediate information tv dealership personnel regarding the
~~tmber of vehicles sold and therefore, orders can be placed any time of the
month,
~.5 rather than at the end of the month as in conventional dealerships.
Additionally, the
system allows the parts department to order parts as needed and for the
maintenance
department to review the latest reports on each vehicle including any safety
updates.
5. Conclusion
2 0 The invention provides many advantages over known techniques.
Advantages of the invention include streamlined sales at the retail
dealerships by
providing a customer database than is accessible to all dealership personnel.
The
system, based on triggers, provides each salesperson with a daily work list of
cpntacts to be made that day. The system provides follow-up maintenance
letters
2 5 and provides salesperson productivity rep4rts. All these advantages help
the
dealership management manage the sales force and other personnel very
effectively.
. Having disclosed exemplary embodiments and the best mode, modifications
~'f' ''°' - ° ~d variations may be made to the disclosed
embodiments while remaining within
the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
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