Local automotive digital solutions provider Customer Management Solutions (CMS) has collaborated with global car dealership software company CDK Global, to use the CDK open platform to provide integrated solutions to car dealers and customers in SA.
CDK Global operates in over 100 countries worldwide. The company provides software and technology solutions that automate and integrate all aspects of the dealership and buying process, from targeted digital advertising and marketing campaigns, to the sale, financing, insuring, parts supply, repair and maintenance of vehicles.
It also offers emerging and specialist tech companies API access to its Dealer Management System (DMS), as part of its open platform strategy.
CMS is an independent supplier of custom software and marketing solutions, with more than 560 dealership clients across SA, Namibia, Kenya, Malawi and Zambia. The company says its solutions are used across more than 400 dealer sales floors receiving and processing electronic functions from major OEM call centres, daily.
Joining the CDK Partner Programme offers CMS access to the DMS, to improve the functionality of its products, scale-up businesses, share and manage data seamlessly, and potentially enter new geographical markets.
Leon Kemp, CMS MD, says joining the CDK Partner Programme would open up new markets for both parties, while offering dealers a richer choice of applications and integration choices.
“Subscribing to the CDK Global Partner Programme will allow us to significantly enhance our customers’ experiences when using our systems together, creating a better experience for both the dealership staff and retail customers.
“Dealers often struggle with a variety of different systems and tools in their business. Offering them a single point of contact allows them to focus on providing more innovative solutions to their customers.”
The CDK Open Platform creates integrated digital services such as repair orders, customer and company records, vehicle inventory and customer vehicles, finance information,sales contact, vehicle-specification information and trade-in vehicle information.
The companies say the platform gives partners unprecedented access to CDK’s certified third-party applications, creating a truly open and connected auto retail industry, that will significantly improve the car buying and ownership experience for consumers and dealers.
Phil Stubbs, GM, Middle East and Africa for CDK, says having CMS join the CDK Partnership Programme is a milestone, as the company looks to build out its local partner programme.
“Purchasing and servicing vehicles often lacks a real connection between online and in-store experiences. Dealer productivity can be impacted if technology solutions do not connect across various providers, which hinders the ability to deliver a seamless customer experience. Technology that was designed to make the industry more efficient has, in many ways, caused things to become more complicated and expensive to manage,” notes Stubbs.
“Improving these connections is crucial to automotive commerce. Our partner programme will bring applications together via an open platform, enabling integration with CDK DMS products to provide easy access for dealers to deliver the very best car-buying experience for today’s customer.”
Share