If you’ve ever experienced the inefficiency of disconnected departments, you know it can result in frustrated employees and dissatisfied customers. While many dealerships have recognized the benefits of streamlined operations, plenty still function with siloed departments. Here are three reasons why isolated business areas should be left in the past:

Hindered Productivity

With disconnected processes, employees must jump through extra hoops to get their tasks done. Whether they're switching to and from different platforms to complete several steps or sifting through various customer records, the fragmentation requires your team to put in extra time and effort to complete their jobs correctly.

Though these inconveniences appear minor, the inefficiency accumulates and results in lost time, money, and productivity for your dealership. By implementing a comprehensive DMS platform, you’ll eliminate the hassle of toggling between multiple platforms and records. With every dealership function integrated into one system, your employees become equipped to finish tasks more efficiently and drive productivity across your business.

Delayed Communication

Without a universal communication method, it’s much easier for important messages and decisions to fall through the cracks. Not only can disjointed communication cause employees to miss new job assignments, but it can also delay important decision-making, halting progress and opportunity for your dealership. For example, sales may notice a certain aftermarket accessory is selling rapidly, while the parts manager remains unaware of the heightened demand. Because of the lack of proactive communication, the parts manager submits the same amount as the previous order, which isn’t enough to cover the increased customer demand, resulting in lost business.

You can prevent unnecessary delays across your dealership by adopting a DMS with built-in messaging capabilities. On the system, the parts manager can track and place inventory orders and communicate directly with sales regarding changes in demand. When your entire workforce uses a singular system to complete their daily tasks and communicate with teammates, employees won't miss important messages or experience frustrating bottlenecks caused by disconnected departments. 

Inaccurate Data

Up-to-date, accurate information is vital for a smooth operation, and manual number crunching and spreadsheet updating only increase the risk of errors and duplication. Not only are these mistakes a pain to find and fix, but they’re also completely avoidable.

For example, if the finance manager manually keeps track of the dealership’s financials, one mistake can be costly. It can take hours to find and correct an error on a lengthy report — assuming it’s noticed in the first place. However, by keeping information on a DMS platform, reports can be automatically pulled, updated, and printed with a few clicks of a button.

When departments store and manage data independently, the risk of conflicting data is greater. As a result, employees are prone to sharing incorrect information or taking misinformed actions. The system will centralize all your data, increasing the efficiency and accuracy of your business operations by minimizing the opportunity for manual error.

Conclusion

Your dealership can experience significant growth and success by eliminating operational inefficiencies caused by disconnected departments. With an advanced DMS platform, you can avoid the troubles of hindered productivity, delayed communication, and inaccurate data. Leave isolated functions in the past and make room for the opportunities that arise from streamlined operations.