When Mike DuClos, dealer principal of Rock River Powersports in Johnson Creek, WI, was looking to move from his DOS-based DMS platform, he had a concern shared by many dealers - moving the most crucial part of their business, the data.
DuClos questioned, “Am I going to have to start over by moving my data?” He continued, “A lot of times, dealer principals and even employees don’t understand how that works.”
When making the switch to DX1, DuClos was surprised when DX1 converted all of the dealership’s DOS data into DX1. He said, “DX1 did a fantastic job of making sure that it was all converted, double checking everything and making sure that it was in and correct. They even identified and corrected some things that had been errors in my data for a number of years.” DuClos went on to state, “It was converted and executed perfectly. I did not experience any data loss.”
“All of my customers, suppliers and even my parts were imported - right down to my bin locations! That was a big breath of fresh air.”
Mike DuClos, Dealer Principal
Once his data was successfully imported into DX1, DuClos became comfortable with DX1’s cloud-based platform with the knowledge that his data was not only on a secure server, but was also backed up at multiple locations throughout the country.
When switching DMS platforms, adoption of a new system by employees is also critical. DuClos’ staff ranged from an 18-year-old who already understood Windows to his parents who range in age from 70 to 80 years old. DuClos was impressed with how DX1 “plugged into my dealership with my employees.”
“I was impressed with the ability that DX1 had to train - not only on the level of an 18-year-old that understood it, but train on the level of an 80-year-old that hadn’t used anything like it.”
Mike DuClos, Dealer Principal
DuClos said, “Right out of the gate, the DX1 team was here working with our employees, showing them the ins and outs. But they weren’t there saying, ‘This is how you’re going to be doing it.’ They would say, ‘Here’s the platform. Play with it. See how it works and give me your feedback.’ And then they listened to the feedback from my employees.” DuClos talked about how the DX1 implementation team would explain why processes were set up a certain way and how they’d also take note of ideas from his staff for improvement.
DuClos likes the flexibility DX1’s cloud-based platform has brought him. He is no longer tied to a desk at the dealership. Wherever he happens to be - at the dealership, at home or even traveling, he can manage his business from a tablet, phone, or another PC, any time, day or night.
Being cloud-based has also reduced stress for DuClos. He said, “We used to have a PC and everything was hardwired with 100-megabit cables going back to a hub, router, and then server, which all had to be maintained. I had to worry about fire and theft and whether or not my backup and redundant backup were working.” Now DuClos doesn’t need anything other than an internet line. With a wireless connection and tablets, his staff has all of the data at their fingertips. The sales team can be out on the floor working with a customer, moving between DX1 and the OEM website, showing the customer pictures, providing them with pricing and availability and then entering the lead in DX1, all while talking with the customer.
They can also be on the tablet looking in DX1 at a standard unit and at microfiche. When they identify what the customer needs, the items are added on a pick list in DX1 which updates the customer invoice. This eliminates the step of writing the information down and taking it to the service writer to be written again, saving them time and increasing their efficiency.
“You can learn to be a better dealer. You just have to be open-minded. You have to be ready for the change.”
Mike DuClos, Dealer Principal
When asked if he would recommend the change to DX1 to other dealers, DuClos responded, “If you’re content with where you are, then that’s OK. But if you really want to streamline your business, if you want to get better at your business, if you want to get more organized with your business and if you want your business to grow, then DX1 can help you do that.”