The SiriusXM Pre-Owned Program is now offered as a free integrated feature with DealerSocket iDMS.

844-832-8643

[email protected]

AIB’s SaaS solution, TitleDirect, integrates with the DMS to facilitate automation and compliance for the dealer to transact seamlessly through the cloud with their DMV.

Zach Dunham
817-975-8806
[email protected]

We’ve added the following new releases and enhancements to our industry-leading dealer solutions. Discover what’s new:

CRM

IDMS – DMS

DealerFire – Websites

Auto/Mate – DMS

 

For more information or questions about how to take advantage of our newest product releases or enhancements, contact us or reach out to your Account Manager today.

Multi Factor Authentication for FEX PAY

The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act requires Financial Institutions – Companies that offer consumers financial products or services like loans, financial, investment advice, or insurance to explain the information sharing practices to their customers and to safeguard sensitive data.​

The Privacy Rule applies to car dealers who:​

  • Extend credit to someone (for example, through a retail installment contract) in connection with the purchase of a car for personal, family, or household use
  • Arrange for someone to finance or lease a car for personal, family, or household use
  • Provide financial advice or counseling to individuals

FEX PAY is being upgraded with Multi Factor Authentication to be GLBA compliant. The training guide details the changes on various login and other flows.

First Login to FEX PAY

The below steps must be carried out when an existing user tries to log into FEX PAY post Multi Factor Authentication feature turned ON

1. Enter the URL https://www.myfexaccount.com/  on your browser

2. Click on Login

3. Enter your existing email address and password, click on the Sign in button

4. Setup Multi Factor Authentication

5. Capture the Country and Phone number if SMS/Text is used as a Multi Factor Authentication option

6. Capture the code received. A success message is received if the code has been verified successfully

7. Scan the QR code displayed on screen if Authenticator App has been selected as a method for Multi Factor Authentication and enter the code

8. On successful configuration the user is directed to the FEX PAY home /default landing page

9. Click Log Off to end the session and be redirected to the Login Page

Subsequent Login to FEX PAY

The below steps must be carried out when a user tries to log into FEX PAY

1. Enter the URL https://www.myfexaccount.com/  on your browser

2. Click on Login

3. Enter your email address and existing password and click on the Sign in button

4. Select a method to perform Multi Factor Authentication

5. Enter the code based on the Authentication method selected

6. Users will be redirected to FEX PAY home page /default page once the authorization is confirmed

7. Click Log Off to end the session and be redirected to the Login Page

New User Registration

The below steps must be taken when a new user tries to log into FEX PAY when Multi Factor Authentication is enabled

1. Enter the URL https://www.myfexaccount.com/ on your browser

2. Click on the Login button

3. Click on Sign up now

4. Enter your preferred email address and click on the Send verification code

5. Verification code is sent to your email, enter code and click on verify code

6. Enter your new password and information related to your Name and click on Create

7. Setup Multi Factor Authentication

8. Capture the Country and Phone number if SMS/Text is used as a Multi Factor Authentication option

9. Capture the code received. A success message is received if the code has been verified successfully

10. Scan the QR code displayed on screen if Authenticator App has been selected as a method for Multi Factor Authentication and enter the code

11. On successful configuration the user is directed to the FEX PAY home /default landing page

12. Click Log Off to end the session and be redirected to the Login Page

Reset /Change Password

The below steps must be carried out when an existing user wishes to reset / change password

1. Enter the URL https://www.myfexaccount.com/ on your browser

2. Click on the Login button

3. Click on Forgot your password link

4. Enter your email address and click on the Send verification code

5. Enter the verification code received on email. Click on continue if the code has been verified successfully

6. Select a method to perform Multi Factor Authentication

7. Enter a New Password and Confirm New Password

8. On successful password reset the user is directed to the FEX PAY home /default landing page

9. Click Log Off to end the session and be redirected to the Login Page

Reset MFA

1. Reach out to the Dealer requesting to reset Multi Factor Authentication

2. Dealer resets Multi Factor Authentication

3. Then User - Enter the URL https://www.myfexaccount.com/ on your browser

4. Click on the Login button

5. Enter your existing password and click on the Sign in button

6. Setup Multi Factor Authentication

7. Capture the Country and Phone number if SMS/Text is used as a Multi Factor Authentication option

8. Capture the code received. A success message is received if the code has been verified successfully

9. Scan the QR code displayed on screen if Authenticator App has been selected as a method for Multi Factor Authentication and enter the code

10. On successful configuration the user is directed to the FEX PAY home /default landing page

11. Click Log Off to end the session and be redirected to the Login Page

Multi-Factor Authentication for IDMS

The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act requires financial institutions – companies that offer consumers financial products or services like loans, financial or investment advice, or insurance – to explain their information-sharing practices to their customers and to safeguard sensitive data.​

The Privacy Rule applies to car dealers who:​

  • Extend credit to someone (for example, through a retail installment contract) in connection with the purchase of a car for personal, family, or household use;
  • Arrange for someone to finance or lease a car for personal, family, or household use; or​
  • Provide financial advice or counseling to individuals.

IDMS is being upgraded with multi-factor authentication to be GLBA compliant. The training guide details on the changes on various login and other flows.

First time Login to IDMS

The below steps must be carried out when an existing user tries to log into IDMS for the very first time after the feature is turned on

1. Enter the URL https://idms.dealersocket.com/ on your browser

2. Enter the email associated with your username and click on Login button

3. Enter your existing password and click on the Sign in button

4. Select a method to perform Multi-Factor Authentication. 

While you can pick only one of the two methods, we recommend selecting both authentication methods.

Selecting both methods gives you more options in the case that one of the methods stops working for some reason.

5. Enter the country and phone number when SMS/Text is used as the MFA option.

6. Capture the code received. A success message is received if the code has been verified successfully

7. Scan the QR code on the screen when the Authenticator App has been selected as a method for Multi-Factor Authentication and enter the code then click the Continue button.

On successful configuration the user is directed to the IDMS home /default landing page

Subsequent Logins to IDMS

The below steps must be carried out when an existing user tries to log into IDMS post configuring the MFA

1. Enter the URL https://idms.dealersocket.com/ on your browser

2. Enter the email associated with your username and click on Login button

3. Enter your existing password and click on the Sign in button

4. Select a method to perform Multi Factor Authentication

5. Enter the code based on the Authentication method selected and click the Verify code.

You will be redirected to the IDMS home page /default page once the authorization is confirmed.

6. Click Log Out to end the session and be redirected to the Login Page

Create a New User

The below steps must be carried out when a new user is created on IDMS

1. Navigate to Settings > Users page

2. Click on the Add icon to create a new user.

3. The system will prompt you to save changes when the user exists on the Identity server.
However, when the user does not exist on the Identity server, a prompt will not be presented.

An email will be sent to the registered email with a link to activate the user and configure a multi-factor
authentication method and a password.

4. Click the link to be directed to the IDMS login page.

5. Enter the email associated with your username and click the Login button

6. Click the Send Verification Code button to receive a code to Authenticate.

7. Type the password in the New Password field.

8. Type the password again in the Confirm New Password field.

9. Type the Display Name, Given Name, and Surname, then click the Accept button..

When the validation is successful, you will be redirected to the next page.

On successful validation, you will land on the page to configure the MFA options.

10. Click on the SMS Text or Authenticator App checkbox and click the Continue button.

While you can pick only one of the two methods, we recommend selecting both authentication methods.
Selecting both methods gives you more options in the case that one of the methods stops working for some reason.

11. Enter the country and phone number when using the SMS/Text as the MFA option.

12. Click the Send Verification Code button.

13. Enter the code received and click the Verify code button. 

A success message is received when the code has been successfully verified. 

14. Scan the QR code on the screen when the Authenticator App has been selected as a method for
Multi-Factor Authentication.

15. Once received, enter the code and click the Continue button.

15. Upon successful configuration, you are directed to the IDMS home /default landing page to accept the Terms of Agreement.

Reset Multi-Factor Authentication

The below steps must be carried out when an existing user needs to reset the Multi-Factor Authentication methods.

1. Navigate to Settings > Users page.

2. Search for the user whose Multi-Factor Authentication is required to be reset.

3. Click on the Icon to Reset Multi-Factor Authentication

4. Click the Yes button to confirm the action.
OR
Click No to cancel the action.

The Success message displays when the Multi-Factor Authentication has been successfully reset.

An Error message is displayed when Multi-Factor Authentication options are not set for the user.

5. Navigate to the Login screen and type in the username.

6. Type in the Password and click the Sign in button.

Upon successful validation, you will land on the page to configure the MFA options.

7. Click on the SMS Text or Authenticator App checkbox and click the Continue button.

While you can pick only one of the two methods, we recommend selecting both authentication methods.

Selecting both methods gives you more options in the case that one of the methods stops working for some reason.

8. Enter the country and phone number when using the SMS/Text as the MFA option.

9. Click the Send Verification Code button.

10. Enter the code received and click the Verify code button.

A success message is received when the code has been successfully verified.

11. Scan the QR code on the screen when the Authenticator App has been selected as a method for Multi-Factor Authentication.

12. Once received, enter the code and click the Continue button.

Reset /Change the Password

The below steps must be completed when an existing user wants to reset the password for another user.

1. Navigate to Settings > Users page.

2. Search for the user whose password needs to be reset.

3. Click on the Icon to reset Multi-Factor Authentication.

A password reset link is sent to the user’s registered email.

4. Click the link on the email to be redirected to the Solera branded page to verify the user’s identity.

5. Copy the verification code from the email and click the Continue button when the code has been verified successfully.

6. Select a method to perform Multi-Factor Authentication.

7. Type the code in the field and click the Verify button.

8. Type a New Password and Confirm New Password.

9. Click the Continue button.

Upon successful password reset, the user is directed to the IDMS home /default landing page.

Resend Invitation

The below steps must be completed when an admin user wants to resend the invitation link to a newly
added user in IDMS.

1. Navigate to Settings > Users page.

2. Search for the user to whom the invitation link needs to be resent.

3. Click on the Icon to resend the invitation.
Note: The resend invitation icon is enabled when the user has not been activated. Once activated, the icon is set in a disabled state.

4. An invitation link is sent across to the registered email

Self-Serve Change Password

The below steps must be completed when a user wants to reset their password.

1. Click the Change Password option on the IDMS landing page.

2. Click on the SMS Text or Authenticator App checkbox and click the Continue button.

While you can pick only one of the two methods, we recommend selecting both authentication methods.

Selecting both methods gives you more options in the case that one of the methods stops working for some reason.

3. Enter the country and phone number when using the SMS/Text or Scan the QR code on the screen
when the Authenticator App has been selected as the MFA option.

4. Click the Send Verification Code button.

5. Enter the code and click the Verify button.

6. Enter the Current Password, New Password, and Confirm New Password and then click the Continue button.

7. When the password reset is successful, the user is directed to the IDMS home /default landing page.

Forgot Password

The below steps must be completed when an existing user has forgotten their password and wishes to reset it
themself.

1. Enter the email id on the IDMS login Page

2. Click the Forgot your password link on the Solera branded page.

3. Click the Send verification code button to obtain a code in the registered email.

4. Enter the code received on the registered email and click the Verify Code button and then click the Continue button.

5. Click on the SMS Text or Authenticator App checkbox and click the Continue button.

While you can pick only one of the two methods, we recommend selecting both authentication methods.

Selecting both methods gives you more options in the case that one of the methods stops working for some reason.

6. Enter the code from the email and click the Verify button.

7. Type a New Password and Confirm New Password and click the Continue button.

8. Upon successful password reset, the user is directed to the IDMS home /default landing page.

Reset Multi-Factor Authentication for MY FEX Users

The below steps must be completed when a MY FEX PAY user wants to reset the Multi-Factor Authentication methods.

1. Navigate to the Account using the Account Search option.

2. Click on the icon to reset MFA or click on the RESET MFA button on the Action tab.

3. From the list of emails associated with the account, click on the icon to reset Multi-Factor authentication.

When the Multi-Factor Authentication is reset successfully, a success message is shown on the screen;
otherwise, a failure message will be shown asking you to retry the action again after some time.

The MY FEX PAY user can now reset their Multi-Factor Authentication methods by logging into the MY FEX PAY application.

When you have access to an all-in-one solution, it minimizes the time and resources needed to get the job done. That’s what dealer management software can do for you. It brings together all functions of inventory management into one simple platform. Why wouldn’t you employ it if it makes your job–and that of your teams–easier?

What Is Dealer Management Software?

Back to the basics: dealer management software is one easy-to-use system with a full suite of products and plugins. It helps integrate and manage sales, parts, service, finance, insurance, and warehouse inventory, creating a more efficient use of resources from staffing to features and services.

 

How It Benefits Your Dealership Teams

As a saavy DMS user, you likely think you know all the many ways DMS can help, but some may not be readily apparent. Here are nine points to share with your employees and other stakeholders:

  1. It can identify trends and forecast market needs for parts across organizations or dealer and franchise teams.
  2. Because it’s cloud-based, it can be accessed and utilized anywhere.
  3. It also offers savings opportunities because it can lower costs by creating new efficiencies.
  4. It can identify where available stock or parts are located.
  5. It helps prevent over-purchasing.
  6. It helps with local sourcing and needs.
  7. One of the most efficient uses is offering a full suite of systems that integrates across franchises or dealers.
  8. Team members can share data and insights.
  9. And all of this contributes to higher customer satisfaction rates, creating loyal brand advocates.

 

Why Your Dealership Needs a Powerful DMS

Now that you know the many other ways dealer management software can help, let’s look at why you need it:

  1. OEMs/Dealers can use the system to forecast needs across systems, offering the opportunity to save money. Since accurate inventory helps to identify needs when discounts are available for stock or parts, dealers can also get refunds on those parts that go unused.
  2. DMS also centralizes information. It keeps customer data and interactions in one place and helps with local flexibility, locating parts or services across franchises or dealerships.
  3. It also improves productivity by saving time and sharing accurate data across teams.
  4. Finally, it gives you access to seamless reporting by offering up-to-the-minute data and insights, which helps with sales growth.

 

How to Get Started

Dealer management software is the all-in-one solution for your team’s needs, so now is the time to transform. Solera offers enterprise-level solutions, including our innovative DMS and IDMS.

Learn More About Our Best-In-Class DMS & IDMS Solutions

IDMS logo
IDMS ®

Dealer management software that grows with your business.

DealerSocket’s IDMS combines powerful features, an intuitive and user-friendly web-based design, and custom reporting for a DMS solution that meets your unique needs. When we designed our IDMS, we considered what independent and BHPH dealers like you needed to be successful. IDMS gives you web-based access with mobile capabilities, configurable workflows, and more than 50 third-party integrations.

Speak with an expert


IDMS

Value and innovation:

  • Manage the entire vehicle, sales, customer, and payment lifecycle with our end-to-end solution.
  • Experience our web-based inventory management solution built specifically for independent and BHPH dealers.
  • Access your business whenever and wherever you need to with easy-to-use mobile capabilities.
  • Increase productivity with 50+ third-party integrations.

 

 

DealerSocket IDMS helps Empire Exotic Motors perform all of their crucial business management functions. Arthur Przytulski, GM, appreciates its user-friendly functionality and clean reports. These are just two of the many benefits of DealerSocket IDMS.

Arthur Przytulski

GM, Empire Exotic Motors

Leverage a dealer management system designed specifically for your needs.

Accounting

Save time and easily manage your vehicle acquisition, sales, and receivable accounting in one place.
Learn More

Account Management

Increase your collections efficiency with configurable workflows, smart automation, collection queues, and more.
Learn More

Desking

Maximize your profit by structuring and presenting the right deal on the right vehicle for every customer.
Learn More

Inventory Management

Improve the process of evaluating, acquiring, and syndicating vehicles to increase profit margin.
Learn More

Reporting and Analytics

Access reports and custom dashboards to see real-time data anywhere, anytime, on any device to easily manage your dealership.
Learn More

LenderSocket

Streamline desking and financing processes to save time, automate workflows, and improve the customer experience.
Learn More
IDMS logo
IDMS ®

Dealer management software that grows with your business

DealerSocket’s IDMS combines powerful features, an intuitive and user-friendly web-based design, and custom reporting for a DMS solution that meets your unique needs. When we designed our IDMS, we considered what independent and BHPH dealers like you needed to be successful. IDMS gives you web-based access with mobile capabilities, configurable workflows, and more than 50 third-party integrations.

Value and innovation

  • Manage the entire vehicle, sales, customer, and payment lifecycle with our end-to-end solution.
  • Experience our web-based inventory management solution built specifically for independent and BHPH dealers.
  • Access your business whenever and wherever you need to with easy-to-use mobile capabilities.
  • Increase productivity with 50+ third-party integrations.

Speak with an expert
"For dealers looking for a dealership management system that coordinates their service, their collections, and their sales all in one area, IDMS is definitely the way to go. It allows us to have an omnichannel approach to our business, and if your DMS can’t provide that, you ought to look at IDMS.”

Travis Allison

CFO, Coast to Coast Motors

Read the Success Story

Do more with less

Increase efficiency without increasing your head count with workflow automation.

Increase profit through better collections

Our account management capabilities mean collections never slip through the cracks.

Make better decisions

Access real-time data and customized reporting for better insight into your business.

Improve productivity

Book more deals and speed up the sales cycle from quote to close.
Leverage a dealer management system designed specifically for your needs

Accounting

Save time and easily manage your vehicle acquisition, sales, and receivable accounting in one place.
Learn more

Account Management

Increase your collections efficiency with configurable workflows, smart automation, collection queues, and more.
Learn more

Desking

Maximize your profit by structuring and presenting the right deal on the right vehicle for every customer.
Learn more

Inventory Management

Improve the process of evaluating, acquiring, and syndicating vehicles to increase profit margin.
Learn more

Reporting and Analytics

Access reports and custom dashboards to see real-time data anywhere, anytime, on any device to easily manage your dealership.
Learn more

LenderSocket

Streamline desking and financing processes to save time, automate workflows, and improve the customer experience.
Learn more

vSignature

Conduct the signing ceremony anywhere and provide a more modern car-buying experience with our integration with Vision Dealer Solutions.

Learn more

Speak with an expert

IDMS logo
IDMS ®

Upgrade Your Operation

IDMS combines innovation with ease of use to provide independent and BHPH dealers a software solution that modernizes and connects your entire operation. Web-based access with mobile capabilities, configurable workflows, award-winning customer service and more than 50 third-party integrations are only a handful of reasons why more than 1,000 independent and BHPH dealers have chosen us to take their dealership to the next level.

Speak with an expert

IDMS is rewriting the rules on the role the dealership management system plays at independent and BHPH operations.

"For dealers looking for a dealership management system that coordinates their service, their collections, and their sales all in one area, IDMS is definitely the way to go. It allows us to have an omnichannel approach to our business, and if your DMS can’t provide that, you ought to look at IDMS.”

Travis Allison

CFO, Coast to Coast Motors

Read the Success Story

What Upgrading Your Operation Looks Like

  • Workflow automation for improved efficiency
  • Robust Buy Here, Pay Here (BHPH) support, including scheduled auto-pay options and automated collections
  • Sign deal documents electronically on a phone, tablet, or desktop PC in your showroom or remotely
  • 50+ available integrations with industry-leading third-party partners

Adobe Auto Sales is a single location Buy Here, Pay Here (BHPH) dealership  located in Lubbock, TX. When General Manager Titus Weston joined the team in 2011, the dealership switched to the AutoStar dealership management system and would remain users for 5 years. That is, until the dealership felt tethered to their server-based DMS and needed a system that would allow them to access it from anywhere.

 web-based capabilities and the ability to work remotely was the leading driver behind the dealership's migration in January 2020. But little did Weston know that this decision would pay dividends and set the dealership up for success the next two months and beyond.

Ensuring cash flow with collections

During the peak COVID months, IDMS enabled the Adobe collections team to work from home and continue accepting payments from customers. Weston also praises IDMS’s collections tools for being intuitive and quick. “It’s beyond easy to accept payments from our customers,” Weston said, “and that should always be the number one function of any collections program.”

According to Weston,  AutoStar’s collections system required an unnecessary amount of screen hopping and far too many steps to collect a simple payment. “Even though I’m not heavily involved in collections, I can pick up the phone if all of our agents are busy and process a payment in 30 seconds with IDMS,” Weston said.

The IDMS account management solutions feature queues for account segmentation, automated emails targeting all accounts meeting certain criteria, automated reminders for outreach, and other solutions that result in more efficiency.

“Even though I’m not heavily involved in collections, I can pick up the phone if all of our agents are busy and process a payment in 30 seconds with IDMS.”

Titus Weston

General Manager

Coping with the inventory shortage

Like all dealerships around the U.S., Adobe Auto Sales struggled to acquire inventory due to the impact COVID had on the supply chain. However, inventory is yet another challenge IDMS web-based access addresses.

“I’m able to spend that extra 3 hours in the afternoon finding the perfect inventory with some peace of mind having a pulse on the dealership,” Weston said.

Once inventory is acquired at auction, Weston can quickly get it into the system with the IDMS VIN decoder, which aggregates all vehicle details and automatically loads them into the system.

Also, now that Weston can access IDMS from anywhere, any time, he can provide deal approvals for teams and clients without asking them to wait until he returned to his laptop back home, or at his hotel — a benefit their previous, on-premises solution couldn’t offer. 

“I’m able to spend that extra 3 hours in the afternoon finding the perfect inventory with some peace of mind having a pulse on the dealership.”

Titus Weston

General Manager

Delivering on support

The life force behind the DealerSocket end-to-end solution for dealerships is its customer support team. And although Weston’s team doesn’t call in for support regularly due to the intuitiveness of IDMS, he notes that on the rare occasions they have an issue, it’s typically resolved right there and then over the phone.

In cases that require a more technical fix, Weston appreciates the smooth transition between the support and product teams.

“Too many of our other vendors want to try and fix it themselves and end up screwing something up even more,” Weston said. “The DealerSocket support team isn’t afraid to sometimes admit they don’t have the answer, but they always find us the person that does.”

Advice for other independent/BHPH dealers

Weston acknowledges that any technology vendor switch can be stressful, and getting buy-in from the rest of the dealership can be difficult. He says, however, that once you overcome the initial fear of change and understand how everything works in the system, there’s no looking back.

Weston argues, “Making the change to a product you can utilize in the 21st century and not feel like you’re stuck in the dial up or AOL days should be an easy decision."

After demoing and exploring other DMS systems for independent and BHPH dealers, Weston says, “There isn’t another vendor out there that can provide the same level of convenience and functionality to us in a single platform.”

Give your independent/BHPH operation the upgrade it deserves with IDMS.

Let's talk
Success Story

IDMS brings all the pieces together for Coast to Coast

Coast to Coast Motors, which operates seven buy-here, pay-here (BHPH) locations in the Houston, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa areas, was a Finance Express (FEX) holdover until making the switch to DealerSocket’s IDMS three years ago. In May, the 30-year-old, family-owned operation recorded one of its best months ever.

As CFO of Coast to Coast, Travis Allison leans heavily on IDMS’s reporting capabilities to accurately assess the group’s performance and month-to-date collections. He says the ability to delve deeper into the behind-the-scenes aspects of the multi-rooftop operation is IDMS’s biggest advantage.

“I rely on IDMS’s API to transfer a massive amount of data from IDMS to our third-party data software, so the ability to tap into IDMS remotely behind the scenes has been a huge benefit to me,” Allison notes.

Coast to Coast’s employees especially benefit from the system’s ease of use, robust training, and dependability. Allison also credits DealerSocket’s exemplary customer service and personal touch for the group’s strong partnership with the software provider.

“Having a great product is one thing, but I also need customer service when it comes to my software vendors,” Allison says. “I work with our Customer Success Manager, Anthony Wright, all the time, and he’s always willing to pick up the phone when we need assistance and help us move the needle when it comes to the level of integration and connectivity we need.”

Allison wasn’t around during the FEX days, but he says his team considers IDMS a huge upgrade. That’s why he encourages other independent and BHPH dealers on FEX DMS to consider making the same switch.

“For dealers looking for a dealership management system that coordinates their service, their collections, and their sales all in one area, IDMS is definitely the way to go,” Allison says. “It allows us to have an omnichannel approach to our business, and if your DMS can’t provide that, you ought to look at IDMS.”

How Can We Help?

We are proud to serve over 9,000 dealerships with our unified automotive retail solutions. Let's talk about how we can help drive operational efficiency and bottom-line results in your dealership.

Success Story

Third Coast converts from AutoStar to IDMS for increased flexibility

Third Coast Auto Group, which operates four buy-here, pay-here dealerships in the Texas communities of Austin, Round Rock, New Braunfels, and Kyle, is always on the lookout for software that provides increased efficiency and flexibility. That was the motivation behind the independent dealer group’s bold decision in late 2018 to make the switch to DealerSocket’s IDMS.

As any dealer knows, moving to a new DMS isn’t easy, and Third Coast had been an AutoStar user since before DealerSocket purchased the DMS provider in March 2015. “A DMS transition is like open-heart surgery for a dealership, no matter which software you are switching to,” says Steve Quiroz, who, as general manager for all four locations, was charged with preparing his teams for the conversion. “But we made sure to transition in the last quarter of the year, so we were ramped up and ready for tax season.”

 

Making the switch

The general manager has nothing but high praise for DealerSocket’s IDMS since making the switch a year and a half ago. “AutoStar was a good system, but it had limitations on editing and customizing reports. I like how I have more flexibility with IDMS,” Quiroz says, noting that he put in the hours and took advantage of all the resources DealerSocket made available to learn the new system.

Quiroz is especially fond of IDMS’s customizable dashboard and reporting, noting: “We take advantage of the automation capabilities, and I love that I have more control over my reporting.” But he’s especially grateful for DealerSocket’s onboarding team, who trained his crews on the new system and ensured a smooth transition of each location’s data and accounts.

“The onboarding process was great,” he says. “It included lots of virtual training, online classes, and tutorials, which made the ramp-up to get comfortable with IDMS pretty seamless.”

 

A key advantage

The web-based system proved especially helpful when Third Coast’s collections team was forced to work remotely due to social distancing mandates related to COVID-19. “We’ve been fortunate to be able to keep our doors open, but we’ve had to scale back some of our on-site operations,” he says. “With IDMS, our collections staff has been able to work from home.”

IDMS’s mobile app has also proven invaluable, allowing team members to continue working while walking the lot or when a store’s computers are down.

Quiroz offers the following advice to AutoStar customers looking to make the transition to IDMS: “Make sure your entire team is trained on how to do things in IDMS, especially the activities you’re used to in AutoStar. And work with the DealerSocket team to validate your data before going live.”

Making the move to IDMS required a lot of work and coordination, but Quiroz says the transition was worth the effort. “Everyone I’ve worked with during this transition has been nothing but professional,” he notes. “I’ve had a great experience working with DealerSocket.”

How Can We Help?

We are proud to serve over 9,000 dealerships with our unified automotive retail solutions. Let's talk about how we can help drive operational efficiency and bottom-line results in your dealership.

Speak with
an expert