Autosoft FLEX DMS Product Overview

Product Highlights

Product Highlights

Key Features of the Autosoft FLEX DMS

• Dealer Principal specific module – business intelligence without having to navigate through the system.
• Full featured mobile functionality – stay engaged with your customer as you desk the deal.
• Built in Service Schedule with shop loading metrics – maximize your shop’s potential.
• Easy to use accounting module – quick navigation and multi-tasking functionality.
• Help right at your fingertips - In-system help (F1), downloadable user manuals, on-demand video, live chat, news feed, email, and telephone support.

DMS Functionality

Autosoft’s DMS is built around your current processes and the third-party productivity software (CRM, ILM, Inventory Management, etc.) you already use. This design allows for a simplified learning curve and greater employee adoption. By providing core DMS functionality with solid bi-directional integration (FLEX Connect), Autosoft provides the foundation to facilitate a complete dealership productivity suite. The typical dealership customer falls between 1-3 rooftops.

Core DMS Functionality:

• Accounting
• Payroll
• F&I
• Service & Body Shop
• Quick Service
• Parts
• Reporting (including Custom Reports)
• Dashboard
• Third-Party Bi-Directional Integration
• OEM Integration

F&I/Desking Module

Upon logging in, a manager is taken to a real-time dashboard listing all working deals. This list can be filtered and sorted in various ways (by clicking on a column header) to organize and highlight needed information. This functionality provides the manager high-level information to help prioritize activities for the upcoming day.

Outstanding Deal Dashboard View

Managers have the ability to gain actionable intelligence about the Sales Department via Summary and Rank reports (tabs) located across the top of the screen. The categories include the following:

• Prospect Summary
• Sales Summary
• Salesperson Ranking
• Source Ranking
• Lost Sales Summary

The reports display data in both graphical and text views.

Inventory

The inventory component of Autosoft’s FLEX DMS is fully integrated with Accounting. This integration allows users to view items such as vehicle cost information, open repair orders, and related purchase orders before selling the vehicle. Information can be drilled down to the source level to view transaction details. Available information pertaining to Inventory includes:

• Vehicle Options
• Pricing
• Manufacturer Information
• Repair Orders (open and closed)
• Accounting
• Vehicle Photos

Inventory Search Screen View

Desking

The standard desking application provides users with the ability to work up to six deals (tabs) at once in one window, instead of having to open and close each deal individually. This fully functional desking tool includes an optional “Scenarios” feature that allows side-by-side comparison of multiple vehicle pricing and finance options. This tool provides full payment/price disclosure based on appropriate state and local guidelines and can print both standard and custom dealership forms for the customer.

Autosoft offers an optional F&I Menu selling solution that provides the dealership with the ability to present after-sale products to the consumer in both a printed and/or electronic format. If the customer selects a product to purchase through the electronic application, it is automatically added to the deal and customer acknowledgment paperwork is generated, outlining the products offered and which were purchased or declined.

Comparison Screen

Additional desking functionality provides:

• Automatic standard and customized forms and worksheets
• Credit bureau integration provided by 700Credit and CoreLogic/CREDCO
• Integration with CUDL (CU Direct)
• Credit application integration provided by Dealertrack and RouteOne
• eContracting integration with electronic signatures provided by RouteOne
• Vehicle cost adjustments before printing paperwork—to match the Accounting module and accurately commission the Salesperson with the Deal recap screen
• Removal of sold vehicle from inventory
• Fully bi-directional integration with most third-party desking solutions

Service Module

Creating a repair order in Autosoft is straightforward and the screen is configured logically for dealership personnel. The repair order search functionality provides multiple methods to look up a customer (phone number, RO number, name, etc.). The customer and vehicle entry screen contains a built-in VIN decoder containing vehicle details for most make, model, and trims available. From the RO screen, the user can view the last time the customer was in the store for service, the vehicle warranty information, and all dealership historical repair data associated with the customer.

Autosoft recognizes the need for advisors to access the service appointment calendar without having to login to another module.  The appointment calendar is integrated through a click of a button, allowing that function to pull up at any time without leaving the Repair Order screen.

Repair Order View

The Service Schedule feature allows for efficient scheduling by advisor, appointment time, technician, and job time, as well as rescheduling of appointments. It also provides color identifiers based on appointment type (waiter, drop-off, etc.).  The scheduler displays shop capacity and percent of labor hours available by writer. This functionality is also available for the body shop and quick service departments.

Integration is available for major third-party online service scheduling and shop time optimization providers.

Electronic dispatch and electronic repair order (ERO) functionality is standard with the Autosoft FLEX DMS system. The system displays all open jobs and finished work, and assigns new repair orders to technicians. The system provides the technician with the ability to digitally record their cause and correction documentation, request parts, and look up labor estimates.

Service pricing guide functionality is included with the product to quote basic estimates for customers and to look up OEM labor and time criteria for warranty jobs. Optional integration with Mitchell1 guides is available to provide detailed estimates and quotes. OEM warranty claims can be submitted directly from the system.

The system tracks declined service recommendations that customers decline while in the service drive. It also provides the ability to search and conduct follow-up marketing efforts.

Service Scheduler View

Technician labor hours are flagged and automatically integrated with the payroll system within the accounting module of the DMS.

Parts Module

The Parts module supports all of the basic Parts Invoice functionality, plus it gives the ability to push parts to a counter sale invoice, open repair order, purchase order, or quote.  The user can also order necessary parts from the same parts inquiry screen. Autosoft’s FLEX DMS provides time-saving functionality with the ability to work on up to nine customer parts requests at the same time without saving, closing, and opening each work order. When utilizing the ERO functionality of the service module, parts requests are fulfilled and inventory is checked per technician RO.

These functions are included in the Parts Module:

• Resupply and returns management for major OEMs
• OEM core tracking and reimbursement administration
• Special Tool Inventory (manufacturer specialty tool) management, including issuing and checking in tools per technician
• Parts Kits, which enable users to group common parts combinations under one part number (E.g., Oil Change Kit: oil, filter, gasket)
• Pre-selling of Quick Lube parts to be warehoused at the Quick Lube facility (eliminates time wasted on ordering from the Parts Department at the time of each individual job)

Accounting Module

All dealership data rolls up and is consolidated within the Autosoft accounting module. Screen functionality is displayed in plain English and drill down capabilities are provided for detailed queries and analysis.

The journals functionality brings together data from the sales, service, and parts departments. Users are able to access data such as RO and deal detail without having to leave the accounting module.

A power toolbar along the top of the accounting module provides one-click access to the following functionality:

• Inventory
• Receivables
• Payables
• Schedules
• General Ledger Information
• Customer Information

This functionality allows the user to look up information from various areas of the DMS while working in the accounting module. For example, the Inventory tab allows access to view precisely how much money the dealership has invested in a vehicle; and, the system can drill down to the purchase record if necessary.

Drill Down

Receivables/Payables

The Autosoft system includes receivables and payables capabilities, both at no extra charge. These click-through and drill-down screens also allow the user to view the current schedules, along with the previous 12 months’ worth of detail, for comparison purposes. The previous 12 months’ data is displayed on the bottom of the screen and is accessible with the click of a button. The system includes receivables integration with major OEMs.

The payables functionality provides quick access to outstanding obligations and allows for the dealership to pay vendors on a one-off check basis, or schedule batch processing of like invoices. The system stores and tracks vendors’ 1099 information.

Schedules

Schedules are simple to navigate within Autosoft as the system presents both the account number and the plain English description for each account. The schedule’s system incorporates a side-by-side comparison functionality that can display up to six different accounts on the same screen for analysis.

General Ledger

Autosoft provides OEM statement integration for major manufacturers operating in the US, along with the IAADA statement for independent dealer operations. The general ledger module provides a powerful expense trend analysis report that allows comparison of like data for up to 12 months; anomalies and trends can quickly be identified utilizing the tool.

Autosoft’s trial balance functionality will alert the user to out of balance accounts. A find function allows the user to search specific accounts and research the discrepancy. In addition, all dealership statistical and personnel data required on the financial statement is stored from the previous month’s settings, allowing updates/modifications to easily be adjusted in minutes while compiling the document.

Archiving is provided for the life of the system and stores all dealership schedules, vehicle files, journals, trial balances, and general ledger documents by date, eliminating the need for printed copies.

DOCs (Daily Operating Control)

Autosoft allows for the creation of up to nine unique custom DOC reports. This flexibility gives departments the ability to create as simple or complex an analysis as required to operate on a daily basis.

Payroll

The Payroll module of the system provides a complete payroll solution, including integration of a time clock, time cards, service flag times, and sales commissions, at no extra cost. The ability to print payroll checks and modify/skip employee deductions is supported within payroll.

• Payroll reporting also includes specialty reports (i.e., FICA, FUTA, SUTA, Workers Comp by Class, 941 Tax Liability and Affordable Care Act reporting)
• Payroll submission includes the NACHA file, allowing electronic deposits at the bank

Document Creation

The Autosoft DMS places a high degree of emphasis on reducing the need for paper reports and documents. The majority of the documents created within the system are either Excel or PDF based. This functionality provides the following benefits:

• Specific pages of the document can be printed, reducing the high cost of paper and ink.
• The document can be automatically attached to an email from the Adobe Acrobat window.

Dealer Principle View

A Dealer Principal module is available for dealership managers and provides a high-level view of dealership departmental performance. The module is configured primarily for analysis and operational control to give the user read-only views of critical data. All the information presented within the module can be drilled down to the source record. The module is permission based and can be configured by user and dealership role.

• The module provides complete access to all modules within the DMS, including:
  • Inventory
  • Sales
  • Expenses
  • Cash flow
  • Fixed Coverage
  • Schedules
  • Parts
  • Service
  • Customer History
• A cash flow report is available with only two clicks and gives immediate insight into the state of the dealership.

The Platform

FLEX DMS can be installed locally at the dealership or hosted in the cloud. Software updates are automatically published and enhancements are easily accessible. In-application communication provides full awareness of improvements, fixes, and additional functionality.

Installation & Support

Pre-Installation

The pre-installation process typically takes 45-60 days. It begins with Autosoft gathering information such as DMS data, customer data, and basic dealership process/operational information. Autosoft provides an informational packet to guide the dealership through the information gathering and conversion process. An implementation team is assigned to the store and helps key personnel throughout the steps. A thorough skills assessment of key personnel is conducted to understand the store’s day-to-day practices and learning needs.

Virtual training is conducted with dealership employees prior to on-site installation through the use of web-based curriculum.

All hardware is installed and tested before a team of trainers visits the store.

Onsite

Each dealership department is assigned a dedicated trainer and receives on-site instruction.

The Autosoft trainers follow up with all department managers over the course of the first month to ensure the system is working properly. Autosoft personnel assist the dealership’s accounting and management teams with the first and second month-end reconciliations to ensure that the system performs properly.

Post-Installation Support

Autosoft provides ongoing training at their headquarters in West Middlesex, PA, plus virtual training accessible 24/7. In addition, regular system support is provided via phone, email, live online chat, training videos, and help information from every screen.

Contracts

Autosoft operates under a month-to-month contract structure that requires a 30-day notice of cancellation from the beginning of the month.  Term contracts are also available.

• Software upgrades are included for the life of the product (purchased components only)

   

Company Profile

• Type – Privately Held
• Size – 162 Employees
• Founded – 1988
• Headquarters – West Middlesex, PA
• Number of Clients – 30,000 users in 2,000 Dealerships