Integrated Dealer Systems

MID STATE RV CENTER

Why did Mid State switch systems?
Chris Mitchell, Controller of Mid State RV, said “We reviewed Systems 2000's package and decided not to upgrade to their full system. [Systems 2000] had a hardware security device that fit on the back of the workstation that was constantly giving them headaches. It made the system unreliable.” Since Mitchell found another program was better for Service and Accounting, he had to use two systems along with spreadsheets to run the dealership.

Why did you choose the IDS Astra system?
"We needed a system that would bring all the departments together, and IDS showed Astra would do the trick.” Mitchell noted that because different departments used disparate systems, Mid State used to have a big problem with sales and service communicating. “Since Astra brought every department into the same system, communication has become much easier.”

How has Astra improved your business?
Deals that used to take a few days to process because of Mid State’s multiple systems now take only hours. Mitchell commented that, “Processing a deal is a lot quicker with Astra. Before we had a problem with a salesperson trying to sell the same unit twice because our system was so slow. Warranty has also been a big help. Our unclaimed warranty report shows us that we make sure we claim everything. We also know who is shorting us and tracking it more effectively.”

On the IDS Astra system, Lee Pickard, owner of Mid State RV, said he is “…extremely satisfied with it… we should have done it three years ago!" He has noticed greater efficiency and money-saving improvements in all his departments. “[Astra] has diminished our workload in Accounting – it allowed us to free up Accounting people to help with the operations side of the business, especially service.
Additionally, “accountability in the Service department has been phenomenal. My managers are more accountable now, ” said Pickard. “I now get straight answers to questions - before my managers really couldn’t tell me what was going on in their departments without jumping through hoops.”

“Our previous system was not a service-oriented system. Once F&I office got used to the change from Systems 2000 we did not have to hire people last year, even though revenues grew $9 million last year.” Pickard is also very pleased with the dependability of the IDS system.

What criteria do you recommend other dealers consider when looking at new systems?
“Smooth integration between all departments is crucial,” said Mitchell. Pickard agreed, and added that the other biggest thing was having good training. “The training provided by IDS was excellent. We had someone out here six months after we initially installed and our utilization went up tremendously. Whatever you do, don’t skimp on training.”

ALTMAN'S WINNEBAGO

In the past, Altman's Winnebago of Baldwin Park, CA used paper menus to showcase its F&I offerings. Now, by using the IDS FIpoint solution, life is easier.

“We used to give the customer a certificate that described the F&I services they purchased,” said George Murphy, Finance and Sales Manager. “Our old paper method definitely didn’t have the credibility of FIpoint,” agreed Danelle Conley, Vice President of Sales at Altmans.

“FIpoint saves me time,” said Murphy. “It’s much better than paper because you can easily make changes to an F&I menu package right on the screen. I like how easy it is to modify figures – the computer is so fast! Without FIpoint you would have to do the calculations yourself, thus slowing the process down.”

Conley stated, “FIpoint makes us more efficient, dramatically reduces paperwork, and makes our F&I process run more quickly. It used to take a while to prepare menus – now prep time is fast, giving us more time to spend with customers.”

“Even customers like FIpoint,” said Murphy. “It is very helpful to them to see everything on the screen, and it holds their attention.” Conley added, “We can change numbers on the fly with the customers right there, so they feel more involved in the F&I process.”

“FIpoint makes selling to the customer very easy,” Murphy commented. “It eliminates pauses in the F&I presentation, which is crucial, because the longer you take to explain something, recalculate financing, etc., the more time a customer has to change his mind. FIpoint keeps the presentation rolling to prevent that interruption in sales flow.”

“FIpoint is fast, simple, customer-friendly, and understandable,” stated Murphy, who is pleased that Altman's implemented the IDS FIpoint solution.

DEWALT'S RV

Why did Dewalt’s switch systems?
Greg Dewalt, owner of Dewalt’s RV commented, “We couldn’t rely on the prior vendor – their products’ lack of integration between sales and service required that we look at other alternatives in order to meet both our present and future needs.”

Why did you choose the IDS Astra system?
"The biggest thing is the versatility of the IDS program versus the previous system," said Dewalt. "The report writer allows us to create reports on historical analysis to give us the information we need to make decisions so we can be successful in the future." With their old system, “we had little or no support. With IDS we call for support and get answers."

How has Astra improved your business?
The IDS Astra system has improved Dewalt’s business greatly since implementation. Dewalt emphasized “the ability to see minimum stock reporting with the last three years of information helps out tremendously for parts orders. All part numbers are now cross-referenced to all our major suppliers – Stag, Coast, DTI, and Atwood – this has been powerful because we now have the choice to purchase from the low cost supplier."

Astra has also greatly enhanced Dewalt’s ability to track internal data. “It allows me to do a better job of managing technicians – it can pull information for either productivity of the shop or efficiency of an employee to see who is extremely efficient."

Dewalt said, “Coach-Link integration [with Astra] is huge for us because all we handle is the Coachmen line. It cuts our warranty claim submission time in half, and also saves time ordering parts. IDS provides the mechanism free of charge to all of their dealers so the payback is immediate.”
What criteria do you recommend other dealers consider when looking at new systems?

“Do your homework on the company,” Dewalt advised. “You are entering a long-term relationship so you want to make sure that your software supplier is on solid footing and going in the right direction. IDS is working hard right now on providing the electronic integration of suppliers and dealers together to lower our transaction costs. Only a company as committed to the RV industry as IDS is going to take this initiative.”

Family owned and operated since its founding in 1966, Dewalt’s is a dominant RV dealer that has been consistently recognized for being among the top-ranked dealers in the country and has received numerous sales and customer satisfaction awards.

www.dewaltsrv.com

APPLETON CAMPING CENTER

Appleton was not running smoothly with two disparate systems in charge of their data. By moving to Astra, Appleton experienced the benefits of an integrated system that not only saved time and money, but helped the dealership grow as well.

Before purchasing Astra, Maury Wiese had two systems running his dealership – one for Parts & Service and another for the Accounting department. As owner of Appleton Camping Center Inc., Wiese wanted “one integrated system, because having the two systems was a nightmare.”

Wiese said, “I’d heard within the industry that IDS was the best - its Astra system was consistent, worked well, and was good for dealerships with several locations as well as those with one location, like Appleton.”

With the implementation of the Astra system Appleton employees are more productive. “The Parts and Service department loves the convenience of Astra, and Accounting says it cuts time so they can get more done. They don’t have to do a manual GL anymore,” remarked Wiese.

“Having an integrated dealership gives us solid numbers - they’re 100% accurate. Before Astra I couldn’t count on the numbers - but now since I know the GL is solid, I can be confident in basing my important decisions on its data.”

Appleton also uses FIpoint, the IDS F&I tool that integrates with Astra. “FIpoint saves my dealership a lot of time,” said Wiese. “Before the time spent on manual entry was ridiculous. FIpoint computes and delivers a deal in minutes.”

Wiese intends to grow his dealership with Astra’s additional features. “We are eager to implement all parts of Astra,” stated Wiese. “We’re not using the Prospecting function yet, but we’re looking forward to doing so. We’re chomping at the bit to do more marketing, and will put Prospecting to use because it will help enormously.”

He is excited to continue learning about Astra’s capabilities in the areas Appleton already uses. “We’re planning to go deeper into Astra’s functions, especially within the GL and Accounting,” said Wiese. “We know Astra does more than what we’re using, and we’re eager to go down that road. I like that Astra grows along with us – it’s vital for our dealership.”

BASDEN'S AMERICAN RV

Basden’s American RV is a success story worth telling. From the beginning in 1992, they have gone from $600,000 in sales to over $11 million last year, and they plan to exceed $20 million in 5 years. “After that,” says J.B. Strassweg, President of Basden’s RV, “ it’s on to $40 million!”

These lofty goals may be attainable sooner than anyone thinks. Basden’s RV is ready and poised to get there. “Now that we’re fully integrated with our operations, we can act and re-act to make our strategic goals a reality,” comments J.B. So what decision allowed J.B. and his staff to achieve this state of readiness? The answer is quite simple: they needed to change their Operations management software.

“We were using the Spader system and it wasn’t fully integrated. We bought into the Spader philosophy hook, line, and sinker, but we soon found out it just wasn’t right for us. I’m not going to say it was good or bad, it just wasn’t right for an RV dealership,” says J.B. Then came the 1997 RV and Marine trade show, and J.B. stopped into the IDS booth after seeing the other alternative systems. “I look at people. Both John Armstrong (VP of sales at IDS) and Mark Queen (sales manager at IDS) gave me the straight skinny. They didn’t promise the world to me, which is much more believable than having a salesman tell you their software will do everything.” J.B. continues, “We came away from that meeting saying to ourselves, 'Man, that system is the ticket! Astra is the software we need.’”

Upon J.B.’s request, Mark Queen flew out to Basden’s RV to give another demo to J.B. and his staff. “After a short while I was reaching for my checkbook. We were convinced this was the system for us,” adds J.B.

It’s been nearly two years since Basden’s installed Astra in March of 1998. Is J.B. still as enthused as he was when he first saw Astra? “Absolutely. Astra has literally shown us how much time and money we wasted trying to reconcile different departments. We have actually freed-up two employees to do other things,” says J.B. with a smile. "You just can’t know how much waste is in your company operations until you have a tool that points it out. It was kind of shocking, but that kind of detail is what we needed in order to grow.”

It wasn’t all roses along the way though, J.B. explains, "We had to let go of the old Spader philosophy and adopt a new one - we feel the right one - and it took us some time. The first year was a real transition year, and now in year two, we’re seeing great results.”

What about current challenges with the system? “Well, IDS has been great about its customer support in general. It’s just really tough when a company, really any company, experiences employee turnover– you get used to dealing with a specific support person who knows you and your company's needs. Then one day they’re gone. You end up starting over with a new person. I guess it’s that way with a lot of businesses though, and probably just can’t be helped. So, after a bit of up-time with our new IDS support person, we’re on the right path again.”

With the expected and current growth that Basden’s RV is experiencing, does J.B. Strassweg think that Astra will be up to the challenge? J.B. responds, “We just purchased a boat dealership and we ought to have that site on-line with Astra in a few months. We’re actually looking forward to getting that site online and seeing our company’s overall financial picture. I have no doubt that Astra and the IDS team will continue to grow with us into the new millennium.”

CAMPING TIME RV

Martin Zonnenberg, Owner of Camping Time RV, recently commented about his experiences with IDS and our products - "Our dealership has expanded rapidly from one location to three in the last five years. A key to making this happen is IDS. As a matter of fact, I don't know that we could have accomplished our success without your software. It has provided the solid base (network) from which we have been implementing some other key success initiatives such as effective use of email, and real time updating of our website. Although incalculable, there is no doubt that the ROI of IDS software has been tremendous."

Camping Time RV has been a family-owned business since its inception in 1986, and IDS is proud to provide its three locations with the Astra dealer management solution. As one of Metro Atlanta's largest dealerships, Camping Time is well-known for its outstanding customer service. IDS congratulates Camping Time RV for its successful growth and is happy to recognize it as one of IDS's most outstanding dealerships.

GIANT RECREATION WORLD

Tim Burton, CIO of Giant Recreation World, has already witnessed the success that the partnership brings to RV dealerships in only three months.

With three Florida locations – Orlando, Daytona, and Melbourne – and approximately $40 million in annual sales, Giant needed an integrated solution to make managing its inventory of Coachmen RVs simpler. Burton said, “We did not use Coach-Link stand-alone because it would have required double-entry, which has been eliminated by using Coach-Link with Astra.”

“[The integration of the two systems] has greatly expedited the payment of the claims. It has significantly decreased our processing time because the need to mail them has been eliminated. Re-submittal turnaround has been decreased tenfold. Now there are checks and balances that will not allow you to process the claim improperly. The system catches the majority of issues before it is even submitted. If we forget information, it catches it real-time.” Burton added, “Parts purchase orders have reduced processing time as well.”

New unit registrations at Giant Recreation give Coachmen an opportunity to get visibility and enhances manufacturing forecast of unit sales in a timelier manner. Coach-Link and Astra close the gaps on the supply chain between the dealer and the manufacturer. “What once took 60 days to register a unit and get visibility for the manufacturer from a production standpoint is now done at time of retail customer delivery,” commented Burton. This convenience allows the manufacturer to build the products that are selling and improves unit inventory management for both the dealer and the manufacturer. “Because of Astra, we can better run our business.”

BODILY RV CENTER

Bodily RV in Meridian, ID is enjoying the positive impact FIpoint has brought to the dealership. Business Manager Lucky De La Pena reports that both product penetrations and his bottom line have greatly improved while, at the same time, reducing the amount of time it takes to prepare for the customer.

Lucky says, “Before, I used to load and pre-print most of my documents. Now, I bring the customers in and start them off by watching the overview video. This affords me the opportunity to put them at ease while I finish loading the information.” He adds, “I use the overview video on all of our customers. It allows me to ‘break the ice’ and put them at ease. It also on many occasions has allowed me to hear objections before I start my menu presentation. This gives me the opportunity to indirectly respond during my presentation without any objections on the customer’s part.”

Lucky also likes the many sales tools that make up the FIpoint presentations. “I have also used the Money Tree to convert customers from cash to financing. All things considered, I would have to say that the tools provided in FIpoint are very useful and help to make sales happen.”

In an age when the motives of some dealerships are being called into question by everyone from the media to federal courts, Lucky believes that FIpoint adds credibility to the F&I process. “The level of professionalism that comes across with FIpoint cannot be compared to other F&I systems,” he adds.

IDS’ support staff also received rave reviews from Bodily RV. Lucky says, “I can’t give enough accolades to support and training at IDS. Every time I have a need they go all out to help me get it resolved.”

Owner Gary Bodily declares, “The investment has been worth it. Every dealer should buy FIpoint.” Gary adds that the dealer himself or the general manager should participate in the installation training. “Participation in the training will help you get buy-in from your managers and allow you to help them utilize the system better.”

As for other F&I managers or dealers considering investing in FIpoint, Lucky says, “It will help you make more money and improve your penetration. Most important, it will help you sell in a relaxed, non-confrontational mode. The professional manner of selling your products will help you communicate with customers better, and indirectly, make sales.”

CAPITAL RV CENTER

"Before Capital RV Center got FIpoint, we used a menu system for F&I, but it wasn't as comprehensive as FIpoint. With the old system, we presented all our F&I products on paper, which often wasn't powerful enough to make customers purchase. The multimedia two-monitor system of FIpoint is so user-friendly and engages the customer. It eliminates numerous printouts and makes presenting F&I options more appealing, simple, and profitable."

"I had a tough customer who had not purchased any F&I in the past, except for paint & sealant warranties. When I used FIpoint to present our menu options, it convinced him to buy a whole package! We're very happy to have FIpoint at our dealership. It's worked very well in the six months we've had it and we expect even more returns as we continue using it."

Mike Schmidt
Finance Director,
Capital RV Center, Inc.
Bismarck, ND

HOLIDAY WORLD OF HOUSTON

Kevin Hoffpauir, the F&I Manager at Holiday World of Houston, used to pull in an impressive $1,800 of F&I per RV. However, when the dealership started using IDS’s FIpoint Virtual Business Manager, he saw his profits increase dramatically to approximately $2,500. This 39% increase in F&I sales is only one of the reasons why he is sold on IDS’ product.

Hoffpauir states that FIpoint helps him immensely, especially to create a trusting relationship with the customer. “FIpoint’s multimedia capabilities are key. Since I am able to share statistics and charts with the buyers right on my computer screen, the customers don’t feel like I am hiding anything from them. With the testimonial videos I can tell them “listen to what this experienced RVer has to say” about any product and play the video. This puts me in more of an ‘assisting’ role rather than a ‘selling’ one and customers appreciate that when they’re purchasing a warranty.”

Hoffpauir observes that warranty chargebacks have decreased dramatically to a low 10% of all F&I sales. He believes that the menu-selling system makes customers more comfortable with purchasing warranties, leaving both parties more satisfied and thus reducing the number of warranty cancellations. Plus, word-of-mouth has brought him new customers because buyers tell others about the value-add of Holiday World’s F&I department.

Hoffpauir notes that, “With FIpoint we’ve hit home runs in the F&I department. It’s especially helped to sell more F&I on big-ticket items, further increasing profits for the dealership.”

According to General Manager Charlie Power, in Holiday World’s first months of using FIpoint, penetration was 78%. In the following month alone it grew to 89% - a noticeable climb since they started using FIpoint.

At the other Holiday World of Houston location, business manager Jeanette Kraatz has been using FIpoint for a year. She sells mostly towables, and since using the tool she has doubled her F&I profit per sale. “FIpoint is an awesome selling tool,” she said, “it shows so much information to the customer and thus is a tremendous help to me. A warranty shown on paper is not nearly as valuable a selling tool as the graphics and multimedia capabilities of FIpoint.”

Her estimated penetration with FIpoint is 75% - prior to using the tool, her branch of Holiday World was only getting a 30% penetration in F&I.

Kraatz is very pleased with IDS’s product - “FIpoint is easy to use and gives you everything you need to best sell F&I.”

MEYER'S RV SUPER STORES

"I love [FIpoint]. It's exceptional. [Client Services] responds quickly to my concerns. It has made it easier for me to sell more back-end products. It is a much better presentation than a brochure. It has definitely increased my back-end profit. My customers almost always take the top package. It is giving me choices I never had before. I wish I had this a year ago."

Sean Becker,
F&I Manager
Meyer's RV Super Stores
Syracuse, NY

MYERS RV CENTER

FIpoint has transformed the finance department of Myers RV Center, Inc. in Albuquerque, NM. Business Manager Don Vita reports that FIpoint allows him to be more organized in the way he approaches his job. “My customers are now very impressed with my presentations. They are very easy for them to understand,” he said.

Owner John Myers echoes Don’s sentiments. “Don is far more efficient with FIpoint. We are able to present more F&I products in a shorter time span and in a manner that does not make the customer feel like he is being subjected to one sales pitch after another.”

FIpoint allows dealers the opportunity to make more aftermarket products available to their customers. Dealers who have historically only offered service contracts are now adding other profitable products to the mix.

According to John, F&I penetrations are up dramatically since they are able to offer the customer more product choices. John has no reason to second guess his decision to purchase FIpoint. John reports, “Our increased F&I profits definitely have justified the investment. To any fellow dealer considering purchasing the FIpoint system I would say ‘Don’t Wait!’”

SCOTT MOTOR COACH SALES

"We're happy with the system - penetration has gone up since installation. Before FIpoint, we did use a menu system, but it was not as involved. We couldn't mix and match F&I products for customers like we can now. Our old system lacked color and eye-pleasing graphics as well."

"Things are working great with FIpoint. I have one F&I manager, and his sales have increased by using the system. FIpoint is also very helpful with compliance - he can easily show every product to every customer and at the same time disclose their costs. FIpoint has benefited our business."

Tom Tonkovich,
General Manager,
Scott Motor Coach
Lakewood, NJ

BLAINE JENSEN RV

July 22, 2003

To Whom It May Concern:

We have been long time users of the IDS system in our dealerships. We often think we have sufficient knowledge of the system and do not need to invest in any more training. I have found that to be incorrect.

I took our parts managers to the IDS Parts and Service School in Las Vegas last fall and the results were tremendous. There was a lot to learn for the store managers. Patty is extremely knowledgeable and covered it very well. They came home with pages and pages of notes and their working knowledge of the system was dramatically improved. Our operational procedures have improved, our audit trails perfected and our customer service is better. I personally learned many new procedures and had a refresher in many areas that proved to be very helpful. I brought back 8 pages of notes that I still use often.

My personal plan now is to attend these training sessions at least every other year. I would recommend them to anyone.

Sincerely,

Steven B. Jensen

DEWALT'S RV

May 12, 2003
Patty Permuy
IDS
10901-B Roosevelt Blvd
Suite 600
St. Petersburg, FL 33716

Dear Patty,

I want to thank you for your first-rate instruction. Again! Your knowledge of dealerships and the IDS system and your ability to convey that knowledge has helped me tremendously.

I recently attended the parts and service class for IDS. This is the second time I attended. My first trip was in January 2001, approximately 1 year after we purchased the system. I really felt I had a solid foundation for the parts and service modules after the first class. The second time was even better than the first! I picked up so many refinements we need to incorporate into our use of the system. I can really see the time savings we can achieve.

I strongly suggest owners and general managers attend your class. My first line supervisors and I can intelligently discuss the use of the system. I can modify our systems in the dealership to take full advantage of the IDS system. I have found ways I can more effectively manage my first line supervisors. I can see what they have done all day, what customers need my attention, and where my supervisors need help. I found better reports to run and what they mean. In short, I can more effectively use IDS as a management tool.

Sincerely yours,

Gregory L. Dewalt
Vice President
Dewalt's RV Inc.

PETE'S RV CENTER

May 14, 2003

Ms. Patty Permuy
IDS 10901-B Roosevelt Blvd Ste 600
St Petersburg, FL 33716

Dear Patty:

I wanted to take the opportunity to tell you what a positive experience I had at last month's Atlantic City Parts and Service class.

I must admit that at first I was skeptical as to how much more I needed to learn, but now after the class I know I've only scratched the surface. My knowledge of the Parts and Service modules has greatly increased as a result of the class. The Parts purchasing RBNI function and the Service canned jobs set-up were two specific areas that will definitely benefit our operations. Your willingness to address specific questions and issues made this training experience feel like a custom fit for our dealership.

This level of advanced training is definitely the next step for a dealer after their original installation training. I am considering sending some additional personnel to the next class.

Once again, thanks for an overall good experience.

Sincerely,

Terry Shepard
President
Pete's RV Center

STAG-PARKWAY

As an IDS partner, Stag-Parkway, a leader distributor of RV parts and accessories, was frequently using IDS solutions. However, Mike McKay, Vice President of Marketing at Stag-Parkway, realized that his regional and district managers needed a better understanding of IDS products in order to be more efficient. With the help of Grant Farrer and Patty Permuy, Trainers and Advanced Training Coordinators, McKay arranged for his managers to attend classes in the IDS St. Petersburg, FL location from February 10-12, 2003.

Using wireless laptops, Farrer and Permuy provided hands-on training to complete these goals. They also showed the nine Stag-Parkway participants new IDS products, tips on using Astra and Linx, and provided booklets for them to utilize on the road. The Stag managers came away from the advanced training having learned the basics of IDS solutions and how they will benefit Stag-Parkway customers.