VinSolutions Company News

VinSolutions Releases Advanced Desking Module

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:00:00 GMT

VinSolutions’ Advanced Desking module eliminates the need for opening multiple applications in order to work a car deal. In addition to single screen access the enhanced desking system allows sales managers to create and save multiple sales scenarios for each of their customers; to switch easily between lease and purchase deals; and to have the complete history of every deal available at the click of their mouse.

Overland Park, KS, July 2, 2009 – VinSolutions today released their Advanced Desking module. Developers began working on the new system late last year and included several of the elements dealership sales managers requested.

“Before we began work on our Advanced Desking module, we listened to what sales managers had to say,” said Jeff Wolfer, Advanced Desking software developer.” “They wanted a single location that provides multiple deal scenarios for each of their customers without having to open several applications using separate log-ins. With VinSolutions’ Advanced Desking module we gave them exactly what they asked for and then some.”

Another valuable feature is the ability to roll payments and amounts financed. The desking program easily breaks down each element within a specific car deal, thereby allowing managers to work with customers to reach their desired payment. Dealers can use the system’s ability to delineate individual accessories and fees to better evaluate their front and back end grosses.

Inventory and customer information is current due to the system’s real-time DMS pushing capability. Having current and reliable inventory information increases the value of Advanced Desking’s bookout feature. The ability to identify vehicles in inventory that offer the most profit potential is a valuable tool for sales managers. “Our Advanced Desking module can make a difference to a dealership’s bottom line,” said Doug Kinney, VinSolutions’ CEO. “Today’s economic challenges dictate that we design tools that help dealers make and keep as much money as they can. We’re confident the enhancements we’ve added to our desking system bring those tools to the table.”

The Advanced Desking module allows sales managers to run OFAC checks in compliance with the Office of Homeland Security, as well as running multiple credit reports. Appropriate customer-specific city, county and state tax information can be automatically calculated into car deals with ease.

Tabs across the bottom of the screen enable sales managers to see who is in the dealership’s showroom, view a list of completed deals, search for customers, show uncompleted tasks, view upcoming appointments and see the desk log.

Other time-saving features include direct links to AIS for factoring incentives into car deals, one click access to vehicle and trade-in valuations, and the ability to access reports from Kelly Blue Book, CARFAX, AutoCheck, as well as our many other integrated partners.

Future enhancements to the Advanced Desking module include the ability to work irregular payment deals, roll lease payments and improve screen aesthetics.

About VinSolutions (www.vinsolutions.com)

An industry-leading developer of Internet-based desking, automotive CRM and Internet lead management (ILM) software, VinSolutions provides 24/7 dealership sales and marketing information to their clients anywhere Internet access is available. In addition to CRM, ILM and Inventory control products, VinSolutions builds custom dealership Web sites, uploads inventory photos, offers their clients quality training and consulting services, as well as valuable customer support. VinSolutions is a Microsoft partner, is GM, Chrysler, Subaru and Audi certified and has working relationships, alliances and integrations with several automotive software service providers such as Kelley Blue Book, CARFAX, AutoSoft, Inc., Autodata, RouteOne and DealerTrack.

VinSolutions and Dealer Track’s Arkona DMS Integrate

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:00:00 GMT

VinSolutions integrates with DealerTrack’s OpenTrack, a program providing seamless, secure connection to the DealerTrack Arkona dealer management system (DMS). The integration interfaces with customer, vehicle, F&I, general ledger, service and parts data, providing a secure, bi-directional connection between our mutual dealer clients and the DealerTrack DMS.

Overland Park, KS, June 11, 2009 – VinSolutions announced today they have completed their integration with DealerTrack’s Arkona DMS. Providing a seamless, secure connection for their mutual dealer customers enhances efficiency and productivity. “We are constantly looking for ways to supplement our offerings and make our clients’ lives easier,” said Doug Kinney, CEO of VinSolutions. “Allowing us to provide our mutual clients with secure, bi-directional access to their data sets in a cost-effective open platform does both.”

The OpenTrack program allows for secure data encryption and either batch or real-time data processing, and interfaces with customer, vehicle, F&I, general ledger, service and parts data. “With OpenTrack we are truly delivering on our promise to the marketplace that the DealerTrack DMS will be an open and cost-effective platform,” said Raj Sundaram, senior vice president of the Solutions and Services Group at DealerTrack. “This is a win-win for all parties.”

Dealers using DealerTrack’s DMS can access this feature by clicking on the “Push to DMS” button in VinSolutions’ desking module.

About VinSolutions (http://www.vinsolutions.com)

An industry-leading developer of Internet-based desking, customer relations management (CRM) and Internet lead management (ILM) software, VinSolutions provides 24/7 dealership sales and marketing information to their clients anywhere Internet access is available. In addition to CRM, ILM and Inventory control products, VinSolutions builds custom dealership Web sites, uploads inventory photos, offers their clients quality training and consulting services, as well as valuable customer support. VinSolutions is GM, Ford, Chrysler, Subaru and Audi certified and has working relationships, alliances and integrations with several automotive software service providers such as Kelley Blue Book, CarFax, AutoSoft, Inc., Autodata, RouteOne and DealerTrack.

About DealerTrack

DealerTrack’s high-value software solutions for the automotive retail industry enhance efficiency and profitability across every department in a dealership. DealerTrack’s Dealer Management System (DMS) delivers flexible and cost-efficient functionality to manage dealership data and operations. Its Inventory Management, Sales and F&I, and Compliance solutions help optimize dealership inventory, increase sales and protect against legal risks. DealerTrack operates a leading online automotive credit application network, which includes approximately 19,000 dealers and over 730 financing sources. For more information visit www.dealertrack.com.

VinSolutions and R. L. Polk & Co. Integrate to Offer Customers Easy Access to Polk Cross Sell™ Reports

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:00:00 GMT

With a simple push of a button, VinSolutions’ customers, who subscribe to the service, can access R. L. Polk & Co.’s monthly Polk Cross Sell™ reports directly from their VinSolutions system. VinSolutions offers two levels of participation. Customers may opt to receive both new and used vehicle reports, or select only new or only used reports.
Overland Park, KS, June 9, 2009 – VinSolutions announced their integration with R.L. Polk & Co.’s Polk Cross Sell™ today. Subscribing customers desiring access to the Polk Cross Sell™ report can simply push a button on their system and view it. Available at two levels of participation, VinSolutions’ customers may opt to receive both new and used vehicle reports, or choose between new or used reports.

The Polk Cross Sell™ report is delivered each month and summarizes what dealers need to know so they can more quickly identify and seize sales opportunities. Built from multiple sources including vehicle population and statistical data from all 50 states, Polk Cross Sell™ reports offer dealers a clearer view of the marketplace and their place in it.

“The Polk Cross Sell™ is a vital tool for dealers, and accessing it directly through our software makes managers’ lives a lot easier,” said Doug Kinney, VinSolutions’ CEO. “We are constantly looking for value added products to offer our customers, and we are very pleased to add the Polk Cross Sell™ reports to our offerings.”

R. L. Polk & Co.’s core purpose of helping people make good decisions is evident in the quality and reliability of their products. “We are excited to work with VinSolutions to help automobile dealers sell more vehicles,” said Andrew Price, Polk’s vice president of Automotive Retail Solutions. “The Internet has proven to be an important sales tool, and our relationship with VinSolutions will help dealers be even more productive and efficient with their use of technology.”

Using Polk Cross Sell™ reports enable dealers to manage from solid data. Being able to better plan their inventory levels and take advantage of market conditions, pinpointing areas where their sales are strong and identifying areas in need of focused attention are reason enough to make Polk Cross Sell™ reports a part of a dealer’s daily management regime.

ABOUT VINSOLUTIONS (http://www.vinsolutions.com)
An industry-leading developer of Internet-based desking, customer relations management (CRM) and Internet lead management (ILM) software, VinSolutions provides 24/7 dealership sales and
marketing information to their clients anywhere Internet access is available. In addition to CRM, ILM and Inventory control products, VinSolutions builds custom dealership Web sites, uploads inventory photos, offers their clients quality training and consulting services, as well as valuable customer support. VinSolutions is GM, Ford, Chrysler, Subaru and Audi certified and has working relationships, alliances and integrations with several automotive software service providers such as R. L. Polk & Co., Kelley Blue Book, CarFax, AutoSoft, Inc., Autodata, RouteOne and DealerTrack.

ABOUT R. L. POLK & CO.
R. L. Polk & Co. is the premier provider of automotive information and marketing solutions. Polk collects and interprets global data, and provides extensive automotive business expertise to help customers understand their market position, identify trends, build brand loyalty, conquest new business and gain a competitive advantage. Polk helps automotive manufacturers and dealers, automotive aftermarket companies, finance and insurance companies, advertising agencies, media companies, consulting organizations, government agencies and market research firms make good business decisions. A privately held global firm, Polk is based in Southfield, Mich. with operations in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

VinSolutions Announces Black Book USA Integration

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:00:00 GMT

The integration between VinSolutions and Black Book USA provides dealers with an easy link for access to independent, accurate vehicle valuation in real time.
Overland Park, KS, March 12, 2009 – VinSolutions, a leading provider of Web-based automotive software, announced today it has completed integration with Black Book. As a result, VinSolutions’ clientele now have point-and-click access to data supplied by Black Book’s expanded and redesigned data syndication solution. Subscribing dealers can access the data from VinSolutions’ MotoSnap CRM or from their inventory management module.

Incorporating 54 years of trusted Black Book data into their software application, VinSolutions confidently supplies their clients with reliable used car information derived through real world experience. Every week members of Black Book’s team attend over 50 wholesale automotive auctions nationwide, enabling them to provide the very latest and most accurate vehicle valuation. Purchasing managers know used car values starting the moment a vehicle is released, eliminating new model guesswork. Subscribing users can click on the Black Book Valuation box from their MotoSnap CRM, or on the Black Book Lookup box in their inventory management system for immediate and accurate vehicle valuation information.

“The direct link to reliable data Black Book provides our clients is real time information. This quick access to wholesale values and up-to-the-minute market trends gives our subscribing dealers an edge,” said Doug Kinney, VinSolutions’ CEO. “We’re pleased we are able to incorporate this powerful tool into our product lineup.”

About VinSolutions (http://www.vinsolutions.com):
An industry-leading developer of Internet-based desking, customer relations management (CRM) and Internet lead management (ILM) software, VinSolutions provides 24/7 dealership sales and marketing information to their clients anywhere Internet access is available. In addition to CRM, ILM and inventory management products, VinSolutions builds custom dealership Web sites, uploads inventory photos, offers their clients quality training and consulting services, as well as valuable customer support. VinSolutions is GM, Ford, Chrysler, Audi and Subaru certified and has working relationships, alliances and integrations with several automotive software service providers such as Black Book, CarFax, Kelley Blue Book, AutoSoft, Inc., Autodata, RouteOne and DealerTrack.

About Black Book
Best known in the automotive industry for providing timely, independent, and accurate vehicle pricing data, the Black Book® family of vehicle appraisal guides is published by National Auto Research, a division of Hearst Business Media. New and used car dealers, lenders, manufacturers, fleet remarketers, and government agencies have relied on Black Book since 1955. Black Book provides values for both new and used vehicles, including cars and light trucks produced since 1946, motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, personal watercraft, and heavy duty commercial trucks and trailers. Black Book data is published daily in multiple electronic formats including data feeds, Internet-based applications, hand held PDAs, Web enabled cell phones, Pocket PCs, BlackBerry and Palm devices, SmartPhones, Micro Browsers, online trade appraisal services, and in a variety of other custom products. Printed versions are also available on a weekly basis.

VinSolutions More Than Doubles Its Office Size

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:50:00 GMT

VinSolutions more than doubled its office size by moving to a larger facility.
VinSolutions (http://www.vinsolutions.com/) more than doubled its office size today by moving to a larger facility. The increase in available floor space allows for better work flow, organization and efficiency, as well as providing room for continuous expansion. In addition to augmenting employee work space the new location also houses a classroom capable of accommodating large in-house software user training sessions, a business segment VinSolutions plans to develop more extensively.

“Now that we’ve got plenty of room, we plan to expand our sales department,” said Mike Dullea, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer. “Our products are exactly what dealers need right now to help them weather this economic storm, and we intend to get more people spreading our No Contracts Necessary software solutions message to dealers nationwide.”

VinSolutions’ business has been steadily growing because of the challenging current national economic trends. Dealers have come to recognize the invaluable role CRM (http://www.vinsolutions.com/crm.aspx), ILM (http://www.vinsolutions.com/ilm.aspx), inventory management (http://www.vinsolutions.com/inventoryoverview.aspx) software and Web site development (http://www.vinsolutions.com/DealerSites.aspx) plays in effective management and maximization of bottom-line profits. However, prior to this severe economic downturn dealers were not always willing to change software providers regardless of product superiority and lower prices.

“In the past dealers were hesitant to change service providers because of the culture change it would require in their dealerships, but in today’s economy the 60 to 75 percent savings they may receive from switching to VinSolutions’ products is worth the hassle of the change, ” states Doug Kinney, VinSolutions’ CEO. “When you add the money our DIY (http://www.vinsolutions.com/vincamera.aspx) products save dealers in addition to the overall savings, it comes as no surprise that fiscally conscious dealers are switching over to VinSolutions.” The company is continuing to market, sell and service its products vigorously. “Our goal is to become a world class company, and this move brings us one step closer,” Kinney said.

About Vinsolutions (www.vinsolutions.com)

An industry-leading developer of Internet-based desking, customer relations management (CRM) and Internet lead management (ILM) software, VinSolutions provides 24/7 dealership sales and marketing information to their clients anywhere Internet access is available. In addition to CRM, ILM and Inventory control products, VinSolutions builds custom dealership Web sites, uploads inventory photos, offers their clients quality training and consulting services, as well as valuable customer support. VinSolutions is GM, Ford, Chrysler, Subaru and Audi certified and has working relationships, alliances and integrations with several automotive software service providers such as Kelley Blue Book, CarFax, AutoSoft, Inc., Autodata, RouteOne and DealerTrack.

VinSolutions was reviewed on today's "Lunch With Phil Discussing Automotive Advertising"

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 19:33:00 GMT

VinSolutions was reviewed on today's "Lunch With Phil Discussing Automotive Advertising" featured on blog talk radio station - WAAOL, All Automotive Advertising News All The Time - posted on www.AdagencyOnline.Net.

If you are interested, take a few minutes and listen to the interview with Doug Kinney and Matt Watson from VinSolutions.

Philip Zelinger interviewed Matt Watson, CTO, and Douglas Kinney, CEO of VinSolutions discussing best practices and their comprehensive ILM and CRM platforms.

Click on the player or the link below to listen to the “Lunch With Phil Discussing Automotive Advertising” show - Review Of VinSolutions

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/adagencyonline/2009/02/02/Lunch-With-Phil-Discussing-Automotive-Advertising-Review-Of-VinSolutions

VinSolutions releases beta version of new desking system

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:00:00 GMT

VinSolutions releases beta version of new desking system

Today, VinSolutions released the beta version of our newly developed Silverlight 2-based desking system. It contains all of the features of the current system, as well as many upgrades and time-saving options. VinSolutions current desking system will remain fully functional throughout the beta period; however, dealers who want to opt in for the Silverlight 2 desking beta version can start using it now. Interested dealers should click on the “Try New Desking Beta” button at the top of their desking screen.

New Website Servers Live!

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:30:00 GMT

VinSolutions powers on new website servers
This morning at about 7:15 central time we powered on our new website servers. These servers are used for dealer websites, VinSolutions.com, and other public facing websites. These new servers will speed up our existing sites and provide more capacity as we continue to grow.

As part of this change please take a couple minutes to review your VinSolutions provided website or inventory gallery to make sure there are no issues with the sites. We don't anticipate there being any issues, but if you find any please contact our support department immediately.

Within the next 2-4 weeks we also plan on upgrading our web application servers which power the dealer facing software tools that we provide. Including inventory management, CRM, ILM, etc.

Thanks,
VinSolutions IT Staff

VinSolutions Opens eCommerce Consulting Division

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:00:00 GMT

VinSolutions announces the opening of their new eCommerce Consulting Division. The company selected Chris Hanson as Director of eCommerce Consulting because of his proven track record in creating profitable dealership Internet departments.

Overland Park, KS, October 31, 2008 – VinSolutions today announced the opening of their eCommerce Consulting Division. With automotive industry sales down an average of 27 percent, dealers are looking for an edge over their competition. Converting a higher percentage of Internet leads into Internet sales is an area where most dealership Internet departments could improve. “Internet Lead Management (ILM) is a large part of our business,” said Doug Kinney, VinSolutions’ CEO, “and it’s getting bigger every day, because Internet-generated sales are making a greater impact on dealers’ bottom lines.” According to J.D. Power, auto dealers subscribe to an average of 6.8 online lead providers, up from 5.6 in 2006; and 53 percent subscribe to a lead notification system. With continuing bleak sales projections circulating throughout the industry, running a profitable Internet sales department has become critical for success.

For an Internet department to be profitable, it needs good processes and people. VinSolutions’ new eCommerce Consulting Division is designed to provide their clients with both. Consultants develop programs based on dealership needs. Putting proven processes to work in innovative ways, dealers should see their closing ratios improve and revenues increase. Techniques for training salespeople to improve conversion rates from leads to sold customers are also part of the program.

Successful Internet salespersons are able to blend traditional sales techniques with effective written communication skills and computer savvy. “There’s a lot more to it than people first realize,” said Chris Hanson, VinSolutions’ new eCommerce Consulting Director. “The challenge for Internet salespeople is discovering how they can get involved in consumers’ online conversations. Once they accomplish this, they’ll be able to better manage the sales process.”

VinSolutions selected Hanson as eCommerce Consulting Director because of his proven track record in creating profitable dealership Internet departments. “Most of my past clients saw a 50 percent increase in their Internet sales by simply following the process and techniques I gave them,” Hanson said. The program is customized for each client’s needs, but most include training in follow-up and selling processes, templates, video e-mail, blogging, phone scripts, Web site design and vendor recommendations. Intuitive navigation schemes, user-friendly pages with video and interactive demonstrations, suggestions for richer content and more functionality, as well as search optimization techniques are all considerations in the world of eCommerce.

About VinSolutions:

An industry-leading developer of Internet-based customer relations management (automotive CRM software) and Internet lead management (ILM) software, VinSolutions provides 24/7 dealership sales and marketing information to their clients anywhere Internet access is available. In addition to CRM, ILM and inventory management products, VinSolutions builds custom dealership Web sites, uploads inventory photos, offers their clients quality training and consulting services, as well as valuable customer support. VinSolutions is GM, Ford, Chrysler, Audi and Subaru certified and has working relationships, alliances and integrations with several automotive software service providers such as CarFax, Kelley Blue Book, AutoSoft, Inc., Autodata, RouteOne and DealerTrack.

VinSolutions Showcases Its DIY and Inventory Management Module at the Fall 2008 Digital Dealer Conference and Exposition

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Featuring the benefits of the VinCamera, VinSolutions’ personnel attending the 5th Digital Dealer Conference demonstrate how dealers can choose, shoot and upload their own vehicle photos directly into their Inventory Management software. Matching photos and videos to specified stock numbers, dealers can now detail, photograph, upload and display their inventory on their Web sites in hours instead of days.

Grapevine, Texas, October 7, 2008 – VinSolutions, a leading Web-based automotive software provider, is showcasing their Do-It-Yourself (DIY) and Inventory Management module at the 5th Digital Dealer Conference and Exposition in Grapevine, Texas. Running from October 6th through 8th, dealers can meet VinSolutions’ upper management, salesmen and trainers for one-on-one demonstrations of the VinCamera, VinBuddy, CRM, ILM, Inventory Management and Web site design products.

“The thing I like best about coming to this conference is the chance it gives us to actually show dealers in person how great our products are,” said Mike Dullea, VinSolutions’ CSO. “Since our software was designed by people who were in the car business for years, we know our products meet the needs of real people working real car deals.”

The DIY market segment is growing. Upgrades in technology have made do-it-yourself activities easier, and as dealers look for ways to cut back on expenditures, taking their own inventory photos makes a lot of sense. VinSolutions has stepped up their efforts to provide dealers with a turn-key DIY product. The VinCamera offers dealers a way to match vehicle stock numbers from their DMS directly with photos they shoot on their lot. Simply plug the camera into the dealership’s computer system and the photos upload automatically in the Inventory Management module.

Right now dealers need to use every advantage they can to cut cost, maximize efficiencies, and convert leads to sales. Selecting and using the right CRM, ILM and Web site design allow dealers to do just that. The down turn in auto sales brought on by the softening of the nation’s economy has many dealers battening down the hatches in an effort to ride out the tough times ahead. Running an efficient operation is key to survival.

“Even though the nation’s economy is soft right now, we’ve just come off of the best third quarter in our company’s history,” said Doug Kinney, VinSolutions’ CEO. “We owe that success to the results our clients get from using our fully-integrated products. Efficiency equals savings.” Using VinSolutions’ suite of products, dealers can handle everything from taking pictures of their inventory to pushing a deal to finance without ever having to sign a long-term contract or chase down contacts from multiple companies to handle their needs. One contact, one company, one commitment. It doesn’t get much more efficient than that.

About VinSolutions (www.vinsolutions.com):
An industry-leading developer of Internet-based customer relations management (CRM) and Internet lead management (ILM) software, VinSolutions provides 24/7 dealership sales and marketing information to their clients anywhere Internet access is available. In addition to CRM, ILM and inventory management products, VinSolutions builds custom dealership Web sites, uploads inventory photos, offers their clients quality training and consulting services, as well as valuable customer support. VinSolutions is GM, Ford, Chrysler, Audi and Subaru certified and has working relationships, alliances and integrations with several automotive software service providers such as CARFAX, Kelley Blue Book, AutoSoft, Inc., Autodata, RouteOne and DealerTrack.

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