Information Builders > Case Studies > Cloud-Based BI Environment Revs Up Dealertrack’s Dealer Management System

Cloud-Based BI Environment Revs Up Dealertrack’s Dealer Management System

Company Size

1,000+

Region

America

Country

United States

Product

WebFOCUS
InfoAssist
Visual Discovery
ReportCaster

Tech Stack

IBM iSeries platform
DB2 database

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Customer Satisfaction
Productivity Improvements

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics
Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Visualization

Applicable Industries

Automotive

Applicable Functions

Business Operation
Sales & Marketing

Use Cases

Predictive Quality Analytics
Real-Time Location System (RTLS)

Services

Software Design & Engineering Services
System Integration

About The Customer

Dealertrack operates the largest online credit application network in the U.S., connecting dealers with lenders throughout the country. It is also a leading provider of software and services for the automotive industry, with cloud-based solutions that enhance efficiency and profitability for auto dealers, lenders, OEMs, agents, and aftermarket providers. Dealertrack’s Dealer Management System (DMS) helps thousands of companies manage their retail businesses, from selling vehicles to handling inventory to producing financial statements. Auto dealerships and large equipment manufacturers value Dealertrack DMS for its comprehensive functionality and lightweight, on-demand deployment model.

The Challenge

Dealertrack, the largest online credit application network in the U.S., lacked modern reporting, analytics, and data visualization capabilities in its flagship Dealer Management System (DMS). The software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution included numerous built-in reports, but customers lacked parameterized reporting options and were not able to create reports from scratch. They only had rudimentary tools for visualizing business data in charts, graphs, and dashboards. These deficiencies led Dealertrack to purchase Information Builders’ industry-leading WebFOCUS business intelligence (BI) and analytics software. Dealertrack evaluated nearly a dozen BI products before selecting WebFOCUS. After a careful analysis, it determined that the WebFOCUS architecture is ideal for SaaS and cloud deployments since it is based on a highly scalable reporting server that is accessible from any web browser, with no special software required at the dealerships.

The Solution

Dealertrack uses WebFOCUS to develop a series of dashboards, parameterized reports, and a custom report-development environment. WebFOCUS enforces the existing log-in procedures and access restrictions resident in Dealertrack DMS, so users only see reports and dashboards that they are authorized to see. Data is constantly synchronized between the DMS server and the reporting server, both of which reside on the iSeries computer. Dealertrack is in the process of rolling out DMS Reporting free of charge to all of its dealers. Hundreds of dealerships currently access the on-demand reports and dashboards, and dozens of new dealers are being added each month. The environment includes four primary dashboards: General Dealership, Parts, Service, and Vehicle. With WebFOCUS guided ad hoc technology, users can easily choose columns, sort criteria, measures, and output formats to generate their own personal reports.

Operational Impact

Authorized users can easily visualize business data and create custom reports within five categories: Parts Inventory, Customers, Service, Vehicle Inventory, and Accounting.
The WebFOCUS interface makes it easy to select fields, qualify data, and choose output formats such as HTML, PDF, Excel, or Active Technology reports.
Any report can be saved and later accessed from the “My Reports” tab. Users can also schedule reports to run automatically so they obtain results via e-mail.

Quantitative Benefit

One developer used WebFOCUS to build a dashboard-driven reporting environment called DMS Reporting. He completed a prototype of the entire system in just one month.
Hundreds of dealerships currently access the on-demand reports and dashboards, and dozens of new dealers are being added each month.