August 14, 2006 – Focus Digest

Enhancements announced for LightspeedNXT
ADP Lightspeed announced plans to release major new enhancements to the popular LightspeedNXT dealer management system, including accounting module enhancements, ADP Payroll integration, Web store functionality, multi-store capabilities, electronic pricebooks and bar code purchase order receiving.
Here’s a look at some of those enhanced features:
Accounting Module Enhancements: Dealers will be able to print accounting schedule reports to show the detail that supports the general ledger balance. Dealers also will be able to verify that their sub-ledger detail is in balance with the general ledger at any time. Plus, they will have a new automatic interface from purchase orders to the general ledger that simplifies the process of matching up the supplier invoice to actual parts received.
ADP Payroll Integration: ADP Lightspeed has joined forces with ADP Employer Services, the nation’s largest provider of payroll and HR services, to deliver a range of business solutions to dealers. ADP’s payroll software tools and outsourced services will now integrate with LightspeedNXT. The alliance between ADP Lightspeed and ADP Employer Services gives dealers a direct link to a variety of service offerings that will help minimize tax liability and maximize tax advantages for greater savings and peace of mind, streamline payroll and HR-related administration so key staff can focus on growing revenue and automate time and labor data collection and benefits administration. “Our partnership with ADP Employer Services will free dealers from administrative burdens, such as tax filing and compliance, new hire reporting, wage garnishments, unemployment compensation management, and many other high-risk, low-reward duties that distract dealers from focusing on what they do best -running a great business,” said Laurn Rice, vice president of sales at ADP Lightspeed.
Web store: LightspeedNXT will soon feature a Power Sports Network (PSN) web integration, allowing users to download shopping cart orders from the Internet. The integration will eliminate duplicate data entry by automatically interfacing with LightspeedNXT invoicing, inventory and accounting procedures.
Multi-store capabilities: Dealers in multi-store environments will want to check out the new functionality in LightspeedNXT that allows users to view parts inventory and major units in another store, and easily transfer those parts or major units as needed.
Electronic pricebooks: LightspeedNXT will feature the ability to automatically receive pricebooks data via the Internet, giving dealers accurate data as soon as it is available. Dealer will no longer have to wait for a monthly CD or wait to load pricebooks each month.
Bar Code Purchase Order Receiving: LightspeedNXT will allow users to receive parts using a bar code gun, and the system will use a hierarchical search to receive a part to the oldest special order first, then work up through standard stocking orders. Parts department employees will be able to quickly receive parts with a bar code gun as the system churns out special order and/or stocking labels. And once the order is reviewed and approved, LightspeedNXT will automatically update accounting and parts inventory.
Many of these major enhancements have already been released to customers, while others are in testing phase and are due for general release this fall. The new enhancements are a direct result of feedback from ADP Lightspeed’s 3,000-plus dealers and other industry partners.
NEXTSTEP releases profit center
NextStep has released a new feature for its dealer management system that calculates profitability for any estimate, work/repair order or invoice.
The new feature for the PartsLookup DMS is called Profit Center.
“Profit Center saves time and makes it easy to figure out profits at each stage of the sale process,” said Jay Hubelbank, principal at NextStep. “Dealers can be assured that an estimate is profitable before it’s given to a customer.”
The suite of Dealer Management Software, produced by NextStep, focuses on reliability and ease of use. The software includes a range of business controls to help manage and grow powersports businesses.
PartsLookup was first introduced in 1996 in response to dealers’ frustrations when they tried to use manufacturer, distributor and aftermarket price books.
The dealer management system includes several modules that address point of sale functions and inventory management. NextStep has been producing Dealer Management Software for authorized and non-authorized dealerships since 1996. For more information about NextStep’s products, call 866/756-6587 or visit www.parts-lookup.com.
MMCS Signs Distribution deal with goDealertoDealer.com
Motorcycle Management Consulting Services (MMCS), Inc., a California-based consulting firm, has joined forces with GoDealertoDealer.com to provide an online wholesale auction service.
Responding to the challenges of locating, buying and selling inventory and the high cost of traveling to physical auctions, GoDealertoDealer.com has created a venue for dealers to list, buy and sell inventory 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Now, using a fully automated Web-based application, dealers can buy and sell from any computer with Internet access.
“With GoDealertoDealer.com we bring the dealers with a surplus directly to the dealers in need without the cost of travel or transporting inventory,” said Julia McCarthy, president of MMCS.
“There are no membership fees, no sell fees and no listing fees for dealers, and dealers feeding powersports inventory to the current national powersports auction venues should pay particular attention to the no sell fee policy.”
The only fees for dealers participating in the on-line auction are the buy fees paid by the dealer buying a vehicle. These fees are comparable to those charged at a physical auction, according to MMCS.
Lewis F. Bungard, CEO of Dealer To Dealer, L.L.C. (www.godealertodealer.com) comments that “the site was designed by dealers for dealers, and as the owner of a dealership, I was tired of the unnecessary transportation cost due to inventory not selling at the physical auctions.
“That’s why, from the inception of the idea of Godealertodealer.com, we knew the value and huge savings to bringing this incredible tool to dealers on a national level.”
Ideal 6.0 tracks cost of wholegoods
Ideal Computer Systems, Inc.’s Ideal 6.0 allows you to track the true cost of wholegoods and track various options with each wholegood, including manufacturer options and dealer added options.
Ideal says this offering gives dealers the ability to track wholegoods from the time they receive the units and perform the dealer preparation, to the time they place them on a showroom floor.
For example, when you receive a motorcycle, Ideal has fields for you to record the factory installed options, including color, special notes, etc. You also can track all of the necessary dealer preparation work by creating an internal work order. This will allow you to track the final assembly, any necessary fluids that have been added, warranty work, freight damage, tune ups, etc.
Once this internal work order is completed, the information can be posted to the general ledger and/or a sales report so the revenue/ profit margin can be reported prior to the wholegood being sold. It will also automatically adjust the cost of the wholegood to reflect the additional service, labor, parts, etc. This will provide you with an accurate account of the activities of the service department in realtime and allow for a true integration between your service, parts, and sales departments.
For additional information about Ideal , log on to www.idealcomputersystems.com/demo to view a self-paced presentation.
SSI Offers Biometric Identification
Softek Software Int’l, Inc. (SSI) has integrated biometric identification for employee login. A proprietary driver written by SSI is being used to incorporate a leading fingerprint recognition device, making user login not only quick and convenient but also secure. Practical uses for biometric identification include: preventing one employee from clocking in for another late employee, learning passwords of another employee to mask employee theft and more.
Sparta Commercial Services announces agreement with netLoan Funding
Sparta Commercial Services, Inc. announced that it recently signed an agreement for routing of motorcycle, ATV, and scooter loan applications with a Fortune 500 global diversified financial provider. Sparta will process, decide upon, and purchase the resulting retail installment sales contracts and leases generated by these dealers.
Sparta, a New York-based financial services company dedicated exclusively to the powersports industry, teamed with netLoan Funding, LLC, a provider of consumer and commercial finance options and lender management services for Internet auction and sale sites.
This new partner, offering an array of credit savings and loan products to customers in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, will electronically submit loan applications to Sparta that meet specific criteria. Sparta will immediately approve or decline the application using its proprietary, Web-based, point of sale credit application processing system, iPLUS, and, if approved, notify the consumer through the Internet within minutes.
The agreement is for an initial trial period of three months and provides for annual renewals thereafter.
ARI celebrates 25th anniversary
ARI, a leading provider of technology-enabled business solutions that help dealers build sales and profits, is celebrating its 25th anniversary year.
ARI began operations on Aug. 3, 1981, as a publishing company in the agriculture industry.
Today, ARI serves some 29,000 dealers worldwide by providing approximately 91 parts catalogs for 72 equipment manufacturers. Recently, the company expanded into Dealer Marketing Services. psb