Key insight
"We had a lot of limitations with the data that came across from our previous system – that was our biggest problem, and I think your team really came to the party on trying to get that rectified as best they could."
Krystal Siemon, Business Manager
We heard through the Ford network that Titan was the system to use and there was a number of other Ford dealers that had moved or were moving over as well.
Solutions
"I think the Titan team did really well. We had a lot of limitations with the data that came across from our previous system – that was our biggest problem, and I think your team really came to the party on trying to get that rectified as best they could."
Supportive
"The team has been proactive in reaching out, and whenever we’ve contacted support, we’ve been able to get the help we need.
From my perspective, there haven’t been any concerns in that area."
Organised
"If I had to pick out one highlight from either the process or the system, I guess it would be the project coordination. That’s my background too, so Donny’s organisation of what needed to be done was probably the thing that stood out for me the most. I felt comfortable that he was in control and knew what was going on."
Confident
"From the network feedback, the early demonstrations, and the pre-planning it was the only platform we looked at and we were quite comfortable with that."
What prompted you to change DMS?
From a DMS perspective, we had experienced a number of issues over time with our previous system and as we were coming to the end of our contract, it made sense to review our options.
Our old system probably did what it needed to do but it was an older platform, and I think a lot of dealers were moving on from it so that prompted us to act.
How did you first hear about Titan DMS?
Titan came onto our radar through our Dealer Principal, who had previous contact with your team.
We had also heard through the Ford network that Titan was the system to use and there was a number of other Ford dealers that had moved or were moving over as well.
What made you choose Titan DMS over the other products on the market?
From the network feedback, the early demonstrations and the pre-planning it was the only platform we looked at, and we were quite comfortable with that.
How did Titan approach the initial consultation for the changeover?
I wasn’t directly involved in the early scoping phase, as I joined the project partway through. However, from what I understand, the process was structured and the team asked relevant questions.
That said, as we’ve progressed through using the system, there have been a few areas where things weren’t configured exactly as I would have expected from the outset. These were generally smaller operational items - for example, purchase orders weren’t creating accurately in the system and values weren’t calculating correctly on certain transactions. The environmental levy, for example, wasn’t correct on our services but that has been rectified. Shop supplies had missed being created from the start and so we had to manually add it in, and it’s populating now. A few standard items had not been set up initially – mostly little things that we’ve tidied up since, but I would have expected them to be right from the start.
Looking back, I wish I’d had more operational input during the scoping stage, I think that may have helped capture some of those details earlier.
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How would you describe the training Titan delivered leading up to "go-live"?
The training was largely good, but we did have some internal challenges that impacted how effective it could be.
For example, one of our service staff members felt she needed more training but that was probably due to workload, so that was maybe more an us thing than a you thing. Our Service Manager wasn’t here during implementation, but he did get a lot of training post-installation remotely so that was a benefit.
The training to the sales team I think was fine and the training to our accounts person was impacted by illness, so your team did work around her availability and did provide us with an extra day of training on a weekend because of that.
How did Titan manage the "go-live" in your dealership?
I think the Titan team did really well. We had a lot of limitations with the data that came across from our previous system – that was our biggest problem, and I think your team really came to the party on trying to get that rectified as best they could.
It was a bit of a nightmare, the data we had was corrupted and incomplete, but your team ensured we hit the deadline we needed to and I can’t fault them.
Did Titan deliver your new DMS on time and within budget?
Yes, delivered on time and on budget.
Was the transition to Titan straightforward and trouble-free?
You never expect these things to be trouble free, but I guess out of 10 (with 10 being completely trouble free) I was maybe expecting it to hit a 9 and we probably found it to be about a 7. I think we’re using the system at about 70% effectiveness at the moment, and I think we’ll get to that 90% - 100% mark fairly soon. We just need to keep fixing the little bugbears as they arise.
In a smaller dealership like us I think the problems get shared and amplified so gripes get aired more frequently after a significant change. With the old system people just accepted the limitations but when you change, there are new issues to complain about. They’re not extreme, just little things that we need to fix as they come up.
How would you describe the support provided by Titan after go-live?
Support has been good, no qualms from my understanding.
The team has been proactive in reaching out, and whenever we’ve contacted support, we’ve been able to get the help we need. From my perspective, there haven’t been any concerns in that area.
Was there anything we could have done earlier in the process that would have helped you prepare?
No, I would have liked to have been involved earlier to be part of the scoping because I think there were things missed that we probably shouldn’t have missed.
Thanks for the feedback Krystal!