Auto/Mate in Pilot Program with Toyota Motor Sales USA to Integrate DMS

CLIFTON PARK, N.Y.--Auto/Mate Dealership Systems (www.automate.com), the highest ranked DMS in the 2009 NADA Annual Survey of Dealership Satisfaction, announced today that it and Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) have successfully completed the first phase of a pilot program whose purpose is to prove the feasibility of a new TMS portal to be used for integrating Dealer Management Systems with TMS systems through the web based portal.

“Whenever and wherever we can help a dealer save time, we know we’re improving their bottom line.”

During this first phase, the parties successfully integrated six pilot Interfaces between Auto/Mate’s Automotive Management Productivity Suite (AMPS) and TMS through this new web-based portal. This integration electronically transmits items such as warranty claims, parts orders/parts returns and new vehicle delivery information directly from AMPS to TMS. If implemented in a production environment by TMS, Auto/Mate and a dealership, it streamlines communications between the dealership and TMS, helps to insure completeness and accuracy of the data is submitted to the manufacturer, and should save dealers valuable administrative time.

Phase One of the Pilot is successfully completed and involved six of potentially 13 total interfaces. The six interfaces are the following:

1. Parts Order/Parts Returns – Allows for easy entering and submission of parts orders and return data to TMS. Multiple parts orders can be input at one time with an option to choose which part orders to process.
2. Warranty Claim/Repair Order – Allows Toyota dealers to send Repair Order information for warranty and national service history, including Customer Pay information.
3. Vehicle Inventory “upload” – Allows Toyota dealers to receive and upload vehicles into the inventory file.
4. Warranty Payment “upload” – Allows Toyota dealers to receive warranty payments easily and post them into the accounting system.
5. RDR – Retail Delivery Reporting – F&I Deal – Toyota dealer can submit vehicle delivery data directly to TMS.
6. Credit Contract – F&I Deal – Toyota dealer can submit information about how the deal was financed, service contract information, etc.

“I have been an Auto/Mate customer for over 10 years and am overjoyed with the results thus far in regards to this project. The interfaces that have been delivered so far have been tremendously user friendly and have done a great job in increasing the efficiency of my people in all our departments,” said Warren A. Price, President, The Price Automotive Group.

“We are very excited to be involved in this pilot program with TMS/USA. The integration allows retailers to quickly and easily input and transmit vital data to the manufacturer,” said Mike Esposito, president of Auto/Mate. “Whenever and wherever we can help a dealer save time, we know we’re improving their bottom line.”

AMPS is an easy-to-use comprehensive dealership management system with over 20 integrated modules to help dealers more efficiently and effectively manage their business. It supports an unlimited number of users, workstations and printers, and can be implemented in any size dealership. AMPS is available as both a cost-effective in-house and ASP solution. For more information visit www.automate.com or visit booth # 675 at the 2010 NADA Exposition and Convention in Orlando, FL, February 12-15.

About Auto/Mate

Auto/Mate Dealership Systems was established 26 years ago with a simple goal: to provide an efficient and reasonably priced computer system to increase dealers’ profitability. Designed by former auto dealer executives, AMPS (Automotive Management Productivity Suite) by Auto/Mate offers more than 20 fully integrated modules to suit any size dealership and to address every need, including Sales, F&I, Fixed Operations, Accounting, CRM, Fleet Sales and more. Auto/Mate’s success has led to a continuous growth rate of more than 30% per year, with its system currently in use by more than 400 dealers. In three combined surveys conducted by NADA, Auto/Mate has ranked the highest in customer satisfaction over any other dealer system.

AMPS by Auto/Mate Dealership Systems is powerful, scalable and has a unique, graphical interface that makes it familiar and easy to use. AMPS is an open system and will run on most computer hardware that a dealer has in place. When compared to other systems on the market, AMPS offers the most value per dollar, allowing dealerships to operate more efficiently and profitably. For more information, please visit www.automate.com.