Dealership Document Management Must-Haves

by Mark Linton, President of etfile

Utilizing document management the fullest is not JUST about eliminating paper. It is creating workflows and processes for your dealership to follow in order to become more efficient, while eliminating human error. In result, by using a solution such as etfile, reducing expenses and increasing profits because of improved sales and service efficiency.

However, poor document management processes (especially in paper) will affect your whole organization including Sales Managers, Account Representatives, Service Managers, Parts Managers, Office Managers, Controllers, IT Managers and more. Many times the location you filed the document, whether in paper or electronic, is no longer where it can be found. However, with the proper electronic document management solution the document can be found in multiple ways, greatly reducing the risk of losing it.

Let’s look at the must-haves highlighted by etfile when choosing a document management solution. This checklist could help your dealership when searching for a vendor or when reviewing your current system.

Auto/Mate Integration

Adopting Auto/Mate’s OpenMate API is essential to working efficiently.

etfile was the first document management solution to adopt the API.  Prior to that, dealerships experienced slow procedures and inaccurate data when filing. Now, etfile has improved the way documents are stored and found by linking sales deals and repair orders directly to Auto/Mate’s database helping you become a better operation.

Exceptions Report

How can you ensure all your vital documents are archived?

Exception reports provide dealers with a detailed report on any essential documents that have not been archived for a closed repair order.

This report will allow you to view a list of Auto/Mate deals and repair orders not scanned into your document management system and also those scanned in with details of corresponding documents.

You can run this report via custom date ranges (day, week or month) to easily audit document archives to ensure everything has been filed. Not only does this give you an overview of what has been accomplished or not, but also provides specific information on which repair or deal documents were scanned for complete and easy tracking.

Template Recognition and Barcoding

Automatically file repair orders and all of the backup documentation with Zonal OCR scan capabilities.

This feature eliminates human error when filing documents by leaning on the system to handle the bulk of the work. The templates allow the employees who scan to place as many documents as the scanner will handle into the system and automatically file to the appropriate contact without even keying in a name. Implementing this process can save your office hours upon hours each week in time filing.

Electronic Workflows

Robust workflows of document scanning and electronic retrieval allow for quicker sales cycles and enhanced customer service, because employees are able to focus on the tasks that matter most. Filing sales deals more quickly results in higher production from the sales team. Additionally, the service department becomes more empowered because all information is at their fingertips for customers. No more backlog or hours spent searching for a document because of paper filing!

Document Analytics

Keeping tabs on employee efficiency can be a difficult task for any manager, not to mention tracking a particular document’s journey through the filing process.

With the proper analytics you should be able to pull reports on a file to view when the document was filed, who filed it and where, as well as any changes or annotations made to the document. This feature provides peace of mind knowing that your documents have a life story in the background at all times.

Award Winning Customer Support

Finally, make sure that the ECM solution you choose is scalable for future growth and expansion. This not only includes the capacity of the database at-hand, but the training staff and documentation available to you, your current staff and new hires for the future. As early adopters to dealership technology, etfile takes pride in outstanding training — this can go a long way for the growth of your dealership!

Learn more…

etfile is an Auto/Mate Partner and leading provider of electronic document imaging, filing and retrieval systems offering superior price and performance and comprehensive service and support. With etfile’s integration with Auto/Mate, filing and managing your documents is a breeze.

Visit www.etfile.com/automotive to see how we can help you make the same transition dozens of dealerships have made already.