DETROIT and CARMEL, Ind. -

Automotive digital solutions company ChannelNet and iTapMenu revealed this week the two companies have partnered to bring an iPad-based “F&I menu selling to automotive showrooms.”

Through a value added reseller agreement that has been established between the companies, they aim to make the F&I experience more enjoyable to consumers, as well as easier to sell for dealers.

Commenting on iTapMenu —  an iPad-based software product designed to help automotive shoppers through the final steps of their new-vehicle financing process in the showroom — Paula Tompkins, ChannelNet chief executive officer and founder, noted, "Today’s vehicle shoppers are time starved and wary of the F&I experience in the dealership.

"Consumers are looking for speed and transparency, especially in the final stage of purchasing a vehicle. iTapMenu enables a streamlined educational experience that is fully transparent and a welcome change in the overall vehicle shopping process,” she continued.

Instead of dragging out the dealership visit for a shopper by tacking on F&I products at the end of a sale, iTapMenu, a Web-based program that operates on the iPad, aims to speed the process up.

How does it work?

First,  the F&I manager has the option of creating a two-column or three-column customized menu for each individual customer.

“After customizing a menu for a customer, the F&I manager uses the iPad to deliver the product recommendations,” officials added.

Then, the F&I products, represented by icons, are selected and can be dragged and dropped into the "customer selections" column.

“Tapping on one of the icons pulls up product descriptions, replacement statistics and short video clips that detail the product and its features,” the companies explained. “iTapMenu also dynamically recalculates when products are removed or added from the ‘customer selections’ column.”

Officials also explained that product pricing, terms, interest rates and down payment can be changed in real time, right on the iPad.

Lastly, the customer signs on the iPad screen with their finger and the virtual paperwork can be emailed or printed from the device.

"The opportunity for iTapMenu to partner with ChannelNet is a vital strategic alignment. It represents a historic step for us as we move to provide a mobile device sales solution for F&I managers. We’ve merged the ‘leap-forward’ technology at iTapMenu with the strong marketing entity at ChannelNet, who we believe can help us rapidly and effectively scale our business," according to Michael Wilson, president of iTapMenu.

"Dealers report that using iTapMenu allows customers to feel in control of the shopping process," added Tompkins. "Our partnership with iTapMenu allows ChannelNet to continually bring new and innovative consumer-based technology solutions to our automotive clients."