AUSTIN, Texas -

With inventory so limited nowadays, dealerships likely want to know the exact location of every single unit within its operation.

Dealerware is looking to help Ford and Lincoln stores accomplish that task and more.

The connected car platform for automotive retailers announced on Wednesday that it has been selected as a preferred vendor to Ford and Lincoln through a competitive bidding process.

According to a news release, Dealerware will provide its fleet management platform and connected car services to Ford and Lincoln dealerships that want to modernize courtesy and rental fleet programs, reduce fleet costs and elevate customer experiences.

Dealerware said its modern platform and focus on customer service were two critical factors in the Blue Oval’s decision to include the service provider in its courtesy vehicle program.

Dealerware explained that it can help increase the impact of fixed operations by:

●      Recovering costs from fleet programs with single button billing and automated toll management, while providing the transparency, speed, and accuracy that improves CSI

●      Reducing contracting time by up to 90%, saving significant employee hours each month, and preventing customers from waiting in long lines or dealing with multiple staff hand-offs.

●      Enabling service from anywhere via contactless mobile contracting tools

●      Streamlining pickup and delivery services with native in-app capabilities and an exclusive integration with RedCap for out-of-store experiences

 “Dealerware can help Ford and Lincoln dealerships adapt to evolving consumer demands nationwide,” Dealerware chief executive officer Matt Carpenter said in the news release.

“We are eager for the opportunity to help transform the dealership experience with retail partners, whether they are looking for a better software solution than they have now, or are exploring the impact of fleet management software for the first time,” Carpenter continued.

Dealerware went on to mention its automated cost recovery tools work in tandem with the platform’s mobile contracting component to set customer expectations before a loaner or rental contract begins, so that dealerships can recover fuel and toll costs and customers remain satisfied with experience.

Dealerware said this approach to cost savings is why independent research from J.D. Power shows that dealerships using Dealerware enjoy a 27-point lift in customer satisfaction index (CSI) scores, in addition to the $70 monthly cost savings for each vehicle in the fleet.

The relationship with the Blue Oval continues the client growth Dealerware has enjoyed since its launch in 2016.

Dealerware is the preferred fleet management provider to Audi and Jaguar Land Rover in the U.S. and Canada. Toyota and Lexus selected Dealerware as a preferred vendor for their U.S. dealerships in 2020.

Dealerware also pointed out that its rapid growth and success with automotive retailers has been driven in part by a strong partner ecosystem with providers such as CDK Global, PDP Group, Arrowhead, Sedgwick, Reynolds & Reynolds, RedCap, myKaarma, Guidepoint and MDL autoMation.