7 Key Digital Tools to Supercharge In-Store Operations

In last month’s article, we explored five strategic digital moves to create a seamless customer journey, from implementing a modern customer relationship management (CRM) system to integrating digital retail tools with your website experience. Now, let’s shift our focus to the next wave of high‑impact upgrades for dealership process. Consider these seven practical digital tools to streamline everyday operations, empower your staff, and deliver a modern experience that stands out and generates more profit in 2025.

1. Use AI Assistants to Improve Dealership Efficiency

AI isn’t just a buzzword — it has become a serious business tool. Dealers are using it to check marketing copy, streamline customer responses and even validate business decisions.

I recently spoke with Mark Sheffield, Dealer, NCM Associates 20 Group host and National Powersports Dealer Association (NPDA) board member–to learn more about the best ways to use AI in a dealership. So far, here are a few of his favorite ways to use large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT:

• Teaching sales staff how to overcome customer objections: “When a salesperson comes across an objection they can’t overcome, I will have them load that scenario into the LLM with some details about what they were trying to sell and the reason he/she wasn’t ready to commit,” Sheffield says. “While some of the responses we see are a little cheesy, many of them are solid techniques that any long-term sales associate probably knows.”
• Generating job descriptions: “I will go in and mention the industry and a high-level overview of the job, and then I will ask the system to generate a detailed job description. The initial draft is usually about 80% of what I need, and then I only have to spend a minimal amount of time fine-tuning the results for our dealership,” Sheffield notes.
• Comparing documents: “Recently one of our vendors sent us a new dealer agreement. I was able to upload our current dealer agreement, along with the new one and ask for a summary of the changes between the two. It’s a massive time saver, and in one recent instance, it picked up a major change that we were not comfortable with. As dealer agreements in Texas don’t expire, we chose to continue operating under our previous agreement.”

These days, AI models are like having a business advisor, lawyer and copywriter for just $20 per month — or free. The most popular models being used in the industry today include ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Claude and Perplexity and you can sign up for a free account from their websites.

2. Use Demand Forecasting to Stock Parts and Merchandise

Why rely on guesswork when data-driven forecasting can help predict which parts and merchandise will sell? Advanced inventory tools can now analyze parts and merchandise demand patterns. These tools enable dealerships to stock the right inventory, reduce excess stock and improve cash flow.

Matt Gomez, chief commercial officer at The Super Co., shares, “A parts manager’s biggest challenge is not having the right parts when they need them, while a general manager’s concern is tying up too much cash in inventory. Demand forecasting tools solve both problems by using real data to maintain the ideal stock levels — ensuring fast-moving parts are always available while reducing unnecessary overstock.”

The result? Higher parts availability, lower carrying costs, lower payroll costs and a more profitable dealership.

There are now a few options for interested dealers. Traditional dealership management software (DMS) often includes min/max re-order points for parts, gear and accessories (PG&A) inventory. However, some systems have forecasting tools built in. External demand forecasting tools that plug into popular DMS systems are also now available.

The best reason to use a capable tool? According to Gomez, “Parts managers using powerful demand forecasting tools no longer have to rely on gut instinct or outdated reports. By analyzing sales trends, seasonal shifts and inventory movement, their tool automatically suggests smarter reorder points. This leads to lower costs; fewer missed sales opportunities; and a much leaner, more efficient parts department.”

3. Streamline Compliance with a Digital Platform

With today’s regulations and fast-paced rate of change, it can be a challenge to keep up with obligations. A digital compliance platform can take the guesswork and administrative challenge out of the picture.

There’s a lot at stake these days. According to Greg Pfielder, CEO of Accelerate 2 Compliance (A2C), “Class action lawsuits, state and federal regulatory fines, brand degradation and ransomware events are all costly and possibly permanent threats to a dealer.”

That risk picture is why Pfielder suggests a single source of truth: “Federal regulations require dealership information security programs to be readily demonstrable and located in one or more easy to access locations. Using a [digital] solution that provides a single location for all federal- and state-required program components helps drive efficiency and lower compliance expense.”

A good platform starts with an organizational risk‑assessment module that spotlights your biggest vulnerabilities and allows you to “focus on the greatest areas of information security risk,” Pfielder says. “This refines the areas of concern dealerships absolutely need to address to meet information security compliance requirements.”

And the process never stops. “Ongoing information security and compliance support ensures dealerships’ risk assessments are up to date (both internal and external); staff training is conducted regularly; policies are adopted, maintained, reviewed and updated; and dealership senior leaders are provided with dashboards and reports that let them know where they may be facing information security risks,” Pfielder says.

Centralizing this work in one system slashes administrative drag and legal exposure, freeing your team to focus on revenue instead.

4. Use a DMS That Helps You Do More With the Same Team

A modern DMS should do far more than simply track transactions. It should serve as the backbone of your dealership, empowering your entire team to operate smarter and leaner. The ideal DMS is intuitive enough to require minimal training while seamlessly handling inventory, transactions and all the day-to-day loose ends that can slow you down.

So, how do you know if your DMS is truly working for you? Blackpurl CEO Mike Wyrzykowski offers a clear litmus test: Focus on the end-customer’s experience. He suggests asking yourself, “Is it easy for customers to move through each step of the buying process, or are there unnecessary delays and hiccups due to hard-to-find information, disorganization or manual processes?” When a DMS prioritizes simplicity and completeness, every interaction becomes smoother — from quickly retrieving historical data and generating quotes to easily sharing information with vendors and software partners.

Top Features in Today’s DMS

What most dealers today want is management software that is simple, powerful and connected. They want something that is easy to learn; handles the diverse situations they experience each month; and something that will easily integrate with their other systems, such as CRM, accounting and website.

If you have a DMS that fits these criteria, consider if anyone on your team needs training. And, every so often, it’s worthwhile to spend some time on a refresher for everyone. Think of it like a lumberjack sharpening his axe before chopping: Regular maintenance ensures that every swing is effective. In the same way, periodic training on your DMS keeps your team members sharp, allowing them to focus on delivering an exceptional customer experience.

At the end of the day, making operations easier for your staff directly translates into a better customer experience. As Wyrzykowski points out, “Dealership customers spend 30 to 40 hours researching and navigating emotional ‘highs and lows’ before committing to their dream major unit purchase. These ‘low points’ — when customers experience doubt or frustration — not only shape the buying experience but also create inefficiencies and high-cost spikes for dealerships.”

The solution? Organization. Whether you’re relaunching your current system or investing in a new one, this is the year to ensure that every member of your team has a platform that helps him or her get more done and knows how to use it properly. The prize? Elevated dealership performance in every department.

5. Implement Parts Fiche Software to Accelerate Service Operations

If you want to sell more in service, equip your staff with interactive parts fiche software. Such software as HLSM, DealerSpike’s PartSmart and Snap‑on EPC can speed up how they help customers find the right parts. With these digital solutions, your team gains immediate access to detailed, high-resolution diagrams and exploded views. Such views simplify the process of identifying part numbers, checking compatibility and verifying inventory in real time–based on the unit’s make, model and submodel.

These platforms eliminate the need for cumbersome paper catalogs or manual searches. Instead, your service staff can quickly and accurately locate the correct parts, cross-reference similar items and even suggest complementary accessories — all while the customer is still in the dealership. The result is a significantly reduced wait time; fewer ordering errors; and a more efficient, customer-focused parts department that enhances satisfaction and boosts sales.

Not only does this help your staff locate and sell the right parts, but the visuals help create confidence in the hands-on customer.

6. Leverage Live Distributor Inventory Information

Quick, live distributor inventory data both delights customers and frees your counter staff to serve them faster. Forward‑thinking distributors now offer self‑serve portals that let staff:

• Search for products
• Check dealer-specific pricing and inventory levels
• Look up orders
• Submit cancellations and return merchandize authorization (RMA) requests
• Initiate support requests.

If your distributor offers one, train your team to use it. And if possible, take the next step: Stream those live feeds straight into your DMS.

According to Dan Ziegler, business partner integration manager for Turn 14 Distribution, DMS integrations enable faster customer service. “When a DMS has the ability to pull a dealer’s cost and a distributor’s inventory levels, it makes it easier to make buying decisions from one application. Then, when it’s time to order [the needed parts], they can do so without having to leave their DMS,” he says.

Benefits for Staff Members

For parts managers, that visibility is a game‑changer: “Managers can have visibility on the inventory and pricing they get from all of their distributors, allowing them the opportunity to ensure that they can get the product as fast as possible at the best pricing possible.”

Receiving is faster too, says Ziegler. “Once the parts arrive, they can import the invoice and order details without having to key in each part, quantity or price, preventing errors and getting the parts on the shelf faster.”

Service advisors will benefit as well. “Service advisors … can make more decisions from a single application, getting customers served faster,” notes Ziegler.

Bottom line advice? Consider suppliers focused on speed, transparency and self‑service. Then, use their portals and activate any dealership software integrations they offer. Do that, and every team member involved spends less time guessing and keying in data and more time helping customers.

To get started, ask a representative from your DMS provider to enable integrations for any distributors you work with.

7. Put Tablets Everywhere: Make Digital Engagement the Default

From the sales floor to the service drive, tablets can revolutionize how your customers interact with your dealership. Public‑facing and staff-held tablets let shoppers apply for financing, check in for service and get inventory details as they walk around. Now, your team is free to focus on revenue.

Dealers who embrace a tablet‑driven approach report shorter wait times, fewer data‑entry errors and higher overall customer satisfaction. Some also use tablets to capture electronic signatures, capture walk‑around videos or gather real‑time feedback. The key is staff buy‑in. A little training goes a long way, ensuring the technology enhances the experience rather than complicates it.

Final Thoughts on Digital Tools in 2025

By adopting AI tools, forecasting demand, tracking compliance, upgrading your DMS, using interactive parts fiches, integrating live distributor feeds and unleashing the power of tablets, your customer experience will stand out in 2025.

As with all new digital business tools, success comes from training, monitoring and refining. Get your team on board, measure your results, and adjust as you learn. In doing so, you’ll create an environment where customers feel confident, transactions happen smoothly and staff can focus on what truly matters: delivering memorable experiences that keep people coming back and buying from you.

Did I leave something out? Email me and let me know. And if you missed part one, be sure to check it out for additional tips on creating a frictionless digital presence.