Archive for category Securitag
Award Winning Dealerships
Today’s automobile dealership is a complex business. Management faces daunting challenges to operate sales, finance, fixed assets, human resources, inventory and regulatory requirements successfully. Smart executives take advantage of an ever-increasing variety of products and services made available to them by suppliers specializing in specific areas of expertise such as sales training, finance, human resources, security, loss prevention, insurance, and specialty equipment.
Even with all of the energy now being devoted to keeping a dealership running smoothly there are still some areas of day to day operations for which the appropriate solution, product or consultant has not yet been found. One such area is the use and control of dealer demo tags, a statutory requirement in most states, and long regarded by most dealers as a problem without any good solution.
Efforts have been made over the years by individual dealers to govern demo tags in a variety of manners ranging from:
Furnishing every salesperson with an never ending supply of tags in order to ensure that the unavailability of a demo tag does not compromise the continuity of the communication established between a salesperson and their customer. This solution results in the dealership owning far more demo tags than necessary. The dealer incurs higher acquisition and insurance costs, greater management requirements and added liability exposure. These are issues that managers as well as financial and insurance consultants find troublesome.Requiring salespeople to sign demo tags out and in, which, while reducing the overall number of tags required (a plus for managers, financial and insurance people) interferes with the flow of the sale and requires the time and attention of an employee. Signing tags out and in takes time that should and could be used more productively. Further, this method, as many dealers are finding out when doing dealer tag inventory checks, is not a foolproof system for controlling use and access to dealer tags.
Some dealers believe that by charging a large deposit to the salesperson the tag will not be abused or lost. However, a large deposit virtually insures that a prompt lost or theft report, which limits the dealer’s liability, is less likely to be made. Until a report is made, the liability associated with that demo tag remains with the dealer and not the person using or possessing the tag. Prompt reporting of lost or stolen tags is a very big issue with insurance providers.
While the problem of demo tag control appears intractable, there are solutions. The solutions take the form of dealer demo tag control systems and there are a number of providers in the market today.
One such provider is M-Tech, a company that is specializing in dealer demo tag control systems. M-Tech manufactures and markets the Securitag System. This “Smart Box” has been solving demo tag access control problems for nearly twenty years.
M-Tech’s biggest supporters are the dealers, managers and salespeople using the product. It is gratifying to be given such a vote of confidence.
Access Control Systems (ACS) and Your Dealership
Posted by Bernard Boulé in Opinion, WM 30 on April 1st, 2009
Reading through “Trade Publications” as I do on a regular basis I cannot help but think that the Automobile Dealership Business (ADB) has become technologically as complex and consequently as acronym ridden as the fields of engineering, aviation or the military. In which, you need to know the meanings of what seems like hundreds of Upper Case Letter Groupings (UCLG) in order to understand what is being discussed in any particular article. To make matters worse, it seems that anyone can add to the acronym body at anytime without warning or prior notification, so I was not surprised when I discovered that the Field Of Endeavor (FOE) in which I have been working for the past 20 years, the technology of Access Control Systems, has been “acronymized” as (ACS) technology.
By now, you are beginning to wonder what any of this has to do with you and your dealership’s day-to-day operations and the answer is simple:
- Increased Profitability
- Improved Security
- Streamlined Sales
- Increased Management Efficiency
- Reduced Overhead
- Lower Liability Exposure and perhaps even Lower Insurance Costs.
All of the above benefits can be realized through the utilization of ACS Technology. You may be wondering how ACS technology even fits into the dealership environment. Your question probably is: ‘ How does this apply to me and to my dealership?’ In response to this question I would say every dealership, regardless of its size or location needs to employ some type or types of ACS to limit access to everything from the shop supplies to the cash drawer. After all, you wouldn’t leave your cash drawer open exposing its contents to all of your employees and customers would you? So why would you leave your other assets like specialty tools, inventory, inventory keys, dealer tags or office supplies exposed? They are all valuable assets requiring some type of access control to make certain that only the persons authorized to have access to them actually have that access.
You probably already have some type of Access Control Systems at work in your dealership such as cash registers, locked tool rooms or secure office supply storage. You may even have a fenced and gated lot or lots, which limits access to your inventory. This is rudimentary ACS Technology working for you. Some of this may be manually controlled in which case it would probably require the time and attention of a manager or a specifically assigned employee and likely does not produce accurate records of access usage. Some may be automated, eliminating the need for direct supervision, and they may produce reliable access usage reports. The latter is the direction ACS Technology is heading today. Dealerships should be taking advantage of this emerging technology to control access to assets such as: inventory keys and dealer demo tags. Two areas of constant concern to dealers and managers everywhere. There are good, proven, reliable and affordable ACS specially designed to deal with these concerns.
With technology advancing at such a rapid pace now is the best time to jump in and find out exactly how ACS technology can benefit your dealership.
Custom Dealership Solution for Bronco Motors
The friendly People at M-Tech worked with me to create a dealer plate control system matched to my requirements. I will now be able to operate my entire operation, 3 locations, 2 franchises, using half the number of dealer plates I would have otherwise needed. My liability risk is reduced, my overhead is reduced, for the first time in years I know where my demo plates are, and my insurance costs may even be lower. The ‘Securitag System’ works for me!
Grant Petersen, President & CEO, Bronco Motors, Boise, ID
Based on the design of the SS-120, the Securitag SS-120RX2 was designed in consultation with Boise, ID dealer Grant Petersen of Bronco Motors. It was designed to meet the demo plate availability, control and security requirements of modern dealerships. The Securitag SS-120RX2 incorporates the proven, patented Securitag system into a durable brushed stainless steel case. The upper portion can rotate to provide easy access to any of the 8 demo plates it contains. This unique feature means the SS120RX2 needs very little floor space. Easily meeting the demo plate requirements of a sales force of up to 24 salespersons.
Seen here installed close to a glass office partition. Minimum floor space is needed.
Convenient and secure, the compact Securitag SS-120RX2 pictured here with the dynamic, Boise, ID dealer Grant Petersen Jr.
The Securitag SS-120RX2 provides a secure convenient location for your demo plates. Each plate is locked behind a clear polycarbonate door making the plate visible. The high security, American made, tubular key locks which are assembled to our strict specifications can be keyed alike or individually as required by our customers needs.
Each person requiring access to dealer demo plates is provided with a numbered key. These numbered keys are assigned to each person requiring access to the SS-120RX2.
We recommend that you take a security deposit from them or actually sell the keys to them. In either case, keep a record of the users name and their key number. Demo plates are accessed by using the numbered keys. Once the demo plate is accessed and removed from the SS-120RX2 the users’ key is trapped by the SS-120RX2 and cannot be removed until the plate is replaced and the door closed.
This makes each user accountable at all times as management can immediately identify the user who has the demo plate.
Flexible Solutions for Dealer Plate Control
Multiple installation options provide a total solution.
Furnishing every salesperson with an never ending supply of tags in order to ensure that the unavailability of a dealer plate does not compromise the continuity of the communication established between a salesperson and their customer. This solution results in the dealership owning far more dealer plates than necessary. The dealer incurs higher acquisition and insurance costs, greater management requirements and added liability exposure. These are issues that managers as well as financial and insurance consultants find troublesome. Securitag eliminates all these problems.
Securitag Unit also available as WM-30
Requiring salespeople to sign dealer plates out and in, which, while reducing the overall number of tags required (a plus for managers, financial and insurance people) interferes with the flow of the sale and requires the time and attention of an employee. Signing tags out and in takes time that should and could be used more productively. Further, this method, as many dealers are finding out when doing dealer plate inventory checks, is not a foolproof system for controlling use and access to dealer plates. Securitag eliminates all these problems.
Charging a large deposit virtually insures that a prompt lost or theft report, which limits the dealer’s liability, is less likely to be made. Until a report is made, the liability associated with that dealer plate remains with the dealer and not the person using or possessing the tag. Prompt reporting of lost or stolen tags is a very big issue with insurance providers. Securitag eliminates all these problems.
The Securitag System has been solving dealer plate access control problems for over twenty years. 2,500 North American dealers agree – Securitag is the best way to control dealer plates.
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