What Happens Between Platforms Is Costing You
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In this article
- 1 What Happens Between Platforms
- 2 Is Costing You
- 3 Dealers Know the Process Is Broken.
- 4 Data Gaps Are the Norm. Not the Exception.
- 5 The Problem Isn’t the Tools. It’s What Connects Them.
- 6
- 7 Where It Fails and Why
- 8 Breakdowns Start at the First Step (Online)
- 9 It’s Not the Tools. It’s the Flow.
- 10 Want the Full Breakdown?
What Happens Between Platforms
Is Costing You
Your Website. Your CRM. Your DMS. Your F&I platforms.
On paper, they might be technically connected. But that doesn’t mean they work the way you expect. One-way data flows. Delayed syncs. Data formatting differences.
A nationwide survey of dealers revealed these aren’t rare edge cases. They’re everyday friction points built into the process. This infographic breaks it all down.
Dealers Know the Process Is Broken.
Not everything is fully integrated. And it shows.
Nearly every dealer sees major upside in better integration. 95% say it would improve both efficiency and the customer experience—and most believe the gains could be 20% or more.
If nearly every dealer sees room for major improvement, we can’t keep treating.
Data Gaps Are the Norm. Not the Exception.
How often dealers see data gaps between CRM, DMS, and F&I Platforms
Over half of dealers report experiencing data gaps more than 25% of the time between their core platforms—most commonly CRM, DMS, and F&I. These gaps are a daily drag on deal flow, not rare exceptions.
When data gaps happen this often, it’s not just wasted time—it’s a broken process hiding in plain sight. And the reasons behind it? Dealers are already pointing to them.
The Problem Isn’t the Tools. It’s What Connects Them.
Two out of three dealers say their systems aren’t syncing like they should.
67% of dealers say the connections between their website tools and core platforms need work. And it’s not just a tech issue—it’s a daily drag on speed, accuracy, and the customer experience.
The friction isn’t random. Dealers point to the same three problem areas again and again—the hidden faults that slow deals down before they even start.
Where It Fails and Why
These are the friction points your team feels every day.
Broken or missing APIs. Delayed data syncs and inconsistent access. Discrepancies that throw everything off. Dealers say these are the top three blockers—and they’re baked into the process.
It’s not just that systems don’t connect. It’s the messy handoffs in between. You’re fixing mistakes instead of selling cars. And for most dealers, it starts on the website. When tools aren’t connected to your core platforms, the flow breaks before the sale even begins.
Breakdowns Start at the First Step (Online)
The website tools dealers say need better integration.
50% of dealers say credit applications are the website tool most in need of better integration into dealership workflows—more than any other tool in the survey.
Credit apps often have the highest close rate of any online tool. But when the disconnects start online, you can’t close what you can’t connect. That first broken step throws off everything that follows.
It’s Not the Tools. It’s the Flow.
Same platform. Two outcomes. It’s what happens between them that matters.
From online tools to in-store platforms, disconnects slow deals down, confuse buyers, and create costly rework. Most dealers agree: fixing what happens between systems would improve efficiency and the customer experience by 20% or more.
Every delay. Every rekey. Every time a customer has to repeat themselves. It all adds up. And eventually, it risks the sale. A 20 percent improvement doesn’t require new tools. Just better connections and smarter flow. Fix the flow and the profits will follow.
Want the Full Breakdown?
The numbers only scratch the surface. Get the real-world details
behind the disconnects—and what’s really slowing your deals down.
Source: 2024 eLEND Solutions Connecting Platforms for Connected Retailing Survey
www.elendsolutions.com