SERTI’S SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE OFFERING FOR DEALERS
SERTI is deploying its SaaS solution across the country.
Following a successful pilot-testing program held in April, SERTI is deploying its Software as a Service solution across the country.
Becoming the preferred solution for Canadian dealerships, the Software as a Service solution helps reduce computer ownership and maintenance costs, including those related to networks, software or other licenses. Its use helps Canadian dealerships save money and enjoy a better user experience, while having access to Quebec’s most popular management software.
The popularity of Software as a Service, also known as SaaS, is now a given with a growing number of businesses opting for this solution.
SaaS allows one to widen and optimize a computer system’s functionalities while at the same time rendering it more flexible and optimizing its performance in line with the needs of a specific dealership or group of dealerships.
SERTI says the SaaS approach has been designed to help users be more efficient, and have more flexibility as they go through their daily tasks, while returning savings to the dealer principal.
Francis Gingras, vice-president of Business Development, SERTI
To illustrate this, Francis Gingras, SERTI’s vice-president of Business Development, explained: “In the past, such a solution would be deployed on-site, on a dedicated server. The dealership would then need to acquire said server and related equipment as well as be responsible for its maintenance, keep the server up to date, maintain the various software related to the server usage while staying on top of the various licenses and upgrades needed,” said Gingras.
“SERTI’s data shows most businesses would not allow enough resources to stay on top of this, be it from an update standpoint or simply by allocating an adequate budget to it.” Plus, most dealerships simply do not have the proper expertise to handle the required recurring maintenance of this complex system as computer maintenance is simply not part of a dealership’s regular daily tasks and expertise. “A dealership’s resources need to be dedicated to other more lucrative tasks than to maintain a piece of equipment, like the sale and service of vehicles as well as proper customer service,” he says.
Gingras added the SaaS solution now offered by SERTI answers this need, allowing employees at a dealership to dedicate themselves to what they do best: serve customers and sell vehicles.
ADAPTING TO NEW REALITIES
An internal study made by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) has shown software used in the cloud as “one of the best technology for growth and saving for any small and medium enterprises.”
According to SERTI, this has been confirmed on-site within many industries.
“In developing its SaaS solutions, SERTI is offering a way for dealerships to answer their technology needs while being flexible and able to adapt to any new evolution in their needs,” added Gingras. “SERTI is doing so while offering a solution that is more economical from an initial investment standpoint than a traditional system. Available anytime, anywhere, even through personal devices, it allows dealerships and dealer principals a safe and easy access to their data.”
Through this new solution, the dealership has access to a technological solutions environment that is always at the top technology-wise.
“This service is perfect for any business expansion and growth of our customers as new users and new modules can be added on an as-needed basis,” adds Gingras. “Our system adapts to our customer’s needs and changing reality quickly, as it is designed to be flexible in a way only a cloud-based system can be. Another huge benefit of our SaaS solution is smaller dealerships now have access to solutions which were previously out of reach because of the high costs of the equipment needed on-site. Now, all that is needed is a high-speed Internet connection and our cloud-based solutions are within reach.”
A POWERFUL PLAYER
In business since 1975, SERTI is an important provider of dealership management software.
“Our system, reaching every manufacturer, has a very high car and heavy trucks dealerships penetration rate across the country,” continues Gingras. “We have been the leader in Quebec for the last eight years, and we service over 700 automotive dealerships across the country with 465 within Quebec.”
The reputation of SERTI is well known, but the company doesn’t want to rest on its laurels. The company wants to follow the technological evolutions to innovate and serve its dealerships even better. To do so, it is investing over two million dollars annually to improve its solutions and maintain its systems infrastructure in both its data centers; installations equipped with optimal computer systems security and redundancy.
“This technology investment philosophy illustrates SERTI’s evolution and improvement mindset and our SDS solutions since our beginnings,” says Gingras.
