Fueled by an unwavering commitment to dealer success, Cox Automotive’s vAuto is making its new Variable Management Certification program available to any dealer at no cost—regardless of whether they subscribe to a vAuto product. The inventory-management certification program's in-depth training equips dealership personnel at all levels with the information, insights and strategies they need to maximize the return on investment on their vehicle inventory.

Derek Hansen, vice president of operations, inventory management solutions, at Cox Automotive, said, “Dealers need more than just software to thrive. The strategy that drives their decisions is equally—if not more—important. We are so committed to dealers’ success and believe so strongly that Variable Management is the best way for them to maximize returns that we are giving this training to anyone who wants to successfully navigate today’s complex automotive market."

Evolution to Variable Management

VAuto applied data science to used-vehicle inventory management in the early 2000s. Its newest inventory-management philosophy, Variable Management, is informed by robust automotive data set and insights.

At its core, Variable Management optimizes a vehicle's return on investment by analyzing unique data points and recommending tailored pricing actions. This marks a significant evolution from the previously used velocity approach that heavily emphasized inventory turn and a one-size-fits-all approach. With the new philosophy came a purpose-built solution—vAuto’s ProfitTime GPS—to allow dealers to execute a Variable Management strategy.

Variable Management Certification

Modeled after successful OEM certification programs for salespeople, Variable Management Certification enables dealership personnel at all levels—from leadership to the newest sales professional—to develop in-depth knowledge. For dealership staff, Variable Management Certification signals that they are not only proficient in Variable Management but also dedicated to ongoing professional development. And dealership management can know that all their staff are working from the same playbook.

Every module contains self-paced videos and quizzes that start with fundamentals and build toward more advanced techniques. Those who complete the training will earn a Variable Management Certification, which comes with a framed certificate, along with a digital badge that can be displayed on LinkedIn.

"Revolutionizing how used vehicles are managed—which is what vAuto did in the early 2000s and is what we’re poised to do again with Variable Management—requires a lot of education and training,” said Patrick Janes, associate vice president, vAuto, who previously spent years working with dealers as a vAuto performance manager. “Being able to offer this robust training in a digital format is a proud moment for all of us, as we can now reach more dealers, faster and enable them to start benefitting sooner."

Dealers who are interested in enrolling in the Variable Management Certification can visit the vAuto Academy website. For ProfitTime GPS subscribers and those who are curious, vAuto has also launched a separate “Winning with ProfitTime GPS” certification program, which provides in-depth training.

Dealership managers, in particular, should take note of the ProfitTime GPS-focused module, as it gives them greater ability to manage their teams' training proficiency, which protects their ProfitTime GPS investment by promoting a deeper understanding, increasing adoption and even helping to onboard new team members.