Stronghold Technologies, Inc. on Oct. 9 announced the general release of Version 3.3 of DealerAdvance(TM), a wireless enterprise technology for the automotive retail market. According to Stronghold, the release features enhanced functionality and a new interface that is more intuitive to users.

Stronghold began deploying DealerAdvance(TM) Version 3.3 to new dealership customers in August 2003. Currently eight customers have the latest DealerAdvance(TM) software installed.

"The new interface was designed from the ground up with ease of use in mind," said Lenard Berger, Stronghold's chief technology officer. "We decided to focus on the most important aspects of the follow-up process, without distracting users with nonessential functions. Now a new user can pick up DealerAdvance(TM) and be productive with the system in a matter of minutes."

With a new workplan, Version 3.3 delivers many improvements that are integral to dealership performance and help increase the number of vehicles sold, according to the company.

Stronghold says the new version improves 1) prioritization, tracking and management of workflow, which enables dealers to sell more vehicles in a shorter period of time; 2) reinforces proven selling practices; 3) manages the sales force and holds them accountable; and 4) reduces the learning cycle to become proficient using the system.

Industry Reaction

"Stronghold has once again proven that DealerAdvance is the best solution in the business for turning prospects into 'sold' customers," said Tim Pohanka of Pohanka Automotive Group, the ownership and management organization for 12 retail locations representing 21 franchises in the Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., area.

"Stronghold continues to deliver technology improvements and endless client support," Pohanka said. "To date, three Pohanka dealerships are using DealerAdvance Version 3.3 as the backbone for their follow-up processes. The latest release of DealerAdvance enables our sales people to better manage their funnel of potential buyers and should increase the return on investment from our advertising and marketing campaigns. The enhancements that Version 3.3 brings to DealerAdvance further distances Stronghold's product from everything else we have seen in the market."

Pohanka Honda of Fredericksburg, Va., is a new Stronghold customer that, along with other new and existing customers, received DealerAdvance(TM) Version 3.3. These customers, according to Stronghold, are reporting substantial improvements in sales and other dealership performance areas.

Highlights from Pohanka Honda's first full month of use, according to Stronghold, include:

• Record level of sales in September 2003 with an increase of 33% from the previous best September;

  
  

  
  

  
  

• Second largest volume month in dealership history;

  
  

  
  

  
  

• 50 percent of the sales staff set personal best sales records; and

  
  

  
  

  
  

• Highest percentage of clients in dealership history responded that they were contacted as part of the follow-up process.

  
  

  Version 3.3 Overview

  
  

  Version 3.3 was developed to allow for improved work-flow through DealerAdvance(TM), according to Stronghold. The system automatically prioritizes a salesperson's follow-up activities (appointments, calls, etc.) according to industry-recognized best practices to produce a daily work plan.

  
  

  Stronghold said the system now acts more intuitively to generate appropriate prompts to guide users through the follow-up process. The screens of both PDAs and desktop PCs with DealerAdvance(TM) have been simplified for easing and accelerating the sales process, the company said.

  
  

  "These changes will allow a sales force to be more productive through frequent and timely interaction with customers -- a proven formula for increasing sales," Stronghold said in a prepared statement. "The numerous enhancements of DealerAdvance(TM) Version 3.3 also make learning the system easier, which reduces the demands on dealership management and minimizes disruptions to a dealership's business," the company said.

  
  

  DealerAdvance(TM) Background

  
  

  DealerAdvance(TM) is a proprietary software developed by Stronghold.

  
  

  Marketed to automotive dealerships as part of DealerAdvance Sales Solution(TM), an enterprise software system using wireless technologies, it has at its core a customer relationship management (CRM) application that has been designed to maximize the revenues and reduce the operating expenses of automobile dealerships. According to Stronghold, the system is used by dealerships to increase sales by effectively capturing a greater percentage of unsold customer prospects and maximizing customer "be-back" (return) and closure rates.

  
  

  Since inception, Stronghold said it has spent approximately $2.5 million on research and development activities related to DealerAdvance(TM). Initially launched with Version 1.0 through six pilot dealerships during 2001, Stronghold reported at June 30, 2003 that a total of 55 dealers were using DealerAdvance(TM). According to Stronghold, the software is improving business performance for 22 major automobile brands, with a concentration in mid-line dealers such as Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevrolet, Nissan, Volkswagen and Chrysler.

  
  

  About Stronghold Technologies, Inc.

  
  

  Stronghold Technologies, Inc., specializes in applying wireless technology and process improvement methods to increase business efficiency and sales.

  
  

  The company has developed an integrated wireless technology, called DealerAdvance(TM), which, among other features, allows automobile dealers to capture a customer's purchasing requirements, search inventory at multiple locations, locate an appropriate vehicle in stock and print out the necessary forms.

  
  

  Through an integrated CRM (customer relationship management) application, the system sends detailed tasks for prospect and customer follow-up and produces management reports to measure compliance. "DealerAdvance(TM) allows sales professionals to increase sales, improve customer follow-up, and reduce administrative costs," according to the company.

  
  

  Additional information is available at www.strongholdtech.com.