Automotive TNT

The potential of many of the UKs dealerships will never be realised unless they start to use the tools they are provided with in the correct way. There is also a good argument that some dealerships are working so hard to achieve their potential that their old antiquated DMS cannot provide the tools needed. Many dealerships need to change their DMS solution because of this. However some view change as troublesome and worrying. There is a simple question that needs to be levelled is your dealership achieving what it should if the answer to this is no then a review of your DMS is essential.

I am often asked about what changes are needed to dealerships to gain that competitive edge? The simple reply to that is you know your dealership, staff and customers better than I. What I can say is that without dedicated, trained and motivated staff even the best DMS in the world will fail. People and process are the most important things in any dealership. Lets be clear about this, DMS is just a device used to achieve set down objectives. It helps if your DMS contains all the tools necessary.

Many in the industry now see that tools such as Showroom systems, Customer relationship management (CRM), analytical reporting, Internet marketing and time management systems are essential. These all should be available integrated into the DMS. There are many of these products available as stand-alone but few integrate, this means yet more work for the user duplicating information.

Choosing a DMS that suits your business is a bit like choosing a business partner, it needs very careful thought and consideration. The following were listed in the last issue as relevant questions to ask and are still essential today.

How will it give us a return on investment and over what time?
Where will it cut costs/enhance efficiency?
Is it designed to grow with our business?
Is it capable of operating multi-company, multi site, multi-franchise?
Will it communicate efficiently with customers on the web, in the call centre and on the dealership floor?
How good is the CRM part of the system?
How easy will it be for staff to adapt to the system? What training is required?
From talking to other users of the system, how good is the suppliers customer support?

Once you have chosen and implemented the DMS that’s where it begins. So many dealers forget that constant training and reviews of process need to be addressed. It is recognised that the average dealer should book at least two days training a year. A decent DMS provider should always be prepared to share their experiences on good working practices. I also think that as business partners the dealer and the DMS provider should document process controls. Simple but effective training training training.

I’d echo other industry observer’s recent comments about the current obsession with running a hosted DMS solution. It’s imperative for a DMS to have access to web services providing third party data delivery, and indeed using the internet as a transport mechanism for multi-site connectivity is a cost effective solution. However, running a DMS over the web where the server is in a datacentre all too often ends in tears. The UK communications infrastructure is not mature enough to reliably run a remote web server based application as intensive as a DMS with adequate performance. How many problems do you have with slow Internet connections? We offer the service, but we don’t actively promote it. Keep your DMS server within your business.

Most dealers owe it to their potential to review the DMS market. I believe that Gemini Systems Dealer Management Systems should be one of the systems reviewed.

Just as much as we want to not everyone can afford to purchase a brand new car. Sometimes even if you can afford a new car it simply is not required, for example when buying a vehicle for your teenager that has only recently passed their drivers. Second hand cars will offer purchases large savings.

What you ought to also keep in mind is that purchasing a second hand car will not necessarily mean that you will be buying another persons problems. There are many second hand cars on the market that have been owned by people who took great care of their vehicles. The reasons for selling might not necessarily be that there was some thing wrong with the car. They might need to sell because they are relocating oversees, because they have in some way become incapacitated, because a family member bought them another car or because finally they are being the vehicle of their dreams.

The most important factor in getting a second hand car that is in a good condition is to take your time when shopping around. Never purchase a car if you have been rushed into making the decision.
When you have discovered the perfect second hand car which is in a great condition and suits your budget, you will need to get car insurance.
Finding car insurance for a second hand car is very much the same procedure as obtaining insurance coverage for a brand new car, except that there are a few things that you must take a look at.
The history
The cars’ history can play an important role in deciding the cost of insurance. If the car had been involved with a car crash or has had many repairs this will have an impact on insurance premiums. Always make sure that you verify all the documents correctly before acquiring a used car, as this info will be necessary for car insurance reasons.
Choose how much cover you need
Do not be talked into buying more car insurance than is absolutely required for you. When purchasing a second hand car, especially if this car is an older model you ought to be careful with the kinds of car insurance you buy.
Comprehensive insurance cover may not be the ideal kind of insurance coverage for an old and less expensive priced car. The reason behind this is you will never get back the same of amount of money you have paid in towards car insurance should you car be a write off.
In case you are involved in an accident and your car is to badly damaged to fix it will be written off. If you have comprehensive cover, you will only get back the value of the car at the time it was scrapped. Meaning that you could have paid five to ten times more to the insurance company than the actual worth of the car.
These are 2 of the most important measures when buying a second hand car.

There are two key ingredients to a successful auto repair shop; great customers and great employees. And the most important employee that you can hire is the Service Advisor. Think of the service advisor as the quarterback; your entire team and business is built around the person in this position, says Keith McCrone, co-owner of Automotive Profit Pro, a company that helps auto repair shops become profitable.

The service advisor is not the receptionist or the front desk position at your auto repair shop. Rather, they are the manager of the repair shop. They are the one responsible for selling services, making your customers feel comfortable and ensuring that your shop is profitable.

Though the service advisor should be educated in auto repair, his passion should be sales. The right service advisor will determine how many hours you work, where you vacation, the type of car you drive and the size of your home, explains Gerry Frank, co-owner of Automotive Profit Pro. If you have the right person, he or she can help your business grow quickly.

Knowing what to look for will help you choose the right person. During the interview, ask the candidate what he is currently selling each week, the amount of his average ticket and what gross profit margin he is generating at his current job. If this is in line with your business plan, then you’ve got the right candidate. If not, move on to another candidate. The more people you interview, the better you will become at finding the best employees.

Choose people who can describe the benefits of the repair to your customers, rather than the step-by-step process of how it’s done most auto customers do not want to hear the particulars and details of how to fix brakes but they do want to be sure that they are spending their money wisely on a service that is actually needed.

As the owner, you are the leader of the team and responsible for helping your employees excel. With the right motivation, you can take employees to new levels of service. This means making sure your employees are thoroughly trained and just as passionate about the customers as you are.

It is important for the service advisor to understand what works best in sales for your customers. Sales techniques are changing because the consumer is changing. You want the employee to be pumped up every day about selling your shop, and to believe that you provide the best customer experience.

That means you, as the owner, must stay on top of changing business patterns and sales techniques. Choose a service advisor who is self-driven and wants to be the tops in his field and encourage him to keep learning. Remember, having a professional Service Advisor determines how well your business will grow. The Service Advisor is a key position in any auto repair shop, and if you choose the right person, will make a lasting positive impression with your customers.

Nominate your Hometown Hero, give recognition to your Hero and donate $500 to a charity of their choice.

Darrell Waltrip Honda provides an opportunity for those who have always wanted to celebrate their heroes for all the good deeds they have done. Darrell Waltrip Honda, one of the leading Honda car dealers in Franklin, TN, has launched its very own Hometown Heroes campaign to celebrate heroes who have made a difference in peoples lives.

Darrell Waltrip Honda has been a part of the community for a long time and, as our way of saying thanks to all the everyday heroes of the region, we have decided to introduce a Hometown Heroes campaign. Whether it is a police officer, a firefighter, teacher, mother, father, your local barista, or any other Heros who have made a positive impact on their community, we want to shine light on their courageous deeds. And for doing so, we need the help and cooperation of people living in the Middle Tennessee region!
Nominate your hero today by clicking here, tell us why you think your Hero deserve to be recognized for their contributions to our community.

Here are just a few simple rules to submit your Nomination for a Hometown Hero:

Nominees themselves must be at least eighteen (18) years of age and currently residing in one of the following Tennessee counties: Cheatham, Davidson/Metro Nashville, Dickson, Maury, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Wilson, or Williamson.

Because every hero may not want public recognition, Nominators must secure their Nominee’s permission to submit their names.

Entries must be received by the fifteenth of each month.

Each month, the Darrell Waltrip Automotive Group will recognize one hero and make a $500 donation to a charity of their choice. Additionally, all heroes will also receive a special prize package as recognition of their own hero status. So, go ahead and nominate your own Hometown Hero!

Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value for any reason. All taxes and any other incidental expenses on prizes are the sole responsibility of each winner. Sponsor reserves the right to change or terminate this contest at any time. For complete rules visit Rules and Regulation.

The automobile, as we know today, has evolved over the decades from being mostly a sum of heavy mechanical systems to having become an integration of mechanical systems and electronic controls. This has happened mainly due to the advent of semiconductor technology and its successful incorporation at various levels in the automobile that has been directed towards achieving higher performance levels and enhanced operating efficiencies from the vehicle. As semiconductor technology has evolved over the years, it has enabled manufactures of automobiles to piece together multiple applications on a single chip by cutting down the board area; thus optimizing performance. As a result, it is no surprise that one of the major drivers of the automotive industry over the years has been the rise of integrated electronics, and the advancements in the same can be seen to keep the automotive industry moving ahead in the coming years.

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/automotive-semiconductor-195.html

The automotive semiconductors market peaked in the year 2007 at $20.0 billion. However, towards the last quarter of 2008, the industry saw a steep decline. The credit crisis in the U.S. and its subsequent effect on the automotive industry were reflected in the numbers for 2008 when the market revenue crossed $18 billion. The market continued to fall through 2009, bottoming out at $16.6 billion. With the effect of the U.S. government bailout of the auto majors, and partial recovery of European and Asian markets, the year 2010 saw a steep rise with the industry surpassing 2007 highs and moving upwards with $22 billion. Barring any unforeseen crises, the upward trend is likely to continue in the light of increasing car sales across the world, and the market is expected to close to $35 billion by 2014.

Scope of the report

This research report categorizes the global market for automotive semiconductors on the basis of applications, product types, and geography; forecasting revenues and analyzing trends in each of the following submarkets:

On the basis of applications:

* Powertrain
* Body Electronics and Chasis control
* Driver assistance
* Infotainment systems
* Aftermarket automotive semiconductors

On the basis of product types

* Discretes
* Optoelectronics
* Sensors
* Analog
* Logic
* Microcontrollers
* DSP
* Microprocessors and Memory

On the basis of geography

* Americas
* EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)
* Asia-Pacific

Each section will provide market data, market drivers, trends and opportunities, top-selling products, key players, and competitive outlook. This report will also provide market tables for covering the sub-segments and micro-markets. In addition, the report provides more than 20 company profiles covering all the sub-segments.

What makes our reports unique?

* We provide the longest market segmentation chain in this industry.
* We provide 10% customization. Our customization will ensure that you necessarily get the market intelligence you are looking for and we get a loyal customer.
* We conduct detailed market positioning, product positioning and competitive positioning. Entry strategies, gaps and opportunities are identified for all the stakeholders.
* Comprehensive market analysis for the following sectors:

Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, Biotechnology, Semiconductor and Electronics, Energy and Power Supplies, Food and Beverages, Chemicals, Advanced Materials, Industrial Automation, and Telecom and IT. We also analyze retailers and super-retailers, technology providers, and research and development (R&D) companies.

Key questions answered

* Which are the high-growth segments/cash cows and how is the market segmented in terms of applications and materials?
* What are market estimates and forecasts; which markets are doing well and which are not?
* Where are the gaps and opportunities; what is driving the market?
* Which are the key playing fields? Which are the winning edge imperatives?
* How is the competitive outlook; who are the main players in each of the segments; what are the key selling products; what are their strategic directives, operational strengths and product pipelines? Who is doing what?

Powerful Research and analysis

The analysts working with MarketsandMarkets come from renowned publishing and market research firms, globally, adding their expertise and domain understanding. We get the facts from over 22,000 news and information sources, a huge database of key industry participants and draw on our relationships with more than 900 market research companies across the world. We, at MarketsandMarkets, are inspired to help our clients grow by providing qualitative business insights with our huge market intelligence repository.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction Corresponding
1.1 Key Take Aways
1.2 Report Description
1.3 Markets Covered
1.4 Stake Holders

2. Market Overview
2.1 Summary of market opportunities
2.2 Global automotive Industry
2.3 Increasing trend of use of electronics in automotives
2.4 Automotive semiconductors
2.4.1 Discretes
2.4.1.1 Diodes
2.4.1.2 Small signal transistors
2.4.1.3 Power transistors
2.4.1.4 Rectifiers
2.4.1.5 Thyristors
2.4.2 Optoelectronics
2.4.3 Sensors
2.4.4 Analog
2.4.4.1 Amplifiers
2.4.4.2 Interface
2.4.4.3 Analog Power
2.4.4.4 Data Converters
2.4.4.5 Comparators
2.4.4.6 ASSP/ASIC
2.5 Logic
2.6 Microcontrollers
2.7 DSP
2.8 Microprocessors
2.9 Memory
2.9.1 DRAM
2.9.2 SRAM
2.9.3 Flash
2.9.4 Other

3. Application Segmentation
3.1 Power train
3.1.1 Engine control
3.1.2 Gasoline management
3.1.3 Transmission control
3.1.4 Direct injection control
3.1.5 Electronics penetration in power train system
3.1.6 Safety systems
3.1.6.1 Airbags
3.1.6.2 Braking systems
3.1.6.3 Other
3.1.7 Body Electronics & Chassis Control
3.1.7.1 Power steering
3.1.7.2 Seat control
3.1.7.3 Heat/AC control
3.1.7.4 Door/window control
3.1.7.5 Infotainment
3.1.8 Driver Assistance
3.1.9 Entertainment & Information Systems
3.1.9.1 Entertainment
3.1.9.2 Information systems
3.1.9.3 Networking
3.2 Aftermarket Automotive Semiconductors

4. Market Dynamics
4.1 Drivers
4.2 Restraints
4.3 Challenges

5. Forecasts & Trends
5.1 Revenue Forecasts
5.2 Forecast by Segment
5.2.1 Power train
5.2.2 Safety systems
5.2.3 Body electronics & chassis control
5.2.4 Driver assistance
5.2.5 Entertainment and information systems
5.3 Analysis by Geographic Region
5.3.1 North America
5.3.2 Europe
5.3.3 APAC
5.3.4 Japan
5.3.5 Rest of World (ROW)
5.4 Pricing Trends

6. Competitive Landscape
6.1 List of mergers & acquisitions
6.2 List of new product/service launch
6.3 List of agreements and collaborations
6.4 Market shares analysis
6.5 Competitive Structure
6.6 Company Profiling
6.6.1 Allegro Microsystems
6.6.2 Analog Devices
6.6.3 Arm Holdings PLC
6.6.4 Atmel
6.6.5 Cerrus Logic
6.6.6 Delphi Delco Electronics Systems
6.6.7 Fairchild Semiconductor International, INC.
6.6.8 Fujitsu Microelectronics America INC
6.6.9 Freescale Semiconductor, INC.
6.6.10 Infineon
6.6.11 International Rectifier Corporation
6.6.12 Intersil Corp
6.6.13 ISSI
6.6.14 Linear Technology Corporation
6.6.15 LSI Logic Corporation
6.6.16 Melexis
6.6.17 Micro Chip Technologies INC
6.6.18 National Semiconductor Corporation
6.6.19 Nec Electronics America INC
6.6.20 On Semiconductor Corporation
6.6.21 Omron Automotive Electronics
6.6.22 Philips Semiconductors
6.6.23 Renesas Technology America INC
6.6.24 Stmicroelectronics, INC.
6.6.25 Texas Instruments INC.
6.6.26 Vishay Intertechnology, INC.
6.6.27 Xilinx
6.6.28 Zetex PLC.

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