Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - (Page 10) 10 • AUGUST 4, 2008 GKN to supply F-150 FX4’s differential DETROIT — GKN Driveline Torque Technology will begin supplying the electronic locking differential for Ford’s redesigned 2009 F-150 FX4 pickups this year. The differential will be made at GKN Driveline’s Bowling Green, Ohio, plant. It will be standard in the off-road-oriented FX4 version of the F-150, which represents about 10 percent of all production of the truck. GKN Driveline, of Worcestershire, England, makes sideshafts, propshafts and other driveline components. GM favors 4 endorsed vendors of dealer management systems Ralph Kisiel rkisiel@crain.com For sale: 2 Metaldyne plants DETROIT — Metaldyne Corp. plans to sell or close a machining plant in Middleville, Mich., and a die-casting operation in Niles, Ill., but didn’t say when. Metaldyne said the divestitures are part of a cost-cutting effort. The plants’ products no longer were part of the company’s core portfolio. Metaldyne, of suburban Detroit, supplies metal components and systems. It is a unit of Japan’s Asahi Tec Corp. GM’s favored 4 GM will pay for software integration with the 4 dealer management system vendors it has endorsed. All other software vendors must foot the perhaps 6-figure bill themselves. That divides the world of vendors into winners and losers. In: GM’s endorsed dealer management system vendors ADP Dealer Services Arkona AutoSoft International Quorum Information Technologies Out: everyone else, including Automotive Computer Services DPC Systems Microsoft* Oracle* Reynolds and Reynolds SAP* *Plans to enter business Source: GM, NADA General Motors is encouraging all its dealers to buy dealership management systems from GM-endorsed vendors. GM’s stance could make it more costly for dealers to choose vendors that the automaker doesn’t endorse. It also adds a barrier to large software companies that want to offer dealership systems, including Microsoft Corp., SAP AG and Oracle Corp. GM has informed its dealers by letter that it will “focus its limited resources” on its four endorsed vendors: Quorum Information Technologies Inc., AutoSoft International Inc., Arkona Inc. and ADP Dealer Services. It also will drop its former “GM Certified” designation for dealer software providers and refer on its Web site and elsewhere only to its “GM Endorsed” vendors. Those four are part of GM’s Integrated Dealer Management System program, but the endorsement now will affect even dealers who aren’t part of that program. range in cost from well under $100,000 for a link on a dealer’s system to “many hundreds of thousands of dollars” for a more complex integration, such as a global warranty system, he says. “Nobody’s disadvantaged at this point. We’ll still be posting the core integration points out on the Web site,” Raymond says. But for the other vendors, “It will be on their nickel.” GM dealers can choose from about 20 vendors. Reynolds and Reynolds Co. was the first vendor chosen by GM for its Integrated Dealer Management System program, but Reynolds dropped out in February while wrangling with GM over contractual obligations. Reynolds, the industry’s largest provider, has “the advantage of scale in dealing with integration points,” says Reynolds spokesman Tom Schwartz, implying that it may not have to pass along integration costs. Microsoft still coming Microsoft plans a national rollout to dealers in 2009. “We can’t speculate on GM’s position regarding DMS vendors or how dealers will react, but I can confirm that we are confident in our model and value proposition for our DMS offering,” says John Reed, Microsoft’s director of automotive retail solutions. A large base of GM dealers in Europe already uses a Microsoft dealership management system, he says.c Market advantage GM isn’t requiring its dealers to do business with endorsed vendors, but it will give those vendors a clear pricing advantage. GM will pay for the integration work with endorsed vendors. Integration is important to dealers and GM. If a dealer’s system is integrated properly with GM’s systems, they can exchange data quickly, easily and securely. All other vendors must foot the bill for integration with GM. Some may pass on that cost to the dealers, says Marty Raymond, GM’s director of global retail programs. GM plans about 20 integration points with its endorsed vendors. They http://www.forcemediagroup.com http://www.forcemediagroup.com http://www.everycarlisted.com http://www.everycarlisted.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Automotive News - August 4, 2008 Automotive News - August 4, 2008 Losing leases: It hurts already Crisis at Chrysler: Buyers bail GM's really bad news: Its revenue Lincoln reworks bonus plan for dealers Pain spreads beyond Detroit: Nissan offers employee buyouts Mitsubishi changes dealer advisory board GM repeats employee discount program Ford merges brands' sales, marketing After 5 funky years, Toyota's Scion now finds itself in a funk It's a body, er, a bus by Fisher At Tech Center, form follows function Industry nemesis again turns up heat on climate Right products, diverse customers raise suppliers' profits Last-minute leases swamp Chrysler With leases off the table, Chrysler offers new sales incentives GM favors 4 endorsed vendors of dealer management systems GKN to supply F-150 FX4's differential For sale: 2 Metaldyne plants 1 week's notice: Chrysler dealers deserved better Get used to the roller coaster That 1934 Reo had a clutch pedal We sell what the public wants Decision makers can't use hindsight Detroit's truck trauma is self-inflicted Why won't consumers buy Detroit cars? Speaking of ads, don't overlook VW Software helps dealers manage parts Service survey: Customer satisfaction rises Researcher: Vehicles can prevent crashes Personnel Microsoft will offer Live Search Dealers Picture This Nissan offers buyouts to its Tenn. workers Lincoln-Mercury exec joins Kia Kaline out at Ford Penske earnings drop slightly Asbury will move; profits slip S&P downgrades American Axle Best sales news: July is over Now THAT'S resale value ... Sirius-XM satellite radio deal: A mixed bag Don't be misled by Chery's sales; it's a key player McCurdy applies some political (tire) pressure A star is born: The saga of the shrinking sticker Our flag is still there Obama-mobile? Or McCain-carrier? Automotive News - August 4, 2008 Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - (Page Intro) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - GM's really bad news: Its revenue (Page 1) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - GM's really bad news: Its revenue (Page 2) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Ford merges brands' sales, marketing (Page 3) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - After 5 funky years, Toyota's Scion now finds itself in a funk (Page 4) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - After 5 funky years, Toyota's Scion now finds itself in a funk (Page 5) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Right products, diverse customers raise suppliers' profits (Page 6) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Right products, diverse customers raise suppliers' profits (Page 7) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - With leases off the table, Chrysler offers new sales incentives (Page 8) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - With leases off the table, Chrysler offers new sales incentives (Page 9) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - For sale: 2 Metaldyne plants (Page 10) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - For sale: 2 Metaldyne plants (Page 11) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Decision makers can't use hindsight (Page 12) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Decision makers can't use hindsight (Page 13) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Speaking of ads, don't overlook VW (Page 14) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Service survey: Customer satisfaction rises (Page 15) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Personnel (Page 16) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Dealers (Page 17) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Dealers (Page 18) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Picture This (Page 19) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Picture This (Page 20) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Picture This (Page 21) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Picture This (Page 22) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Picture This (Page 23) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Nissan offers buyouts to its Tenn. workers (Page 24) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - S&P downgrades American Axle (Page 25) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - S&P downgrades American Axle (Page 26) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Best sales news: July is over (Page 27) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Best sales news: July is over (Page 28) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Best sales news: July is over (Page 29) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Obama-mobile? Or McCain-carrier? (Page 30) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Obama-mobile? Or McCain-carrier? (Page 31) Automotive News - August 4, 2008 - Obama-mobile? Or McCain-carrier? (Page 32)
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.