Dealer Management System

Mobile DMS: Keep Dealership Teams Connected Beyond the Desk

Explore how mobile dealership software can provide authorized employees with access to inventory, customers, leads, deals, scanning tools, and communication while away from a primary workstation.

5 min readBy HillzDealer
HillzDealer mobile DMS showing inventory customer and deal information

Dealership activity happens in many places.

Employees may be assisting customers on the lot, inspecting a vehicle, attending an auction, moving between dealership locations, or working away from their main workstation.

A mobile DMS gives authorized dealership employees access to selected operational information from a compatible mobile device.

The purpose is not to place every desktop function on a smaller screen. It is to make useful customer, vehicle, lead, and deal information available when and where employees need it.

What Is a Mobile DMS?

A mobile dealer management system connects mobile access with the dealership’s broader software platform.

Depending on the employee’s role and selected configuration, mobile access may include:

  • Vehicle inventory
  • Customer information
  • Leads
  • Deal activity
  • VIN scanning
  • Driver’s licence scanning
  • Customer communication
  • Team communication
  • Contract status
  • Vehicle details

A mobile DMS is most valuable when information entered on the mobile device remains connected to the dealership’s central records.

Access Vehicle Information on the Lot

Employees often need to review or update vehicle information while standing beside the unit.

Mobile inventory management tools can support activities such as:

  • Reviewing vehicle details
  • Viewing vehicle status
  • Adding or editing inventory information
  • Capturing or uploading vehicle photos
  • Scanning a VIN
  • Reviewing customer interest
  • Checking related deal activity

The HillzDealer Mobile App connects these activities with the dealership’s inventory and operational information.

Use VIN Scanning

Typing a VIN manually can be time-consuming and may create avoidable entry errors.

A mobile VIN scanner allows an employee to capture a VIN from the vehicle or relevant documentation and use it within the vehicle-information workflow.

Employees should still confirm that the captured information matches the vehicle and dealership records.

Support Driver’s Licence Scanning

Driver’s licence scanning can help employees populate required customer information within supported dealership forms and workflows.

Access to customer identification information should be limited to authorized employees and managed according to dealership policies and applicable requirements.

The scanner should be viewed as a data-entry tool, not as a replacement for employee review or identity-verification procedures.

Stay Connected to Customers and Leads

Customer inquiries can require timely attention even when a salesperson is away from a desk.

Mobile CRM access can help employees review:

  • Customer information
  • Lead details
  • Vehicle interests
  • Communication history
  • Follow-up activity
  • Deal status
  • Contract status

The information remains more useful when it is connected to the dealership’s main automotive CRM.

Review Deal Activity

Managers and employees may need to understand what is happening with active transactions while moving around the dealership or between locations.

Mobile deal visibility can help authorized users review:

  • Customer and vehicle information
  • Deal activity
  • Negotiation status
  • Contract status
  • Related communication

The exact actions available should depend on the employee’s role and the dealership’s configured workflow.

Mobile access should remain limited to the actions allowed by each employee’s role and the dealership’s configured workflow.

Support Communication

In-app communication can help employees remain connected to customers, leads, and dealership activity from a mobile device.

The dealership should determine:

  • Who can communicate through the platform
  • Which messages should be retained
  • How leads are assigned
  • How communication is connected to customer records
  • Which employee roles have mobile access

Clear responsibilities are especially important for dealerships with multiple departments or locations.

Mobile Access for Different Dealership Types

Independent Dealerships

Mobile tools can help a small team work with inventory, customers, and active deals while moving between the office and vehicle lot.

Franchise Dealerships

Employees can use role-based mobile access for information relevant to sales, inventory, customer, and deal workflows.

Multi-Location Groups

Authorized employees can stay connected while moving between locations, subject to location-level and employee access settings.

BHPH Operations

Where included in the selected configuration, relevant customer account and payment information may remain connected to the dealership’s broader platform.

For dealerships offering in-house financing, mobile access can support selected BHPH account and payment workflows alongside the app’s broader inventory, customer, lead, and deal tools.

Review Mobile Access and Security Requirements

Dealerships should review how mobile access is configured for their employees and workflows, including:

  • Individual user accounts
  • Role-based access
  • Compatible mobile-device access
  • Connected dealership records

Technical security, data handling, retention, and regulatory questions should be addressed through approved documentation and requirements discussions.

How HillzDealer Supports Mobile Dealership Work

HillzDealer’s mobile platform supports:

  • Mobile inventory access
  • Customer and CRM information
  • Lead and deal activity
  • VIN scanning
  • Driver’s licence scanning
  • In-app communication

The app is available through the Apple App Store and Google Play. Available functions should be reviewed according to the dealership’s selected products, user access, configuration, and device compatibility.

Topics

Mobile DMSmobile dealership softwareautomotive DMSdealership mobile appmobile inventory managementdealership CRMVIN scannercar dealer software