DealerAlert vs w.e.b. Suite

Why ADP w.e.b. Suite™ and DealerAlert are complimentary products, and not mutually exclusive.

In 2005, ADP released an enhanced version of their w.e.b. Suite series of applications called ‘w.e.b. Suite™ 2005’. It is by far the most powerful, user-friendly method of accessing and using the ADP Dealer Business System (DBS). Not only does it standardize the look and feel of most applications and sub applications, it also removes the inconsistencies of learning them. For example, to quit various routines prior to w.e.b. Suite, there were 7 different commands to end a program, and you had to remember which code worked with which program (<F3>, EX, FI, F, E, Q, and OFF).

Another large improvement for the user is the ability to ‘drill down’ in many displays and on-line reports. In the past, it wasn’t uncommon for a user to take multiple steps to research a problem, often requiring them to back out of one routine and start another to get the information they were looking for, or it forced the dealer to buy extra ‘sessions’ for each user, so they could keep multiple windows open at the same time. w.e.b. Suite 2005 has certainly made great strides for the everyday user.

DealerAlert™, from DealerScope Software, was created in 2002 and is designed to be a tool for Dealer Principals and Senior Managers (and lower-level managers in well-run organizations) to allow them to skip the steps of running, gathering, compiling, organizing, and examining data and go directly to the step of looking at exceptions to their desired business results. DealerAlert automatically scans the raw data of a dealer’s operations, ignoring those transactions that fall within customizable parameters, and Alerting the dealer to the ones that need to be checked. Not only does DealerAlert find the problems, it anticipates the next step(s) that would logically take place, and provides the available details to allow a quick business decision to be made.

The philosophy behind the w.e.b. Suite of applications, is markedly different than the philosophy behind DealerAlert. W.e.b. 2005 is primarily a ‘user interface’ enhancement, designed to make it easier for the everyday user to find data, run programs, and learn the system. Here is a quote directly from their product information sheet: “ADP w.e.b. Suite™ 2005 is a proven, enterprise solution that improves both employee productivity and efficiency”. It is a reporting and organizing tool that helps the user get their hands around the vast amounts of data in the typical DBS.

In a nutshell, w.e.b. Suite takes the reports you would ordinarily print, and displays them instead. It provides tools to dig into the reports, but it still requires you to go searching for problems or exceptions that you are looking for. DealerAlert does the grunt work for you, providing the results plus additional details to help you take the next step. If you’re like most people, the thing you value most is your (and your people’s) time. DealerAlert saves you time plus provides information that w.e.b. Suite does not. And if you’re a multi-location dealer, all your locations can be combined into one e-mail, multiplying the time savings. To summarize:

DealerAlert runs automatically – w.e.b. Suite requires you to remember to go looking for issues

DealerAlert gives you exceptions to your business rules – w.e.b. Suite presents all the data, and makes you look for the exceptions

DealerAlert is delivered to you (typically via internet e-mail). You have a record of what was found and when. You also have the ability to see things that happened if you are away – w.e.b. Suite forces you to be in front of your PC when things actually happen if you want to catch them in real time. Once something of a daily nature has passed, there is no way to ‘go back’ and see it.

DealerAlert can combine multiple locations into one e-mail – each location must be run and viewed separately in w.e.b. Suite

Below are side-by-side examples of each DealerAlert, and how w.e.b. Suite 2005 addresses the same issue. See for yourself why you need DealerAlert in addition to w.e.b. Suite.

DealerAlert	vs.	w.e.b. Suite
Sales Department		Sales Department
Over-Age Vehicles Alert		Over-Age Vehicles
You decide how many days is considered old You can pick any day (ie. 15 or 23 or 60) You can get a 15 day Alert and a 60 day Alert You can have different days for New & Used You can include or exclude: GL companies Makes Models Stock-Types (N, U, Demo, Misc, etc.) You can receive Alerts from multiple logons You have an e-mail record of what happened, and when – review the information when it’s convenient for you.		ADP decides what is considered old – 0 days, 30, 45 or 90 are your only choices. You have only one setting for all stock types (New, Used, Demo etc.) All vehicles in the logon are included (if you have sales managers by model line, you can’t display specific models for specific people) You can only view one logon at a time. You must be in front of your PC to view any information, if you’re away from the office, you won’t know what’s going on.
ROs on Recently Sold Vehicles		ROs on Recently Sold Vehicles
See if a vehicle that was just sold is back in the shop Can Alert Sales Managers to stay on top of any potential CSI issues Can Alert Service Managers and/or Advisors so they can take extra care with these customers.		w.e.b. Suite does not have this functionality
Used Vehicle GP Analysis		Used Vehicle GP Analysis
Compare ACV and age of your current inventory to historical sales – used to assist Dealers and Sales Managers in making better stocking decisions, Shows which price point of used vehicle to stock. Shows how days in stock affects gross profit levels		w.e.b. Suite does not have this functionality
Vehicles Reaching Over Age		Vehicles Reaching Over Age
Sends a tickler that selected vehicles have reached an age threshold that they should be monitored more closely – on the day you choose		w.e.b. Suite does not have this functionality
Vehicle Gross Profit Alert		Vehicle Gross Profit Alert
Alerts you to vehicles that fall below (or above) a specified profit level. Fully customizable by: Year, Make, Model F&I Status (booked, pending, finalized, etc.) By Front and/or back gross profit levels By Salesman or Customer (so you can ignore house & wholesale deals)		w.e.b. Suite does not have this functionality

DealerAlert	vs.	w.e.b. Suite
Service Department		Service Department
Actual Hours vs. Sold Hours		Actual Hours vs. Sold Hours
Compare a technician’s clocked hours with the number of hours charged to the customer Show lost time by line or whole RO Show gained time by line or whole RO Have different parameters for customer pay, internal and warranty ROs.		w.e.b. Suite does not have this functionality
Daily Service Sales		Daily Service Sales
Shows Labor (and shop parts) sales and gross with GP% By Service Advisor and total Shows multiple logons in one Alert Can be run at multiple intervals, or as an end-of-day Alert		w.e.b. Suite does not have this functionality Some figures are available through the RAP Reports One report per store logon If set up through the Job Stack, can only run once/day Cannot be received via e-mail
Labor Gross Profit Alert		Labor Gross Profit Alert
Alerts you to individual ROs where gross profit parameters have been exceeded Manages both low and high gross exceptions Can be set to monitor by line and/or RO Customizable by: GP% (can have different % for customer, internal and warranty) Customer, Vehicle, OP-Code, Labor Type and/or RO Status		w.e.b. Suite does not have this functionality
RO Daily Count Alert		RO Daily Count Alert
Summarizes the number of ROs opened, ‘carried over’ and closed by Service Advisor Carryovers determined by ADP Status Code Delivered via e-mail automatically, whether you are at the dealership or not – available to review when it’s convenient for you		w.e.b. Suite shows similar information, but only in aggregate – no individual Service Advisor breakout available No history available – must be at your PC to view. If you are out of the dealership, you will miss that day’s information
ROs Open Too Long Alert		ROs Open Too Long Alert
Shows ROs that have been open over the specified number of days Summarizes dollar amount for each store Shows dollar amount for each RO		w.e.b. Suite shows RO counts only Dollar amounts must be requested by individual RO, one at a time No per-location dollar totals are available Even in Executive view, you can’t see the total dollar amount outstanding by store
ROs Ready to Close Alert		ROs Ready to Close Alert
Shows ROs that are ‘closeable’ by RO Status Can group by Service Advisor for large shops and/or Body Shops Summarizes dollar amount for each store Shows dollar amount for each RO Shows multiple stores in a single e-mail		w.e.b. Suite shows RO counts only No Service Advisor breakout Dollar amounts must be requested by individual RO, one at a time No per-location dollar totals are available Even in Executive view, you can’t see the total dollar amount outstanding by store
Missed Service Appointments Alert		Missed Service Appointments Alert
Can determine ‘lateness’ by minutes and hours, not only by days Can exclude customers and/or vehicles Can group by Service Advisor for large shops and/or body shops Contains customer e-mail link so Advisor can easily send a reminder e-mail directly from the Alert		Only categories for missed appointments are No show for today No show older than x days No show older than y days Shows for all customers, vehicles and Service Advisors – no organizing capabilities To view an e-mail address, you must open a pop-up window. There is no ability to immediately generate an e-mail. You must cut the address, then open your e-mail program, then paste it into the ‘To’ line
Repair Order Line Status Alert		Repair Order Line Status Alert
Be notified when a line is in any status – for any amount of time. For example, know when lines have been on hold too long, if an RO has been pre-assigned, but the tech hasn’t started working on it yet, or if a line is marked as a comeback. Organize by any (or all) of the following: customer, vehicle-id, make, model, labor-type, service advisor, op-code and status		w.e.b. Suite shows ROs that are currently in some (less than 30% of the standard – and none of the dealer-defined) statuses, but only in aggregate. You must then drill down to see individual ROs. You cannot set any time limits – all ROs in any given status are shown. You have to request status by service advisor via another step You have to be in front of your PC to view
Too Many Repairs Alert		Too Many Repairs Alert
Alerts you when a vehicle has been the shop (for any reason) x times in y days. You can ignore op-codes that might generate a false hit (high mileage/high maintenance customers) Can show comebacks even if service advisors are trying to hide the info Multiple ROs written on the same day can be counted as one (for those shops that separate customer pay from warranty ROs)		w.e.b. Suite does not have this functionality You can see comebacks, but only if the exact op-code is reused. Service advisors know this, and can slightly alter the op-code, hiding comebacks

DealerAlert	vs.	w.e.b. Suite
Parts Department		Parts Department
Daily Parts Sales		Daily Parts Sales
Shows parts sales and gross with GP% By Counterman and total Ability to separate cores Shows multiple logons in one Alert Can be run at multiple intervals, or as an end-of-day Alert		Shows total sales and GP% Cannot separate by Counterman Cannot separate cores Can only show one logon at a time You must be at your PC to see the figures
Invoice Alert		Invoice Alert
Designed to Alert you when invoices meet certain criteria Primary use is to show sales to specific customers over a set amount Can be configured to show only credits written to customers, or by certain countermen Can show quotes, invoices, and/or ROs		w.e.b. Suite does not have this functionality
Parts GP Alert		Parts GP
Alerts you when parts are sold below your specified minimum GP level(s) Can have different levels for different parts or sources Can have different levels for different people (Parts Manager at 25%, Parts and Service Director at 15%, Dealer Principal at 10%) Can exclude cores Can exclude ROs		w.e.b. Suite does not have this functionality
Parts Invoices Open Too Long		Parts Invoices Open Too Long
You decide how long is too long Can show individual Invoices, or just totals Multiple locations in one e-mail		w.e.b. Suite does not have this functionality
Parts to Negative O.H.		Parts to Negative O.H.
Can show open and/or closed invoices Can include or exclude part numbers Can include or exclude sources Can ignore credit memos Alerts come automatically, and on your schedule, you won’t miss anything, even if you’re out.		w.e.b. Suite can show parts that become negative, but there are no controls. Cannot exclude part numbers Cannot exclude sources Cannot ignore credit memos You have to be in front of your PC to see the information. If you’re out for the day, you will miss the information.
Parts Override Alert		Parts Overrides
You decide which of ADP’s 37 overrides to monitor On pricing changes, you will see the old price and GP, and the new price and GP Results can be organized by: employee number, customer number, part number and/or labor type Multiple locations in one e-mail Alerts run on schedule, so you won’t miss any if you’re out for the day		All overrides display The only dollars that show are the new prices – you don’t know: A) if they were adjusted up or down B) what the original price was C) what the GP% was and is. This forces you to take several other steps to determine whether the override was good or bad. Must be in front of your PC to see information, if you’re out, you’ll miss things – and employees will know when you’re out.
Special Order Alert		Special Orders
Parts arrived, SOR complete Parts arrived, SOR not complete Parts arrived, SOR complete & filled SOR complete over x days, unsold SOR incomplete over x days SOR created (only) Line(s) have been backordered. Line(s) have not been placed on an order even after X days. Line(s) have been cancelled. Order quantities were increased. Order quantities were decreased. Line(s) can be filled from stock. Line(s) had error(s) while rolling. Line(s) could be ordered from branch. Line(s) have insufficient qty ordered from vendor		w.e.b. Suite only shows the following: Not Ordered On Order Receipted Receipted w/Appt Receipted > x days Can only display one logon at a time Will not show availability at other branches

DealerAlert	vs.	w.e.b. Suite
Accounting Department		Accounting Department
A/R Invoice Alert (Open-item A/R Only)		A/R Aging
Besides tracking past-due accounts, the Alert monitors: Credits taken twice Partial Payments Forgotten Invoices Over-Credited Invoices Invoices paid more than once Invoices paid, parts returned Over-Paid Invoices Unmatched Payments Unmatched Credits PID Errors		Ages receivables current, 30, 60, 90 & 120 Displays subtotals in the following categories: unposted, post-ahead, credit balance, and over-limit Displays only one logon at a time
Credit Overrides		Credit Overrides
Monitors overrides in real time, allowing you to catch problems as they occur – sometimes even before the customer has left the building Can include or exclude customers and/or employees Covers both parts and service		No centralized location to monitor. We think they may be part of the parts and service manager’s desktop under Overrides (parts) or Exceptions (service), but the documentation is not clear exactly what is tracked in these categories.
Flooring Alert		Flooring Alert
Tells you when a vehicle has been sold and needs to be paid off Tells you when a vehicle has been purchased, and is available to be floored		w.e.b. Suite does not have this functionality
GL Account Balance Alert		Key Account Exceptions
Alerts you when an account has reached a specified limit Allows you to set both a low and high limit Can optionally Alert you when back in compliance		Can only specify a high or low limit No re-notification option The display only shows MTD, even if you are comparing a YTD figure You have to request and drill down to see this information, it is not highlighted anywhere.
GL Transaction Alert		GL Transaction Monitoring
Be Alerted using ANY combination of the following: Companies Accounts User (who posted the document) Journal Reference Control Control2 Minimum Amount Maximum Amount Example 1 - you could see any posting by User ‘dave’ in company 1 or 2 (but not 3 or 4) via Journal 80 over $25.00. Example 2 – you could send any policy write-off that was charged to the New Vehicle Department to the General Sales Manager		w.e.b. Suite does not have this functionality
Schedule Aging Alert		Scheduled Account Exceptions
Alerts you when a scheduled amount is too old and/or too large Can search several companies at once Can search several schedules at once Can compare both days and dollars at the same time Dollar amounts can have a minimum and/or maximum amount Example 1 – You can check 6 warranty receivable accounts across 3 dealerships for any claim over 20 days old and greater than $50, and send one e-mail to your Warranty Manager. Example 2 – You can track contracts in transit over 10 locations open longer than 3 days, and send one e-mail to your controller		Can check only one company and one account at a time Can check for days or dollars, but not both Can only check a minimum or maximum, not both
Check Alert		Check Monitoring
Know when any check (AP, manual or ODC) is written over a set amount. Can exclude vendors (floorplan, manufacturers, etc.) by number or name. Can exclude GL accounts (owner’s draw)		w.e.b. Suite does not have this functionality

DealerAlert	vs.	w.e.b. Suite
HR / Payroll Department (Requires on-board Payroll XXXX-P)		HR / Payroll Department
Employee Anniversary Alert		Employee Anniversary Report
Be Alerted when your employees have an anniversary with the company Can be set to notify you x days in advance Example 1 – Configure the Alert to run on the first of each month showing who is having an anniversary, so you can send a note or letter.		w.e.b. Suite does not have this functionality
Employee Birthday Alert		Employee Birthday Report
Be Alerted when your employees have an upcoming birthday Can be set to notify you x days in advance Can hide age		w.e.b. Suite does not have this functionality
Employee Review Alert		Employee Review Report
Be Alerted when yearly reviews are due or past due Can be set to notify x days in advance Can continue to notify until review is performed		w.e.b. Suite does not have this functionality
System / General Alerts		System / General
E-Print		E-Mailing Functionality
E-mail ANY standard or non-standard report Send MIS, DOC, schedules, etc. to your in-box instead of a public printer. Use Outlook tools to search through Documents for pieces of information Example 1 – Calculate and e-mail 43 different MIS reports to 26 different people in one step.		ADP has no capacity or ability to e-mail information from the system

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