Dealer-Built Technology: DASHBI

"Necessity is the mother of invention" - Plato

In order to understand what led to the birth of Dashbi, you need to understand the background of its Founders.

Patty Hooley, the owner of Weston Nissan, Weston Volvo and Plantation Ford, describes her reluctant entry into the automotive industry while sharing stories about her father. She motions to Bill Castano, sitting to her left; “he can tell you all about him!” Bill has been in the business for 40 years and is the Executive Manager of Weston Nissan and Weston Volvo. Patty and Bill have worked together for 30 years now. Sitting between them is Carolina Pereira, the Marketing and Technology Director of the Weston dealerships and the reason we are all here, talking about Dashbi.

Dealer Marketing Magazine (DMM) featured Carolina as part of our “I Am Marketing” series earlier in 2024. As she shared her story, it became evident that we needed to meet again, in a different context and with the rest of her founding team.

The Problem

In a fast-paced and highly competitive industry like automotive retail, the ability to make decisions based on real-time data is everything.

From the inefficient data retrieval process, to the inconsistencies in the data as a result of having to pull siloed data from various sources, the entire process of accessing data was in itself, inefficient.

Having to pull multiple separate reports in order to populate excel spreadsheets hindered decision-making. Further, the team was experiencing inconsistencies in the data output from the CRM and DMS; the fragmented data sources, siloed across the different systems, made it challenging to get an overall, holistic view of the dealership operations.

The team faced challenges in normalizing data from different systems to create a unified platform. Understanding and integrating various fields from extensive documentation required significant time and effort and often resulted in delayed decision-making based on out-dated information.

The existing solutions did not meet their specific needs for real-time data integration and reporting.

These challenges sparked internal innovation between the three Founders in early 2022.

The Solution

Meet the Founding Team

Can you introduce yourselves and share your background in the automotive industry?

• Patty Hooley: "My name is Patty Hooley. I own Weston Nissan, Weston Volvo, and Plantation Ford. I've been a car dealer for 31 years, entering the industry somewhat reluctantly due to family expectations. However, I fell in love with the car business after starting in 1993."
• Bill Castano: "I'm Bill Castano, the Executive Manager at Weston Nissan and Weston Volvo. I've been in vehicle sales for 40 years, and I’ve spent the last 30 years working alongside Patty."
• Carolina Pereira: "I'm Carolina Pereira, the Marketing and Technology Director at Weston Nissan and Weston Volvo. I've been part of the team for five years, bringing a focus on both marketing and technology."

Identification of the Need for Technology

How did you identify the need for Dashbi? Was there a particular event or pattern that triggered the idea?

• Patty Hooley: "Our need arose from the challenges we faced in accessing timely data. We realized that pulling reports from our DMS and CRM was taking too long, leading to outdated information."
• Bill Castano: "As we worked with data, it became clear that we needed something more efficient to make decisions promptly."

Challenges in Data Access

What challenges did you face in accessing real-time data from your DMS and CRM systems?

• Carolina Pereira: "We experienced inefficiencies due to the lengthy processes involved in data retrieval. There were inconsistencies in report outputs based on how they were run, making it difficult to trust the data."
• Patty Hooley: "By the time we received the reports, they were often outdated, which hindered our ability to react quickly to market changes."

Development Process

Can you describe the development process for Dashbi? How long did it take?

• Carolina Pereira: "We officially started developing Dashbi in January 2023, after a period of incubation in 202. The entire development process took about a year and a half, with significant efforts to ensure we addressed the real needs of dealers."
• Patty Hooley: "The development process for Dashbi was both meticulous and collaborative. Initially, we spent considerable time analyzing our existing data systems and identifying specific pain points that we wanted to address. We engaged a dedicated development team, focusing on our unique needs as dealers rather than relying solely on generic solutions. This involved a series of iterative cycles where we developed, tested, and refined the application based on real feedback from our team. While we officially began development in January 2023, the groundwork started long before that, during the pandemic, as we recognized the growing importance of real-time data. Overall, the entire process took about 18 months, but we ensured every aspect was crafted to suit the daily operational realities of dealership life."

Features and Functionality

What are the core features of Dashbi?

• Patty Hooley: "Dashbi is designed to provide real-time data access from both our DMS and CRM. It’s user-friendly and offers a mobile-first approach, allowing us to manage our data securely from anywhere."
• Bill Castano: "The platform combines information from sales, service, finance, and parts, providing a comprehensive overview of dealership operations."

Impact on Dealership Operations

How has Dashbi changed the way your dealership operates?

• Patty Hooley: "With Dashbi, we can now access real-time data and make decisions quickly. For instance, we noticed an internet salesperson had zero appointments early in the month, allowing us to address the issue before it escalated."
• Carolina Pereira: "We use Dashbi in our sales meetings to review performance metrics, making it easier to track our progress daily."

User-Experience and Adoption

What has been the feedback from your team regarding the usability of Dashbi?

• Bill Castano: "The interface is designed to be as intuitive as an iPhone, making it easy for everyone to use. It has empowered our sales managers to monitor their performance in real-time."
• Patty Hooley: "Our staff appreciates having access to accurate data, which fosters a sense of control and accountability."

The Influence on the Broader Automotive Industry

How do you think Dashbi's approach could influence the broader automotive industry?

• Patty Hooley: "By giving dealers control over their data and the ability to act on it quickly, Dashbi has the potential to elevate the entire industry. We want to see more dealers succeed through data-driven decisions."
• Bill Castano: "This tool addresses a fundamental issue in the industry—many dealers lack accurate data at their fingertips. Dashbi provides a solution that is both simple and powerful."

The Future of Dashbi

What are your future plans for Dashbi? Are there any upcoming features or expansions?

• Carolina Pereira: "We are excited to continue expanding Dashbi's capabilities. One of our primary goals is to incorporate more advanced analytics and reporting tools that allow dealers to not only access data but also gain predictive insights to drive their marketing and sales strategies."
• Patty Hooley: "We're also looking into integrating additional third-party applications to enhance functionality. For example, incorporating tools for inventory management and customer relationship enhancements can provide a more holistic view of dealership operations."
• Bill Castano: "We aim to enhance the mobile experience further, ensuring that users can access all features seamlessly on their smartphones and tablets. This means optimizing the user interface and ensuring that all functionalities are easily navigable on any device."

The Dashbi team is exploring user customization options that will allow dealerships to tailor the dashboard to fit their specific needs and preferences. By providing the flexibility to focus on the metrics that matter most to their operations, Dashbi will continue to evolve through . establishing an ongoing feedback loop with users. As they gain traction in the market, the team envisions expanding their reach to more dealerships across various regions and exploring partnerships with manufacturer networks to position Dashbi as a standard tool for data-driven decision-making in the automotive industry.

Throughout the conversation with the Founders of Dashbi, what remained evident is their camaraderie and commitment. They know each other well, they know the dealership environment well and they understand the problem that they are solving.

There is something honorable about dealer-built technology.

From the perspective of truly understanding the problems for which they are solving, they clearly have an advantage. They have been able to test and refine their product and their commitment to creating a viable solution extends beyond the walls of their own dealerships.

We are proud to introduce Dashbi as our first dealer-built technology review.

This is not sponsored content.

This is a story about a great product built by an experienced team of dealership professionals.