WHO, WHAT and WHERE is
Automotive Dealer Management, Inc.

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Who, Where and What For
ADMI is a Michigan corporation located in beautiful Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was founded in 1980 after nearly 20 man-years of research to determine and then apply the common denominator for "success" for car dealer fixed operations.

Over the years ADMI has evolved beyond serving only the dealer organization. We are pleased that our expertise has become recognized by both manufacturers and dealers in the application of business processes to administer, measure and achieve operating goals. We believe in a partnership between dealers and manufacturers and between "Parts" departments and "Service" departments. We work to improve those relationships.

The Common Denominator For Success
So what is the common denominator for success? In simplest terms, for both the "Parts" and the "Service" functions, it is to "Buy What You Sell / Sell What You Buy". Not an earth-shaking revelation. However, the "mechanisms" to drive the processes associated with each function are elusive and surprising.

"Parts" and "Service" Share Common Elements
We discovered that both activities share many common elements; the Parts Department revolves around an inventory of parts; the Service Department revolves around an inventory of labor. Both inventories require substantial technical expertise and both inventories are based on forecasts for future sales.

Another common element is that both forecasts rely on data (accurate, complete and timely) to gather and process sales history to determine future requirements and to report current Parts / Labor availability and skills.

The "Tool"
The tool to drive this process, of course, is the computer. The User, either the Parts Manager or the Service Manager, sets certain computer parameters instructing how to collect the data and how to report the data - in terms of dealership operating and profit objectives.

The Role Of The Manager
The role of the Manager, then, is to apply the reported data to guide and drive the business processes.

For the Parts Manager, the principal output is the Suggested Stock Order. It should reflect purchase requirements based on inventory turn, parts availability and profit / ROI objectives.

For the Service Manager, the principal output is a Scheduling document to meter labor skills and availability with current and future workload to maximize technician efficiency and facility productivity.

The Road To Success Re-Defined
So, back to the original question; what is the common denominator for success? Really, it is "data management"! Every physical activity that occurs within either department and every labor skill and timing associated with each service operation is represented by "data".

The Manager who controls the data, implements processes to ensure the integrity and completeness of the data, and who understands the output of the computer will lead his department to success as measured and determined by the computer parameters set by the Dealer Principal.

ADMI - Teaching and Applying The Tools
Well, easier said than done! Both departments are data-intensive, with objectives sometimes at odds with each other and difficult to control because of the complexity of the computer systems.

Thus, a primary service provided by ADMI is to teach and apply business processes to achieve data integrity and to provide comprehensive DMS-specific understanding of the structure and capability of the computer so that both departments together may achieve dealership objectives.

Additional Program Measures and Administration
Over the years ADMI has become global with clients on nearly every continent. The experience we have gained working with several thousand Parts and Service activities has also led us into various projects involving research, design, measurement and administration of manufacturer programs to benefit dealer Parts and Service operations.

In the years to come, we will continue to expand our skills and services keeping in mind a philosophy that has served us well over the years: "Everybody Must Win - Manufacturers, Dealers, Managers, ADMI and its Employees". There will never be a program, process or activity promoted, sponsored or administered by ADMI where the success of one is achieved at the expense of another.