Dayco’s Dennis Welvaert sees the information technology light
By Michael V. Freeze
Managing Editor, Counterman
DETROIT — Dennis Welvaert, president of Dayco’s North American aftermarket division, sparked memories of the late 60’s movie (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) with his presentation, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to GAAS. The 34-year industry veteran poked fun at himself as he proclaimed his aloofness towards e-business implementation a few years ago.
“(At the eForum in 2003), I figured it would be a geek fest of staggering proportions,” confessed Welvaert. “But it turned out to be entertaining, education and thought-provoking.”
The heart of Welvaert’s lesson was the “eight essential truisms for technology adoption in the aftermarket.” One of the truisms concentrated on involving company associates and customers in the integration of information technology improvement. Another addressed the importance of implementation vs. the cost of doing business, or as Welvaert put it, “If it doesn’t save money, its not worth doing.”
“We need to be more efficient, effective and profitable,” said Welvaert, who described himself as a former techno-skeptic. “Savings are not always obvious, so have faith in your people and yourself.”
Another point Welvaert touched upon was the “2-4-8 reality of the OE threat.” The OE threat rule referred to the 2 percent net profit a typical OE dealership usually makes on new cars, the 4 percent on used cars and the 8 percent profit on parts and services.
“Even a typical OE dealer can figure out that aggressively pursuing parts and services is good for the bottom line,” said Welveart. “I believe that technology is the best thing against that threat.”
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