Why Dealerships Delay Big Changes—and How OWL Makes Them Possible

Why I Love Working for OWL—and Why You Might Want to Work with Us

Before joining OWL, I worked in dealerships for over 15 years. I’d go to conferences, attend 20 Groups, and network with some of the best in the business. I came home full of ideas to improve processes, get better reporting, operate more efficiently, and lighten the load for my team.

Some of those ideas I was able to implement. But many of them? They stayed on a “someday” list. Not because I didn’t believe in them—but because I simply didn’t have the bandwidth to pull them off.

Over time, I realized this wasn’t just my experience. In every store I worked in—and in the dozens of dealerships I’ve worked with since joining OWL—I saw the same thing: systems that were pieced together out of necessity, then left alone because they were “working well enough.”

Fixing something the right way often feels too hard, too disruptive, or just too time-consuming to take on.

Changing an accounting process or sales workflow impacts more than just the process—it affects your people, your operations, and your day-to-day flow. And when things are already running at full speed, finding the time and energy to make a change just doesn’t feel realistic.

When I Joined OWL...

I laughed to myself and said, “I wish I could quit and go back to my old stores just so I could hire OWL to finally tackle my dream list.”

OWL has the people, the structure, and the bandwidth to get big things done—and they know how to do it without slowing down your team or burning out your staff. It’s a dream scenario for anyone who’s ever sat on a list of “things I’d fix if I had the time.”

Why We Don't Make Big Changes as Dealers

Let’s be honest—there are good reasons change gets delayed:

•    It’s working well enough, and people are set in their ways.
•    We’ve made the systems fit us, even if it means using them in ways they weren’t designed.
      (Example: “We want Reynolds to work like CDK because that’s what we’re used to.”)
•    Time. It takes weeks to plan and execute change—and no one has weeks to spare.
•    We don’t even know where to start.

That's Where OWL Comes In

If you’re sitting on a bucket list of changes—reporting upgrades, operational streamlining, security improvements, rebalancing staff workloads, exploring new DMS options, it might be time to bring in a partner.

Our Operational Assessments are a great first step.

We provide an unbiased, fresh look at your current environment and give you actionable insights. You can take those and run with them internally—or you can bring us in to manage the heavy lifting, so your team doesn’t lose momentum.

We Work With:

•    Dealers preparing for sale who want clean books and clean processes before going to market
•    Growing groups who want to standardize and align operations before adding new rooftops
•    Stores evaluating their DMS and wondering if it’s time to make a switch
•    **Teams ready to slim down, scale up, or finally address the things they’ve been “making work” for too long

So, Get Out That Bucket List

Let’s see what’s on it — and figure out what’s possible.
You might be surprised how much progress you can make with the right support behind you.

Want to explore if an assessment is right for your store or group? Let’s start with a quick call.