Kayla Sheridan

Sally Lopez, Founder and CEO of OWL Automotive Consulting, has been named 2026 AutoTech CEO of the Year in the 7th Annual AutoTech Breakthrough Awards. With more than 38 years of experience in retail automotive, Sally has dedicated her career to helping dealerships navigate technology, operations, and organizational change. Read more about this recognition, her leadership journey, and how her vision continues to help dealerships succeed nationwide.

Is your dealership replacing computers only when they fail? Learn how a planned PC refresh strategy can reduce downtime, improve productivity, strengthen cybersecurity and make technology costs more predictable.

Dealers rarely switch DMS providers because of price alone. From technology and security to customer service, end-user impact, AI readiness, and implementation, here's what dealerships should evaluate before making a DMS change.

Cyber risks can exist in places you may never think to look. A recent malware campaign involving automotive infotainment systems highlights a larger cybersecurity lesson for dealerships: every connected device can become part of your IT environment. Learn why device visibility, inventory, updates, and proactive security matter.

Dealership accounting requires specialized experience, and financial leadership needs can change quickly. Fractional CFO services give dealerships access to experienced financial guidance while supporting succession planning, developing future accounting leaders, strengthening financial processes, and preparing the organization for continued growth.

Cybersecurity threats don't always start with someone hacking into your network. Increasingly, criminals are targeting everyday dealership business processes, including vendor payments, invoices, banking changes, and accounting workflows. In this blog, we explore why cybersecurity is just as much an accounting and operational responsibility as it is an IT responsibility. Learn how payment fraud happens, why dealerships can be attractive targets, and how strong internal controls, verification procedures, employee awareness, and collaboration between IT, Accounting, Operations, and Leadership can help protect your dealership from costly fraud.

Building a new dealership or renovating an existing facility involves much more than construction. Your DMS, network, Wi-Fi, phones, security systems, service technology, and other critical tools all depend on IT infrastructure that should be planned before the walls go up. This dealership IT construction checklist covers seven areas dealers should address early, including internet service, network infrastructure, data cabling, wireless coverage, equipment planning, cybersecurity, and move-in coordination. Learn how involving IT early can help prevent costly change orders, avoid opening-day technology issues, and create an infrastructure designed to support your dealership today and as it grows.

Buying a dealership is only the beginning. Getting the technology ready for Day One requires coordination across the DMS, users, security, computers, networks, payment systems, phones, vendors, and more. See how OWL Automotive Consulting helped Pharr Nissan of Chesterton bring the moving pieces together and transition from acquisition to ongoing operations.

OWL Automotive Consulting announces a new chapter in its leadership as co-founder Sally Lopez assumes full ownership of the firm and the role of Founder and CEO. With more than 38 years of automotive industry experience, Lopez will lead OWL's continued growth and expansion of services for dealerships nationwide.

Today's dealerships depend on technology across every department, from DMS and OEM applications to service lane tools, accounting systems, networks, and cybersecurity. But managing an increasingly complex technology environment can pull valuable time and resources away from running the dealership. In this blog post, we explore what Managed IT Services really mean for dealerships, the difference between fully managed and co-managed IT, and why more dealer groups are choosing an automotive-focused MSP. Learn how the right IT partner can help reduce downtime, strengthen cybersecurity, support dealership technology, and provide the strategic guidance needed to scale and plan for future growth.

A successful dealership DMS implementation takes much more than installing new software. From planning and data conversion to system configuration, integrations, employee training, go-live, and post-launch support, every phase plays a critical role in keeping the project on track. In this blog post, we break down the seven phases of a successful DMS implementation, common mistakes dealerships should avoid, and why experienced project management can make such a difference. Whether you're transitioning to Auto/Mate, CDK Global, Cox Automotive, DealerBuilt, Dominion, PBS, Pinewood, Reynolds and Reynolds or Tekion, learn what your dealership should expect throughout the process and how the right preparation can help minimize disruption, reduce risk, and set your team up for long-term success.

Gain an inside look at OWL Automotive Consulting's dealership IT assessment process. Learn how our team evaluates network infrastructure, cybersecurity, hardware, and hidden technology risks to help dealerships improve performance, strengthen security, and prepare for future growth.