When Capital Buick GMC's leadership decided to replace their aging DMS in 2021, they did so out of necessity, not choice. Their fixed operations were hemorrhaging profit. The dealership needed a modern platform to reverse the trend—but that journey would first require their teams to overcome real fears about change.

What happened next offers a powerful lesson: success depends less on the technology itself and more on the partnership and willingness to embrace it. Three years later, Capital Buick GMC has achieved a 113% increase in fixed operations profitability and a 63% year-over-year revenue increase—and they're not done yet.

The Challenge—Struggling Against Legacy Constraints

By 2021, Capital Buick GMC faced mounting operational friction. Their outdated DMS lacked the integration, reporting, and mobility capabilities needed to compete in a rapidly evolving market. Service and Parts—their profit engines—were underperforming, weighed down by disconnected systems, manual workflows, and limited visibility into costs and revenue streams.

More than the technology, though, the dealership faced an organizational challenge. The decision to change systems sparked anxiety among employees and management alike. A DMS isn't just software; it's the backbone of daily operations. The fear of disruption, coupled with the real pain of learning new systems while operating a busy dealership, made skepticism understandable.

The team recognized they needed a partner who could guide them through this transition—not just hand them new software and disappear.

The Solution—Partnering for Transformation

Capital Buick GMC's leadership chose Tekion's Automotive Retail Cloud (ARC) for its modern architecture, cloud- and AI-native design, and—critically—its commitment to partnership during implementation. They understood that implementation wasn't just a technical milestone; it was the start of a relationship.

The early weeks tested this partnership. Concerns about disruption proved real. But as the team began accepting Tekion's support and exploring what the platform could do, perspectives shifted. The turning point came when they realized the platform was intuitive, the partner was invested in their success, and the possibilities were genuine.

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The Results—Building a Competitive Advantage

Fixed Operations Profitability Redefined

The most striking outcome is the 113% increase in fixed operations profitability since 2021. This wasn't accidental—it came from the platform's ability to surface hidden opportunities in service scheduling, parts ordering, and cost management that Capital Buick GMC's old system obscured. Real-time dashboards gave managers the visibility they needed to make smarter decisions faster.

"What Tekion has done for us is tighten up our game in all sorts of different areas."

—Adam Mohl, General Manager at Capital GMC Buick

Revenue Growth Across the Business

Between 2021 and 2023, total revenue grew 63% year over year. This reflects not just better operations, but better customer experiences—which drive retention and wallet share.

Cross-Department Collaboration That Matters

One of the most tangible wins: departmental collaboration. Parts and Service teams can now coordinate seamlessly. Purchase orders flow into sales orders without manual re-entry. Inventory visibility is shared in real time. This integration eliminated redundant work and significantly reduced order cycle time.

Deal Transparency and Customer Communication

The platform's transparency tools have transformed how Capital Buick GMC presents deals. Mobile check-in capabilities let advisors maintain conversations with customers while gathering needs—turning a manual process into a fluid dialogue.

"I'm a huge fan of Mobile Check-In. It allows us to carry on the conversation with the customer while finding out what their needs are."

—Brad Gatschene, Assistant Service Manager at Capital GMC Buick

Customer Experience That Shows

ARC’s mobile-first design and unified workflows have raised CSI scores to 97% and customer retention to 93%. Customers feel the difference when systems work seamlessly behind the scenes. Advisors spend less time on administrative tasks and more time delivering service. That shift is visible.

"Once you get started with Tekion, you realize how user-friendly it is, and those nerves go away really quickly."

—Kayla Krowchenko, Service Advisor at Capital GMC Buick

Simplicity as a Competitive Edge

What surprised the team most wasn't the power of ARC’s features—it was how intuitive they felt. There's no learning cliff. The system mirrors how dealership teams naturally think about their work.

"Just everything makes sense. It's intuitive on a user level, and it's intuitive in the big picture."

—Adam Mohl, General Manager at Capital GMC Buick

Attracting Better Talent

Because ARC is so user-friendly, Capital Buick GMC discovered they could hire for customer service skills rather than DMS expertise. This significantly broadens the talent pool and lets them build teams with stronger customer instincts, not just software experience.

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By the Numbers—Capital Buick GMC's Growth

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Why This Matters for Your Dealership

If you're running a dealership today, you're likely facing the same pressures Capital Buick GMC faced: legacy systems holding you back, underperforming fixed operations, and competitive pressure from dealerships that have already modernized. The gap between a unified cloud platform and fragmented legacy systems is no longer marginal—it's existential.

The real lesson from Capital Buick GMC isn't just about metrics. It's about recognizing that modern dealership management isn't a cost center—it's a profit generator. When your operations, customer data, and financial insights are unified in one platform, you stop managing friction and start building advantage.

"I think there are two types of dealerships: one, the dealership that's on Tekion, and two, the dealership that's going to be on Tekion."

—Adam Mohl, General Manager at Capital GMC Buick

Ready to see what unified operations could mean for your bottom line?

Request a demo with Tekion today.

FAQs

How long does implementation typically take?

Implementation timelines vary, but the key is that it's just a starting point. The real value emerges in the weeks and months after go-live as your team becomes fluent with the platform and discovers optimization opportunities.

Will employees struggle with the transition?

Initial concerns are normal, but once teams use Tekion's intuitive interface and see how it simplifies daily work, skepticism fades quickly—usually within the first few weeks of real-world use.

Can we really see profitability gains like Capital Buick GMC did? Results depend on your starting point and execution, but unified systems consistently uncover hidden margin opportunities in service scheduling, parts inventory, and cost management that fragmented systems miss.

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