COO Joe Tautges shares recap of CDK Global’s first conference

CDK Global recently held its first conference known as CDK Connect, an event filled with industry experts, breakout sessions, and so much more. Joining us now to give us a recap of the conference is Joe Tautges, Chief Operating Officer of CDK Global.

It was a chance for us to really tell our story of what we’ve been up to, says Tautges. Over the last three years, he says they figured out how to connect end to end and the workflow integration seamlessly for dealers.

Consumers’ expectations are changing a lot. They want a simple and convenient car buying process. From Tautges’s perspective, he says dealers need to pivot their business models to capitalize on that opportunity and to stay strong. He says that’s CDK’s opportunity to support them in that endeavor. Tautges says they think about, where is the industry headed, what do consumers want, and how does EVs play into that?

From Tautges’s point of view, data intelligence is also important. For both the OEMs and the dealers. Use it in a way that’s thoughtful and helpful to consumers. Consumers want to build trust with the dealer and with the brand their buying. They also want to feel well taken care of. Over 12,000 dealerships use CDK software and over 50% of cars sold go through their software. CDK is ready to bring the next generation of experiences to market.

Tautges has plans for the conference to become annual and looks to increase communication more frequently. In the next five to ten years things will change says, Tautges. The dealerships will change and the dealers will be at the heart of it. They are excited by the future, investments they’re going to continue to make it and partnering with them to make lasting success.

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