Sir Walter Chevrolet, a premier automotive retailer in Raleigh, North Carolina, transformed its operations by consolidating from multiple disconnected systems to Tekion's cloud and AI-native unified Automotive Retail Cloud (ARC). The result: best sales month in seven years, 42% faster reconditioning, $300–$400 per-vehicle increases in back-end profitability, top 2% national CSI rankings, and elimination of 10+ third-party integrations.

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The Challenge: Breaking Free From System Fragmentation

For years, Sir Walter Chevrolet relied on the Cox Automotive ecosystem—Dealertrack for DMS, VinSolutions for CRM, and Xtime for service. Though under one parent company, these were three entirely separate systems that operated independently.

The pain points:

1. Constant system switching: Sales staff navigated between dashboards to complete a single customer transaction.
2. Data silos and manual re-entry: Customer information had to be manually entered into credit applications, desking tools, and service records.
3. Fragmented vendor ecosystem: Multiple plug-ins and vendor contracts created hidden costs and complexity.
4. Slow F&I workflow: Finance teams couldn't access data early enough to efficiently build deal menus.
5. Broken communication: Service advisors, technicians, and sales teams couldn't access unified notes, which extended service cycles and created transparency gaps.

Sir Walter Chevrolet's leadership knew they needed a unified platform.

"We were a long-time Cox Automotive client using Dealertrack, VinSolutions, and Xtime. Even though they were all under the Cox umbrella, they were three different systems that operated independently. That hindered our ability to work together and created a lot of inefficiencies in our process."

— Matt Birckhead, Dealer Principal at Sir Walter Chevrolet

The Solution: One Platform, One Database

Tekion's cloud and AI-native unified Automotive Retail Cloud (ARC) runs all sales, service, and parts on a single database with real-time synchronization. Data entered once automatically flows to all departments. By consolidating what used to require multiple disconnected systems into a single, coherent platform, Sir Walter Chevrolet eliminated the friction that slowed down deals, service cycles, and team collaboration.

"Tekion truly is the only platform out there that is truly unified in the automotive space."

— Matt Birckhead, Dealer Principal at Sir Walter Chevrolet

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The Results: Measurable Transformation

Sales Acceleration & Deal Speed

Sir Walter Chevrolet achieved its best sales month in seven years after implementing Tekion. The key driver: faster deal cycles. Data entered in the CRM automatically populates credit applications and deal desk information, allowing F&I teams to prepare earlier and more accurately. Result: $300–$400 per-vehicle increase in back-end PVR, with faster deal closure and better F&I penetration.

"AI Lead Snapshot summarizes each lead right at the top of the screen. It makes it extremely easy to see exactly what the customer is asking for and what information they're looking for. That creates a much faster response time for our sales folks."

— Matt Birckhead, Dealer Principal at Sir Walter Chevrolet

Customer Communication & Service Trust

Technicians now instantly share photos, videos, and recommendations directly to customers via an integrated app. Transparent communication between advisor and customer has driven a significant jump in labor utilization: hours per RO (repair order) increased from 1.2–1.3 to 2.0–2.1. Customers approve more recommended services when they see clear evidence of the work needed.

"With an actual app on the phone, you can go in and add the video from whatever recommendations...that gets sent directly to the customer. And that honestly builds trust within the techs and our customers."

—Davante Caldwell, Quick Lube Service Tech at Sir Walter Chevrolet

Operational Efficiency: Reconditioning

Reconditioning time dropped from over 10 days to 5.8 days—a 42% reduction—and is now under 5 days. Real-time visibility and cross-department communication eliminate delays. Management can view trends hourly and adjust workflow instantly.

Customer Satisfaction: Top 2%

Sir Walter Chevrolet now ranks in the top 2% nationally for CSI on the sales side, driven by faster cycles, transparent communication, and AI-powered lead insights.

Simplified Vendor Relationships

Sir Walter Chevrolet eliminated at least 10 third-party integrations, reducing vendor contracts, support costs, and IT overhead.

"We had the best month we've ever had probably in seven years, and I attribute a lot of that to us fine-tuning our process with Tekion and making it more seamless for the customer."

—Mike Carlson, General Manager at Sir Walter Chevrolet

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Before & After: Quantified Results

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Why This Matters: The Hidden Cost of Fragmentation

Most dealerships still operate with legacy systems that don't talk to each other—DMS, CRM, service management—all storing data separately. The costs are real: operational drag, margin leakage from slow F&I processes, extended reconditioning cycles, and poor customer experience.

A unified platform isn't a nice-to-have—it's a competitive necessity. Dealerships on cloud-native architecture with real-time data and integrated workflows move faster, sell more per transaction, retain customers better, and keep teams more engaged.

Sir Walter Chevrolet proved transformation is possible. The ROI came quickly: better sales performance, operational efficiency, improved CSI, and a simpler vendor ecosystem.

Ready to see what a truly unified platform can do for your dealership?

Request a demo with Tekion today.

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FAQs

What time savings can a dealership expect when switching to Tekion?

Sir Walter Chevrolet eliminated constant switching between multiple systems and manual data re-entry. The service team found they no longer need to leave their work area to communicate updates, directly improving focus and throughput.

How much does eliminating third-party integrations save?

Sir Walter Chevrolet eliminated 10+ integrations, reducing vendor contracts, support costs, and IT complexity. Beyond direct savings, consolidating with one vendor means simpler invoicing and a single support line.

Will Tekion really help improve CSI?

Yes. Sir Walter Chevrolet went from the industry average to the top 2% nationally after unifying on Tekion. Gains come from faster sales cycles, transparent service communication, and AI-powered personalization.

How fast is the ROI after switching to Tekion?

Sir Walter Chevrolet saw their best sales month in seven years shortly after implementing Tekion. Reconditioning and speed improvements became apparent immediately as teams used real-time tracking tools.

Is the transition to Tekion difficult?

While there's always transition effort, Sir Walter Chevrolet's team found the unified platform easier to adopt than managing three separate systems. The payoff: one system instead of many, one vendor, and instant access to real-time insights.

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