As a lack of ongoing training continues to impact employee retention and overall profitability, dealerships nationwide are hard-pressed to reassess their employee programming strategies. According to a recent Cox Automotive dealership staffing study, only 54 percent of new hires in customer-facing roles said they received enough training to effectively do their jobs. To help dealerships address this enduring training gap, Dealertrack DMS, a Cox Automotive brand, is launching its Lifetime Learning Portal.

With access to a variety of support channels, including event-based trainings, peer-to-peer support and online education, the Lifetime Learning Portal enables dealership personnel to tailor their training regimen to their own learning style.

"Over the past couple of years, Dealertrack DMS has been honing its dealer-centric approach to ensure dealership personnel receive the superior training and education they need to get the most out of their DMS," said Matt Hurst, Director of Client Services, Dealertrack DMS. "Want training in person? No problem. Prefer peer-to-peer? Click here. The Lifetime Learning Portal meets dealership personnel where they are and hosts content to fit all learning styles."

In 2017, Dealertrack DMS hosted DMS Edge, its first annual virtual training program, as well as the Dealertrack DMS Controller Conference, its first annual in-person training event. The following year, Dealertrack DMS took it one step further with the launch of DMS 360, the company's new, peer-to-peer self-service portal where users can easily access support and share best practices across dealerships as well as with Dealertrack DMS team members online. Now, all of these resources, in addition to on-demand webinars, can be accessed in one place online, creating a more seamless learning experience that gives dealership personnel the opportunity to advance their DMS knowledge in a way that works best for them.

"Dealertrack has put a focus on the users who rely on the DMS day in and day out," said Robert Beaslin, Controller of Mark Miller Auto Group in Salt Lake City, Utah. "From peer-to-peer to webinars and virtual and in-person conferences, the brand's Lifetime Learning programming has enabled our employees to get significantly more out of the existing DMS software, helping them to become more effective and successful in their roles at the dealership."

The next installment of Dealertrack DMS' Lifetime Learning programming will be DMS Edge 2018, its second annual virtual user event series, running September 18 through September 21, 2018. Over the course of four days and 18 virtual sessions, DMS Edge will bring on-demand training and DMS best practices directly to thousands of dealership personnel online.

"DMS Edge gives dealership personnel a chance to get an inside look at the DMS without ever having to leave their desk," said Randy Kobat, Senior Vice President of Cox Automotive brands vAuto, HomeNet, Rebates & Incentives, and Dealertrack DMS. "Following the first annual DMS Edge series in 2017, which reached 3,500 users, this year's event promises to take training to the next level to help dealerships maximize the value of the DMS and give them a competitive edge."

Keynote speakers for the event include Dealertrack's VP of Operations John Grace, Google Automotive Retail Strategist Tim Mueller and tax expert Greg White.