Summary
Frustrated by the &v-highlight;constraints of an expensive and inflexible CRM platform,&:v-highlight; PrivateFleet—a leading automotive services company in Australia—sought a solution that could support their unique workflows and long-term growth. Mechsoft stepped in to build a fully customized automotive CRM solution, tailored to the client's operational model and evolving business ideas.
This transformation not only improved efficiency and adaptability but also established a trusted, 13+ year partnership that expanded beyond CRM into full IT infrastructure support. It stands as a strong example of successful &v-highlight;industry-specific CRM&:v-highlight; implementation that empowered innovation in a competitive market.
Overview
PrivateFleet connects car buyers with competitive offers from dealerships, acting as an intermediary that simplifies vehicle purchasing for customers. Their business relies heavily on managing thousands of client interactions, &v-highlight;dealer communications, and workflow automation,&:v-highlight; all of which demanded a highly &link-/products/best-crm-for-small-business;tailored CRM solution.&:link-/products/best-crm-for-small-business;
Business challenge
The client’s previous off-the-shelf CRM in the automobile context presented multiple roadblocks to innovation:
- &v-highlight;Limited customization&:v-highlight; options
- High fees for even minor enhancements
- Long development queues and vendor lock-in
- Inability to optimize or iterate on internal processes
- Barriers to exploring new business opportunities
These limitations made it difficult for the client to scale their offerings, improve operations, or explore innovative customer engagement strategies typical of &v-highlight;CRM software for car dealerships.&:v-highlight;
Solution approach
1. Initial Collaboration & Domain Understanding
Our journey with the client began through a small real estate project involving &link-https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation;Google Maps integration.&:link-https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation; After successful delivery, the client approached us with their core automotive CRM problem.
Although we were new to the automotive domain, our team quickly grasped the nuances of the industry, the client’s workflow, and the bottlenecks caused by their previous CRM system. This deep dive enabled us to propose a truly &v-highlight;custom CRM development roadmap.&:v-highlight;
2. Building a Fully Customized Automotive CRM
We built the CRM system from scratch, using modern technologies and an &v-highlight;agile problem-solving approach.&:v-highlight; The new platform was designed to:
- Align with their specific business workflows
- Enable easy customization without external dependency
- Improve usability for internal teams and partner dealers
- Support future expansion into other services and integrations
The result was a robust automotive CRM solution that gave the client &v-highlight;full control over their business processes and roadmap.&:v-highlight;
3. Evolving Into a Strategic Partnership
This engagement quickly evolved from software development to strategic partnership:
- We delivered &v-highlight;continuous updates and enhancements &:v-highlight; to keep the CRM aligned with the client’s growth
- Took full ownership of their IT infrastructure, including &v-highlight;hosting, support, and system performance &:v-highlight;
- Provided round-the-clock support tailored to their local timezone
- Advised on &v-highlight;new business models &:v-highlight; that the flexible CRM could support
This partnership became an example of how industry-specific CRM can be a launchpad for innovation when combined with the right technology and collaborative mindset.
Key features delivered
- &v-highlight;Fully customizable CRM &:v-highlight; platform built for the automotive industry
- Workflow automation for customer interactions and dealership coordination
- Configurable modules for &v-highlight;lead management, deal tracking,&:v-highlight; and follow-ups
- High scalability and performance tuning to support growing operations
- Seamless communication tools for internal teams and external dealers
- End-to-end infrastructure, support including hosting, backups, and monitoring
Outcome & results
Total CRM Control
The client gained full flexibility over their business workflows, feature roadmap, and internal process improvements.
Operational Efficiency
Tasks that were earlier constrained by vendor roadblocks became seamless and agile.
Revenue and Innovation Growth
With no CRM limitations, the client could explore and implement new business ideas quickly.
Long-Term Partnership
A trusted relationship spanning 13+ years, covering not just CRM, but all their core IT operations.
Real Industry Fit
The CRM evolved to reflect the reality of the automotive business, proving the value of CRM in the automobile environment built through custom CRM development.