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Dealership operations, explained.

Educational guides on the processes, systems, and metrics behind modern Canadian automotive retail. Written by the team at Dealer by Design Inc. for dealership operators, managers, and anyone trying to understand how dealerships actually work.

Systems & software

Long-form educational content on the software platforms and technology stacks that run modern dealerships.

What is a Dealership Management System (DMS)?

Complete guide to DMS platforms — what they do, the major Canadian providers, and how to choose the right one.

What Are DMS Integrations?

How dealership software connects to the DMS — real-time, batch, webhooks, and everything in between.

What is a Dealership CRM?

The sales workflow tool every dealership uses — what it does, how it differs from a DMS, and the major Canadian providers.

What is Dealership Desking Software?

Desking explained — what it is, what the software does, and what to look for when evaluating tools.

How Dealership Inventory Feeds Work

AutoTrader, HomeNet, Cars Commerce — how vehicles get from the dealership lot to the sites where customers shop.

What Are Vehicle History Reports?

Carfax Canada, CARPROOF, what's on a report, and how dealers and consumers use them in the used-car process.

Processes & workflows

The core operational processes that run every day at a dealership — from acquisition through delivery.

What is Dealership Reconditioning?

The reconditioning process explained — the 6-step workflow, why each day costs $37-$45, and how top dealerships cut cycles in half.

How Does a Vehicle Trade-In Work?

The dealership trade-in process — how appraisals work, how dealers value trades, and the compliance requirements.

Spot Delivery and Conditional Delivery

Releasing a vehicle before financing is finalized — why the Canadian rules differ sharply from the American ones, and how to run it cleanly.

We-Owe Forms and Outstanding Items

What belongs on a we-owe form, how a you-owe differs, and how to keep outstanding items from ageing out of everyone's memory.

The Vehicle Delivery Process

From sold to hand-off — pre-delivery prep, we-owe tracking, why delivery day matters for CSI.

How Dealerships Acquire Used Vehicles

Trade-ins, auctions, lease returns, and street purchases — the five sources behind every used car lot.

How the Dealership F&I Process Works

Finance & Insurance explained — the menu approach, aftermarket products, and why F&I drives so much dealership profit.

What is a Dealership BDC?

Business Development Centres explained — how they handle leads, set appointments, and the metrics that drive performance.

How Does Vehicle Leasing Work?

Leasing explained — residual value, money factor, lease vs finance, and what happens at lease end.

Metrics & performance

The numbers that matter most in dealership operations — what to measure, how to calculate it, and what good looks like.

Days to Frontline (DTF)

The most important used car metric — what DTF is, how to calculate it, NADA benchmarks, and how to improve it.

What is Front-Line Readiness (FLR)?

The quality standard that pairs with DTF — what makes a vehicle truly ready, and why it matters.

What Are Dealership CSI Scores?

Customer Satisfaction Index explained — what it measures, how it affects profitability, and how to improve it.

What is Service Absorption Rate?

The most important fixed ops metric — why 100% absorption matters, how to calculate it, and how top dealerships get there.

Canada-specific & structural

Compliance, regulation, and multi-store operations — the context that makes Canadian dealerships unique.

Canadian Dealership Compliance

OMVIC, AMVIC, VSA, OPC — the provincial regulators, their requirements, and the federal laws that apply to every Canadian dealer.

OMVIC and the Ontario Dealer Licence

A deep dive on Ontario's motor vehicle dealer regulator — licensing, CPD, mandatory disclosures, and enforcement.

OMVIC Mandatory Disclosures

What Ontario dealers must disclose in writing — the $3,000 rule, the 90-day cancellation right, and how to make disclosure a tracked process.

AMVIC and the Alberta Dealer Licence

Alberta's motor vehicle regulator — licensing, the Consumer Compensation Fund, mandatory disclosures, and enforcement.

VSA and the BC Dealer Licence

BC's motor vehicle regulator — registration steps, costs by dealer category, salesperson licensing, and the 2026 transaction levy.

Becoming a Car Salesperson in Ontario

What the job pays, how commission pay plans work, what Ontario law guarantees, and what the retention data says.

Dealerships and Auto Insurance in Ontario

Why dealerships can't sell auto insurance, what they can do instead, and what FSRA's Point of Sale TLE changes.

Multi-Rooftop Dealership Operations

How dealer groups coordinate across locations — shared systems, operational challenges, and best practices.

United States & federal

The federal rules that govern US dealership operations. These are genuinely different from the Canadian requirements above rather than a variation on them — disclosure lives on a window form instead of in the contract, and there is a federal layer with its own enforcement.

The FTC Used Car Rule and Buyers Guide

Who must comply, how the Buyers Guide is posted, As Is versus Implied Warranties Only, and what the buyer receives at the sale.

The FTC Safeguards Rule

Financing or leasing makes a store a financial institution — the nine required elements, the MFA and encryption mandates, and the 30-day breach clock.

The CARS Rule Is Not in Effect

Vacated in January 2025 and withdrawn from the rulebook in February 2026 — the actual status, and which federal requirements still govern.

All US Dealer Guides

The full US section, including the operations guides that apply on either side of the border and the Canada-versus-US comparisons.

Looking for something more specific?

The pillar guides above cover the foundational systems, processes, and metrics. For deeper analysis, industry news, and operational insights, see the READY HUB blog. For product-specific information about the READY HUB platform itself, see the Knowledge Hub.

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