You may have been hearing a lot lately about Microsoft discontinuing the support of the Windows XP operating system. If you are currently running your Astra software on Windows XP, here’s what it means to you: After April 8, 2014, Microsoft will no longer be supporting the Windows XP operating system, and Windows Server 2003 […]

The Service Writer has one of the most important roles in your dealership.  They are the face of your service department and no one interacts with more customers.  In filling such a vital business role, you need to ensure your Service Writer has the tools and skills necessary to reach their full potential in both […]

Recognized as a Top 50 Dealer by RV Business Magazine, Hilltop Trailer Sales has used 62 years of business expertise to build a loyal customer base in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. In order to maintain a loyal customer base, Hilltop has added new technology to the business by upgrading from the original IDS Astra to G2 […]

Consistency.  That’s what updating to Astra G2 can bring to your dealership.  G2 brings you consistency, efficiency and a new look!  This software, which is Windows-based, is visually easy to read and follow and has proven to be a big hit with our dealers who have adopted it. Just like the weather, which has been […]

IDS is proud to recognize another employee who has earned a college degree with the help of the company’s tuition reimbursement program.  Software developer Jason Brock recently graduated from the University of Phoenix with a degree in Information Technology, majoring in Software Engineering.  What makes this achievement impressive is that Jason managed to complete his degree in […]

Once you’ve accurately counted and organized your inventory, it’s essential to set attainable goals that will allow you to gain control and plan for the future. Offer an incentive plan for your Parts Manager We’ve mentioned before that the main reason you probably aren’t keeping good tabs on your inventory is because it’s too time […]

Now that you have your guidelines set, it’s time to keep the process moving and plan for the future. Again, one of the biggest problems Jeff Sheets sees is that dealers are reluctant to plan ahead or have goals when it comes inventory. If you just put all this work into counting, getting rid of […]

Setting up minimum and maximum ordering levels for your parts is going to provide you with the most headway in maintaining inventory control. By setting these levels, you’re putting parameters on your parts so that you don’t go too far over or under in ordering a certain item. Therefore, it’s extremely important to go through […]

As a business owner, your whole livelihood is based around goals. You probably wouldn’t be running a business right now if you didn’t have them. So why wouldn’t you have concrete goals for your inventory? Sheets says a problem he often sees is that dealers don’t take a goal-oriented approach to what they want to […]

We’ve mentioned before that the main reason you probably aren’t keeping good tabs on your inventory is because it’s too time consuming and not something that you want to commit to. Owners are salespeople. They don’t want to do the administrative aspect of the business. That’s why you’ve got to put your trust into someone […]