Innovating for Profit: Reynolds and Reynolds

For the next two weeks, my class has been tasked with two different mini-case studies, one of a For-Profit company and one of a Not-for-Profit company. This week, I interviewed Abbie Henry, a Payroll Bookkeeper for Reynolds and Reynolds. Abbie is a graduate of Cedarville University with a degree in Business, and loves where she works!

Founded in 1866 as a business forms printing company, Reynolds and Reynolds is on the forefront of automotive retailing innovation, helping companies streamline their operations from the minute the customer walks in the door, to when they drive off with their new car. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, they began developing batch computer processing systems, which opened the door to innovations in in-house dealer management systems that would shape the industry’s future. They merged in 2006 with Universal Computer Systems, which only increased their opportunities to innovate as one of the leading dealership service providers.

Now, as Ms. Henry is in Payroll, she admits she doesn’t have the best idea of all the goings-on at the company. However, the transparency in the company culture allows her a window into their creative processes and issues that they are trying to tackle.

The first question I asked was “Can you give me an overview of some of the challenges and problems the company is trying to tackle?” Abbie described how, often, car salesmen and the automotive industry in general has a reputation for being misleading at best and deceptive at worst. Reynolds and Reynolds strives to help dealers combat this by tackling specific practices that affect the customer experience negatively. One such product they offer is called “AddOnAuto” an accessory retail tool that allows both dealer and customer to see how payments breakdown with the addition of perks to a vehicle. Henry points out that “many dealers are clicking around on a screen while the customer simply waits,” wondering if they are being duped. This technology puts the interface onto a desktop for both parties to see, in an effort increase transparency with the customer, which Abbie says “gives the buyer confidence in the sale, and allows the individual to make an educated choice.”

Another large problem they are trying to tackle is the time it takes to get paperwork finished. Abbie discussed how “it takes a while to get everything done when it’s all on paper, so they have developed a system to do that all on the computer.” The system Henry is referring to is their eWorkflow program, a comprehensive digital filing and compliance risk avoidance system to ensure quick transportation of documents, organizated storage of deals, and eliminating the cumbersome (and often costly) couriers / middlemen.

The second line of questioning in the interview had to do with the creative / innovative process of the company. Abbie mentioned that Reynolds and Reynolds has an active Innovation Center in Dayton, and although she is not in that department, she has experienced some of their program testing inside the company and has been around the facilities. Below were her responses:

-??????“How does the company identify problems worth solving?”

Abbie: For most part, I know they rely on a lot of entry and exit surveys. In the Innovation Center, they have these kiosks that I think they put in dealerships too. The customers use them to take a survey on their experience. They ask for information like how satisfied were they will certain parts of their visit, how long did they have to wait, how do they feel about the deal they made, other questions like that. From that info, they figure out what is actually something that they can reasonably solve, considering time constraints and stuff like that.”

-??????“What strategies does the company use to understand and clarify problems?”

Abbie: “I’m pretty sure they rely heavily on those surveys and the data from them. I know we collect a TON of data. I also think they do customer interviews, like to get personal opinions and understand some of the smaller details.”

-??????“How are the company's innovations tested and implemented?”

Abbie: “I can’t really speak to the automotive side of things as much, but I know that when they write software for us to use, they’ll give us a version and then ask for feedback. It feels like a ton of trial and error, using betas and such. Again, I’m not entirely sure from the automotive side.”

-??????“How do they measure outcomes?”

Abbie: “Exit surveys. Once customers use the software, or are involved in a deal with the software, they are asked how it improved their experience. Also, dealers keep track of the time it took for the deal to go through, which gives us an idea of whether the process was more efficient, at least time-wise. The whole process just involves a lot of talking to the customer.”

Reyonlds & Reynolds. (n.d.). Company. Reyrey.com. Retrieved November 6, 2022, from https://www.reyrey.com/company?