Cloud Platform DMS Field Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dealer management systems (DMSs) face challenges in managing and integrating additional fields required for new forms or expanded functionalities, leading to limitations such as reliance on auxiliary fields with inconsistent usage across dealerships and increased burden on DMS providers for modifications.
Innovation Solution
A cloud service platform integrates with a DMS to provide additional fields beyond those directly configured in the DMS, allowing for dynamic field definition, storage, and usage, while maintaining domain-wise organization and consistency across different dealership instances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If auxiliary fields are used in DMS to accommodate new forms or expanded functionalities, then adaptability is improved, but consistency across dealerships deteriorates due to inconsistent usage patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud service platform as an intermediary between the DMS and the fields. This platform defines standardized field schemas and provides consistent field data across all dealerships, eliminating the need for each dealership to maintain their own auxiliary fields while ensuring uniform usage patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The cloud service platform creates universal field definitions that can be used across multiple dealerships and forms. The platform provides a single source of truth for field data, allowing any form or functionality to access consistent field definitions without requiring dealership-specific configurations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If DMS providers modify the DMS to support new fields or forms, then functionality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts field definition and data storage responsibilities from the DMS core and places them in a separate cloud service platform. This extraction allows the DMS to remain relatively simple while the cloud platform handles the complexity of defining and managing numerous fields and forms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into distinct components: the DMS handles core dealership operations, while the cloud service platform handles field definitions, data storage, and form management. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, reducing overall system complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If DMS providers perform modifications to support expanded functionalities, then adaptability is improved, but loss of time increases due to modification cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The cloud service platform pre-defines field schemas and prepares field data before it is needed by forms or workflows. This preliminary action eliminates the need for time-consuming modifications when new fields or forms are required, as the infrastructure is already in place.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows dynamic addition of fields and forms through the cloud platform without requiring DMS modifications. New fields can be defined and activated on-demand, enabling rapid adaptation to changing business needs without lengthy development cycles.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for network-based cloud service platform integrations with dealer management systems (DMS) are disclosed herein. A cloud service platform may integrate over the network with an instance of a DMS used by an end user. The cloud service platform may define fields that can be used in conjunction with forms useable with the DMS, and may be further capable of storing field data for those fields. The cloud service platform may provide a graphical user interface (GUI) prompt to a user of the DMS to provide the field data. A form using the fields defined at the cloud service platform may be provided to the cloud service platform and filled at the cloud service platform using field data for those fields stored at the cloud service platform. The form may then be provided to a print service for presentation to the user.