Choosing a DMS in Kenya: a checklist for car dealers

There are many systems that call themselves a DMS. Use this checklist to compare them on what matters to a Kenyan car yard, before you pay.

Inventory

• [ ] Each vehicle with registration, chassis/VIN, engine, gearbox, mileage and colour.
• [ ] Status: available, reserved, sold, on rent, in the garage.
• [ ] Photos, features and documents on each car.
• [ ] Makes and models you can add and edit.

Costs and profit

• [ ] Purchase price and seller recorded.
• [ ] Every cost (transport, clearing, repairs) on the car.
• [ ] Profit per car after all costs.

Selling

• [ ] Cash and installment sales.
• [ ] Deposit, months, due day and an automatic schedule.
• [ ] Trade-ins and reservation deposits.
• [ ] A receipt for every payment.
• [ ] Reminders before installments are due.

CRM

• [ ] Leads with the car asked about and the source.
• [ ] Test drives recorded on the car and the buyer.
• [ ] Follow-ups with dates; quotes that become sales.
• [ ] A pipeline from enquiry to sale.

Car hire (if you hire out)

• [ ] Bookings by day, week or month, with or without a driver.
• [ ] Deposit, mileage and fuel out and in.
• [ ] Damage and late-return charges.

Team

• [ ] A login per salesperson; salespeople see their own sales.
• [ ] Commission rates and payouts.

Reports

• [ ] Cars sold, gross profit and money collected this month.
• [ ] Installments due and overdue.
• [ ] Rental income and fleet utilisation.

Practical

• [ ] Works on the phone you already have; no machine to buy.
• [ ] Monthly payment with M-Pesa or card.
• [ ] You can export your data if you leave.
• [ ] Local support.

Questions to ask in a demo

1. Show me the real profit on one car after all its costs.
2. Show me what happens when a reserved car is sold by someone else.
3. Show me this month's installments due and the reminders.
4. Show me one salesperson's commission.

Afritelligence ticks every box on this list as car dealer software in Kenya. see the prices.

Frequently asked questions

What's the most important feature in a DMS?

Real profit per car after all costs; most yards discover they were under-pricing once they see it.

Should a DMS include a CRM?

Yes. Leads, test drives and follow-ups belong with the cars, not in a separate system.

Can I try before paying?

Yes. Sign up free and try it with a few of your cars.

Will it work with M-Pesa?

Yes. Payments by M-Pesa are recorded with their reference on every receipt.

Can I leave and take my data?

Yes. Lists can be exported to Excel or CSV.