AI Governance for Dealerships: Shadow AI, Data Exposure and What to Do Next
AI governance for dealerships, explained: where shadow AI exposes customer data, and how a board, a written policy, and a governed AI platform put it in check.
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The Dealership Technology Stack in 2026: Every System a Rooftop Runs and Who Supports It
Dealership technology in 2026 runs on eight layers at every rooftop: the DMS, the CRM, phones, the network, F&I and desking tools, service-lane software, security, and AI. Each layer usually has a different owner, and the trouble lives in the space between them. The first thing we ask a new dealership for isn’t a network … Read more
After Tekion Go-Live: Where Dealerships Find More Value
Tekion optimization is the work a dealership does after go-live to close the gap between what Tekion can do and what each department uses every day, in service, parts, sales and F&I, and accounting. When I started Helion, I ran it on feel for a lot longer than I should have. We didn’t have real … Read more
Does the FTC Safeguards Rule Apply to Heavy Truck Dealerships?
Does the FTC Safeguards Rule apply to truck dealerships that sell to businesses? Yes, with limits. See what commercial credit changes and what applies anyway.
Vibe Coding at Dealerships: Who Secures the Software Your Team Builds With AI?
Vibe coding security risks at a dealership come down to review, access, and ownership. See what the FTC Safeguards Rule says about software your staff build.
AI Phone Agents for Dealerships: A Security and Consent Checklist
An AI receptionist for car dealerships touches customer data, call recordings, and consent law. Use this 14-item security and consent checklist before you sign.
Dealership AI Use Policy: A Template for Staff Using ChatGPT and Other AI Tools
An AI policy for car dealerships is a written rule that names the AI tools staff may use, the customer information that stays out of every other tool, who checks AI output before customers see it, and who to ask. The template below runs about two pages, it’s written in plain words, and each department … Read more
Procede Excede on Azure: What Truck Dealers Need From IT
Procede Excede on Azure means Procede runs the Excede server, database, backups, and upgrades in Microsoft’s cloud, while your dealership still owns the internet circuits, counter PCs, scanners, Wi-Fi, logins, and Microsoft 365 accounts at every store. Procede guarantees 99.9% uptime for Excede Hosted Services. That number covers Procede’s side of the line, and this … Read more
Mercedes-Benz Dealer ISO 27001 / TISAX Requirement: What Now That the Deadline Has Passed
The Mercedes-Benz dealer ISO 27001 or TISAX Level 2 date of September 30, 2026 has passed, and the factory now also accepts the CIS Critical Security Controls. What a store does next depends on whether it’s certified, mid-audit, or hasn’t started. Mercedes-Benz USA’s guidelines for dealers aren’t published, so check the wording in your own … Read more