Available in vAuto Academy, Variable Management Certification enables dealers to master the art and science of maximizing ROI on used vehicles in today’s automotive market.
ATLANTA – May 23, 2024 – Fueled by an unwavering commitment to dealer success, Cox Automotive’s vAuto today announced that it is making its new Variable Management Certification program available to any dealer at zero cost—regardless of whether they subscribe to a vAuto product. As the automotive industry’s first inventory management certification program, this in-depth training equips dealership personnel at all levels with the information, insights and strategies they need to maximize the return on investment on their vehicle inventory. 
Derek Hansen, vice president of Operations, Inventory Management Solutions, at Cox Automotive, said: “Dealers need more than just software to thrive. The strategy that drives their decisions is equally—if not more—important. We are so committed to dealers’ success and believe so strongly that Variable Management is the best way for them to maximize returns that we are giving this training to anyone who wants to successfully navigate today’s complex automotive market.”
Evolution to Variable Management
vAuto was the first to apply data science to used vehicle inventory management in the early 2000s, and today, the brand's solutions remain unmatched in the industry. vAuto’s newest inventory management philosophy, Variable Management, is informed by the most robust automotive data set and insights available.
At its core, Variable Management optimizes a vehicle's return on investment by analyzing unique data points and recommending tailored pricing actions. This marks a significant evolution from the previously used velocity approach that heavily emphasized inventory turn and a one-size-fits-all approach. With this new philosophy came a purpose-built solution—vAuto’s ProfitTime® GPS—which makes it easy for dealers to execute a Variable Management strategy.
About Variable Management Certification
Modeled after successful OEM certification programs for salespeople, Variable Management Certification enables dealership personnel at all levels—from leadership to the newest sales professional—to develop in-depth knowledge that will benefit them now and in the future. For dealership staff, Variable Management Certification signals that they are not only proficient in Variable Management, but also dedicated to their ongoing professional development. And dealership management can be confident knowing that all their staff are working from the same playbook.
Every module contains self-paced videos and quizzes that start with fundamentals and build toward more advanced techniques. Those who complete the training will earn an official Variable Management Certification, which comes with a framed certificate, along with a digital badge that can be displayed on LinkedIn.
"Revolutionizing how used vehicles are managed—which is what vAuto did in the early 2000s and is what we’re poised to do again with Variable Management—requires a lot of education and training,” said Patrick Janes, associate vice president, vAuto, at Cox Automotive, who previously spent years working with dealers as a vAuto Performance Manager. “Being able to offer this robust training in a digital format is a proud moment for all of us, as we can now reach more dealers, faster and enable them to start benefitting sooner.”
Dealers who are interested in enrolling in the Variable Management Certification can visit vAuto Academy. For ProfitTime GPS subscribers (and those who are curious), vAuto has also launched a separate “Winning with ProfitTime GPS” certification program, which provides in-depth training on this powerful, purpose-built solution.
Dealership managers, in particular, should take note of the ProfitTime GPS-focused module, as it gives them greater ability to manage their team's training proficiency, which protects their ProfitTime GPS investment by promoting a deeper understanding, increasing adoption and even helping to onboard new team members.
About vAuto (https://vauto.com)
As a Cox Automotive brand, vAuto delivers unmatched solutions and actionable insights that help dealers maximize returns on every vehicle. Fueled by the Variable Management philosophy, vAuto’s flagship offering, ProfitTime® GPS, helps dealers optimize each vehicle’s unique profit potential, from appraisal through pricing. Beyond enabling dealers to more effectively manage used vehicles with ProfitTime GPS and another used vehicle management solution, Provision, vAuto also offers Conquest, a new vehicle inventory management and pricing solution; Upside and Stockwave, which propel dealers’ profitability in wholesale; merchandising solutions such as Vehicle Intelligence 360, Intelligent Promotion and Snaplot 360; and iRecon, which helps dealers improve their reconditioning process and get vehicles retail ready faster.
About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive is the world’s largest automotive services and technology provider. Fueled by the largest breadth of first-party data fed by 2.3 billion online interactions a year, Cox Automotive tailors leading solutions for car shoppers, auto manufacturers, dealers, lenders and fleets. The company has 29,000+ employees on five continents and a portfolio of industry-leading brands that include Autotrader®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, vAuto®, Dealertrack®, NextGear Capital™, CentralDispatch® and FleetNet America®. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately owned, Atlanta-based company with $22 billion in annual revenue. Visit coxautoinc.com or connect via @CoxAutomotive on X, CoxAutoInc on Facebook or Cox-Automotive-Inc on LinkedIn.
