Dealer Tech Stack Benchmark Guide: How to Score Your Dealership’s Technology
How does your dealership's technology compare to 1,746 scanned peers? Here's exactly how the DealerSignals tech score works and what different scores mean for independent and franchise dealers.
The DealerSignals tech score rates each dealer’s technology on a 0-20 scale based on which categories of tools are detectable on their public website. It measures how many technology categories a dealer has deployed — not quality of use, not back-office systems.
Scoring methodology
| Category | Points | What we detect |
|---|---|---|
| CRM Platform | 3 | Lead form routing, embedded widgets, ADF email routing |
| Website Platform | 2 | Platform scripts, generator meta tags |
| Inventory Management | 2 | Carfax, vAuto, DealersLink, LotLinx |
| Reputation Management | 2 | Podium, Birdeye, Widewail, DealerRater |
| Trade-In & Valuation | 2 | KBB ICO, TradePending, AccuTrade |
| DMS Platform | 2 | DealerCenter, Frazer, Wayne Reaves |
| Online Deal Tools | 2 | Roadster, AutoFi, Darwin |
| Chat, F&I, Listings, Video | 1 each | Category leaders in each |
National benchmarks
Across 1,746 scanned dealers: national average is 5.2/20. Franchise dealers average 7.3, independent dealers 5.5, BHPH dealers 4.0.
What your score means
For an independent dealer, 8+ puts you in roughly the top quartile of independent dealer technology. A score of 12+ means you’re running a more sophisticated stack than most franchise dealers. For franchise dealers, 10+ is solid, 14+ is genuinely advanced.
Benchmark your dealership at dealersignals.com/benchmark.
Former automotive technology executive turned independent data publisher. Built DealerSignals because dealers deserve honest market intelligence that isn't produced by the vendors selling to them.
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