The present invention provides for the first time, an integrated software application architecture with all functions required by an automobile dealership, including sales, F&I (finance and insurance), accounting, HR (Human Resources)/payroll, parts, service, and E 2 core (including functions in customer management, vehicle management, activity/processors, roles, user/departments, security, user interface, reports, printing, and instant messaging), together with e-business enablers, supply chain integration, and a dealer communication system. The present invention also provides relational databases, GUI's (graphical user interfaces, that is, browser based application program interfaces). The present invention also may be implemented by an operations center with a Microsoft Windows NT server providing local Ethernet or other electronic connections to several multiple remote stores for the operator, and is scalable.
1. A programmable apparatus to generate a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface comprising:
a branding region, wherein the branding region displays indicia selected from the group consisting of: automobile manufacturer names, automobile dealership names, automobile service provider names and combinations thereof;
a context region, wherein the context region displays information selected from the group consisting of: customer identifying information, automobile identifying information, automobile service order information, and combinations thereof;
a task bar;
a content region, wherein the content region displays information relating to functions selected from the group consisting of: sales, finance and insurance, accounting, human resources, payroll, parts, service, customer database, vehicle database, activities and processes, roles, users and departments, security, reports, printing, instant messaging, e-business enablers, supply chain integration, electronic time clock, system configurator, vehicle inspection, Internet service scheduling, electronic mail service reminders, intra-dealer parts inventory, inter-dealer parts inventory, intra-dealer vehicle inventory, inter-dealer vehicle inventory, dealer communication system and combinations thereof, and
wherein the content region further displays data selected from the group consisting of: customer data, vehicle data, shop productivity data, loan data, billing system data, employee data, sales data, inventory data, ordering data, and combinations thereof;
a user identification portion;
a list button region;
a user assistance region;
relationship buttons; and
action buttons,
wherein, for a plurality of disparate applications, a location and size of each of the regions, buttons, task bar and portion remain substantially constant, despite changes in content displayed in each region.
2. A programmable apparatus to generate a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface comprising:
a branding region;
a task bar;
a content region, wherein the content region comprises information pertaining to an automobile repair order, wherein the information pertaining to an automobile repair order is selected from the group consisting of: contact person for the automobile, contact information for the contact person, priority of the service, date of promised completion of the repair, time of promised completion of the repair, total shop capacity, allocated shop capacity, available shop capacity, and time to complete the ordered repair;
a context region;
a user identification portion;
a list button region;
a user assistance region;
relationship buttons; and
action buttons,
wherein, for a plurality of disparate applications, a location and size of each of the regions, buttons, task bar and portion remain substantially constant, despite changes in content displayed in each region.
3. A method of generating a graphical user interface in a display device, comprising:
generating a branding region comprising a portion of a graphical user interface displayed on a display device;
displaying within the branding region indicia selected from the group consisting of: automobile manufacturer names, automobile dealership names, automobile service provider names and combinations thereof;
generating a context region comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
displaying within the context region information selected from the group consisting of: customer identifying information, automobile identifying information, automobile service order information, and combinations thereof;
generating a task bar comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
generating a content region comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
displaying within the content region information relating to functions selected from the group consisting of: sales, finance and insurance, accounting, human resources, payroll, parts, service, customer database, vehicle database, activities and processes, roles, users and departments, security, reports, printing, instant messaging, e-business enablers, supply chain integration, electronic time clock, system configurator, vehicle inspection, Internet service scheduling, electronic mail service reminders, intra-dealer parts inventory, inter-dealer parts inventory, intra-dealer vehicle inventory, inter-dealer vehicle inventory, dealer communication system and combinations thereof;
displaying within the content region data selected from the group consisting of: customer data, vehicle data, shop productivity data, loan data, billing system data, employee data, sales data, inventory data, ordering data, and combinations thereof;
generating a user identification portion comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
generating a list button region comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
generating a user assistance region comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
generating relationship buttons comprising a portion of the graphical user interface; and
generating action buttons comprising portions of the graphical user interface,
wherein, for a plurality of disparate applications, a location and size of each of the regions, buttons, task bar and portion remain substantially constant, despite changes in content displayed in each region.
4. A method of generating a graphical user interface in a display device, comprising:
generating a branding region comprising a portion of a graphical user interface displayed on a display device;
generating a task bar comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
generating a content region comprising a portion of the graphical user interface, wherein the content region further comprises information pertaining to an automobile repair order, wherein the information pertaining to an automobile repair order is selected from the group consisting of: contact person for the automobile, contact information for the contact person, priority of the service, date of promised completion of the repair, time of promised completion of the repair, total shop capacity, allocated shop capacity, available shop capacity, and time to complete the ordered repair;
generating a context region comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
generating a user identification portion comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
generating a list button region comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
generating a user assistance region comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
generating relationship buttons comprising a portion of the graphical user interface; and
generating action buttons comprising portions of the graphical user interface,
wherein, for a plurality of disparate applications, a location and size of each of the regions, buttons, task bar and portion remain substantially constant, despite changes in content displayed in each region.
5. A machine readable medium containing instructions, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to execute a method comprising:
generating a branding region comprising a portion of a graphical user interface displayed on a display device;
displaying within the branding region indicia selected from the group consisting of: automobile manufacturer names, automobile dealership names, automobile service provider names and combinations thereof;
generating a context region comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
displaying within the context region information selected from the group consisting of: customer identifying information, automobile identifying information, automobile service order information, and combinations thereof;
generating a task bar comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
generating a content region comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
displaying within the content region information relating to functions selected from the group consisting of sales, finance and insurance, accounting, human resources, payroll, parts, service, customer database, vehicle database, activities and processes, roles, users and departments, security, reports, printing, instant messaging, e-business enablers, supply chain integration, electronic time clock, system configurator, vehicle inspection, Internet service scheduling, electronic mail service reminders, intra-dealer parts inventory, inter-dealer parts inventory, intra-dealer vehicle inventory, inter-dealer vehicle inventory, dealer communication system and combinations thereof;
displaying within the content region data selected from the group consisting of: customer data, vehicle data, shop productivity data, loan data, billing system data, employee data, sales data, inventory data, ordering data, and combinations thereof;
generating a user identification portion comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
generating a list button region comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
generating a user assistance region comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
generating relationship buttons comprising a portion of the graphical user interface; and
generating action buttons comprising portions of the graphical user interface,
wherein, for a plurality of disparate applications, a location and size of each of the regions, buttons, task bar and portion remain substantially constant, despite changes in content displayed in each region.
6. A machine readable medium containing instructions, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to execute a method comprising:
generating a branding region comprising a portion of a graphical user interface displayed on a display device;
generating a task bar comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
generating a content region comprising a portion of the graphical user interface, wherein the content region further comprises information pertaining to an automobile repair order, wherein the information pertaining to an automobile repair order is selected from the group consisting of: contact person for the automobile, contact information for the contact person, priority of the service, date of promised completion of the repair, time of promised completion of the repair, total shop capacity, allocated shop capacity, available shop capacity, and time to complete the ordered repair;
generating a context region comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
generating a user identification portion comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
generating a list button region comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
generating a user assistance region comprising a portion of the graphical user interface;
generating relationship buttons comprising a portion of the graphical user interface; and
generating action buttons comprising portions of the graphical user interface,
wherein, for a plurality of disparate applications, a location and size of each of the regions, buttons, task bar and portion remain substantially constant, despite changes in content displayed in each region.
7. A programmable apparatus to display a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface comprising:
a. means to generate a graphical user interface with a plurality of display regions, using a programmable apparatus,
b. means to display the plurality of display regions on a display device,
c. each display region corresponding to a different automobile lease term;
d. each display region being further divided into sub-regions, the sub-regions displaying infonnation pertaining to available lease programs, the information selected from the group consisting of: lessor identification, money factor, residual percentage, residual amount, back end gross, total deal gross, initial payment, amount due on delivery, the lease term, and the monthly payment.
8. An apparatus as in claim 7 , further comprising:
means to accept input requesting a sort of the information displayed;
means to sort the information displayed in response to the input; and
means to display the sorted information.
9. A method of displaying a graphical user interface on a display device, comprising:
a. generating a graphical user interface with a plurality of display regions, using a programmable apparatus,
b. displaying the plurality of display regions on a display device,
c. each display region corresponding to a different automobile lease term;
d. each display region being further divided into sub-regions, the sub-regions displaying information pertaining to available lease programs, the information selected from the group consisting of: lessor identification, money factor, residual percentage, residual amount, back end gross, total deal gross, initial payment, amount due on delivery, the lease term, and the monthly payment.
10. A method as in claim 9 , further comprising:
a. accepting input requesting a sort of the information displayed;
b. sorting the information displayed in response to the input; and
c. displaying the sorted information.
11. A machine readable medium containing instructions which when executed by a programmable apparatus causes the apparatus to execute a method comprising:
a. generating a graphical interface with a plurality of display regions, using a programmable apparatus,
b. displaying the plurality of display regions on a display device,
c. each display region corresponding to a different automobile lease term;
d. each display region being further divided into sub-regions, the sub-regions displaying information pertaining to available lease programs, the information selected from the group consisting of: lessor identification, money factor, residual percentage, residual amount, back end gross, total deal gross, initial payment, amount due on delivery, the lease term, and the monthly payment.
12. A machine readable medium as in claim 11 , the method further comprising:
a. accepting input requesting a sort of the information displayed;
b. sorting the infonnation displayed in response to the input; and
c. displaying the sorted information.