The XDMS Dealer Management System is from Brussels-based XPower Automotive Software. It's built on the OpenEdge business application platform from Bedford, Mass.-based Progress Software Corp. and Progress' Sonic Enterprise Service Bus technology.

The Progress-based system, which was deployed across all 65 Volvo dealers in Belgium in eight months, enables dealers to improve their retail and customer service and support operations, according to a Progress press release. The flexible architecture also eliminates the need for Volvo dealers to invest in new IT every few years, according to the companies.

The system uses vehicle identification numbers to track each car through its entire life cycle. Customers buying a new car will have their order sent directly from the dealership to Volvo's Global Car Configurator in Sweden, where the vehicle will be customized to their preferences, according to Christoph Cordier, Volvo Cars Belgium's customer service manager.

When maintenance and repairs are necessary, everyone at the dealership -- from the receptionist to the workshop manager and the parts shop manager -- will have access to the same information so they can track the repair, Cordier said. The system makes it possible for 98 percent of Volvo parts to be delivered overnight. In addition, he said, the system automatically updates a dealer's accounting records, including monthly reporting for the vehicle manufacturer.

"We had to provide the dealerships with a very easy-to-use system, an integrated system with one customer database that supported two processes -- the buying process and the maintenance process," Cordier said. "We eventually found XPower to do that."