MaddenCo Inc. hosted 145 customers in Nashville for two days of training sessions during the company’s 2024 user conference.
With 25 classes that focus on different modules and capabilities of MaddenCo’s software, the event offered users thorough training so they can best utilize and maximize the system. Sessions covered all sorts of back-end operations in a tire dealership, from accounts payable and receivable, to inventory and pricing, as well as specific modules related to things like retreading and road service call management. Each session showed users how to unlock tips and tricks.
Jay Adams, president of MaddenCo, said the sessions begin with presentations from company personnel, but “evolve into a ‘best practices’ group discussion, often initiated by users who have been on the system for many years.”
He said user participation is heavily encouraged in every session, and that allows attendees to hear not just the official presentation on enhancements, but “also get the real world, how-to user version” from other attendees.
“They get that shared experience in using our software and the many ways it can be used to enhance a user’s business,” which Adams said keeps customers coming back to the conference year after year.
Throughout the event, customers also share their greatest needs and pain points, and Adams said in 2024 there were two overarching themes: artificial intelligence and how to gain more real-time connections to third parties. Adams said MaddenCo is working on both.
“We are investing heavily in building real-time connections to third parties. As for AI, we are evaluating how best to use that technology in-house first. The most likely result of that will be enhanced support services for our customers.”
In addition to sessions designed around MaddenCo’s software offerings, the company also hosted other vendors who offered additional training sessions to attendees, including First Mile, Autoflow, CarFax, Lift & Shift, Phocas, Royal 4 and TireWeb.
Bruce Chamblee, chief operating officer at Dorsey Tire Co. Inc., said the company has used MaddenCo software since 2014, and he calls it “essential to our businesses.” Dorsey Tire uses MaddenCo software for its accounting, inventory management, customer relationship management and point of sale.
“What is the most remarkable is how well MaddenCo listens to their dealers and works to enhance the system to benefit the efficiency and productivity of its users,” Chamblee said. A significant enhancement has been the ability to upload files in the system. “The ability to upload attachments to a customer’s invoice has been a game changer for us.”
Chamblee said attending the conference is helpful because it gives him and his team face time with the MaddenCo team, and with other vendors who attend. But it’s also a time to learn.
“Each time we attend, we learn more about how to use the software to benefit our system utilization.”
Lori Swain is the chief financial officer at Resley Tire Co. Inc. and said the tire dealership has used MaddenCo software for about 18 years. Swain said the conference is its own tool in that Resley Tire can learn tips from others.
“There is always something to learn from not only the MaddenCo employees but the other users as well,” Swain said. “You have access to talk to support programmers; you can use the lab they set up to ask questions — it is definitely a valuable experience. I never come home not learning something from a MaddenCo employee and/or other users. There is so much knowledge that the users have gained over the years. We all share our knowledge, so if (another user does) something that is a little bit difference from me but will save me time, then it was definitely worth my trip.”
Southern Tire Mart is another longtime user of MaddenCo software, and Joe Stevenson said “the number of integrations MaddenCo has with other software is (its) most valuable component.”
Just like those integrations, Stevenson said the MaddenCo conference is valuable. He was part of a team of Southern Tire Mart employees who attended. The biggest benefit, he said, is “to keep up with the latest technology and to maintain relationships with our partners and other companies in our industry.”
Morgan Vercimak is the government/fleet coordinator at Northwest Tire Inc. and has been the tire dealership’s MaddenCo administrator for nearly 19 years. Vercimak has been to many of the conferences in that timespan, and called the 2024 “our best conference yet.”
“As a Bandag retreader and national account supplier, no other platform has all the integrations we currently have and need,” Vercimak said. “MaddenCo has revved up their output of ideas and is coming with a fresh look to the industry.”
