Tekion is redefining how the automotive industry works — bridging the gap between OEMs, dealers, and customers through a powerful, cloud-native platform. Built for modern retail, Tekion’s technology stack leverages artificial intelligence (AI), open APIs, and streamlined workflows to deliver a unified experience across sales, service, parts, and customer relationship management.
What Is Tekion?
At its heart, Tekion offers the Automotive Retail Cloud (ARC) — a next-generation Dealer Management System (DMS) built entirely on the cloud. Unlike traditional legacy systems, ARC lets dealerships operate with real-time data, unlimited storage, and seamless integration across every department.
Tekion was founded to solve a long-standing problem in automotive retail: siloed systems and fragmented experiences. With ARC, everything from sales and F&I to service, parts, accounting, and payroll comes together in one intelligent, AI-powered platform.
Key Features & Capabilities
1. AI-Native DMS
Tekion’s DMS goes beyond being just a management tool — it’s AI-enhanced to drive smarter decision-making.
The platform recommends Sales and F&I options in real-time based on buyer profiles.
It supports fully connected service operations: online scheduling, inspections, AI-driven repair suggestions, and a transparent, digital approval and payment flow.
Tekion Pay is integrated directly into the system, allowing PCI-compliant payments, cashier-free checkout, and even “buy now, pay later” options.
Payroll is built-in: time and attendance, pay plans, GL posting, and tax filings happen in one place — eliminating manual data entry.
2. Digital Retail
Tekion’s Digital Retail component brings car buying into the modern age.
Customers can negotiate deals, configure vehicles, and sign contracts online.
A transparent payment calculator shows real costs, including taxes and fees.
The Sales & Checkout Concierge centralizes the entire deal workflow: configuration, documentation, payment, and final delivery.
An AI chatbot boosts engagement, answering buyer queries and helping move the deal forward.
3. Automotive CRM
Tekion’s CRM is tightly integrated with its DMS, creating a consistent data stream between marketing, sales, and service.
Smart Communication powered by AI removes duplicate records, cleans customer data, and helps sales teams respond faster.
Lead assignment is optimized to match prospects with the most relevant salesperson, while alert systems ensure no opportunity slips through.
Data from the CRM flows seamlessly into deal closure, accelerating the path from lead to transaction.
4. Automotive Enterprise Cloud (AEC)
For OEMs and large auto groups, Tekion offers the Automotive Enterprise Cloud, which connects brand websites, dealerships, and consumers.
It provides a vehicle configurator that links directly to dealer inventory, enabling personalized online shopping.
Customers can pay, sign, and schedule delivery entirely online — or mix online and physical touchpoints.
Real-time analytics and reporting give OEMs and dealers clear visibility into consumer behavior, web traffic, and conversion.
5. Global Reach & Partnerships
Tekion has partnered with Hyundai Auto Canada, making ARC available as the DMS solution for Hyundai and Genesis dealers in Canada.
In the UK, Hartwell Automotive Group chose Tekion for a multi-location rollout of its cloud-native platform.
Tekion’s global presence includes a strong engineering base in Chennai and Bengaluru, India, fueling innovation in AI and cloud tech.
Strengths & Strategic Advantages
Unified Platform: Tekion brings all dealership functions — sales, service, parts, accounting — into one system, reducing inefficiencies and eliminating data silos.
AI at the Core: Intelligent workflows and predictive recommendations make processes faster, more accurate, and more personalized.
Scalability: Being cloud-native, Tekion can scale quickly, supporting anything from standalone stores to large multi-location groups.
Consumer-Centric: Its digital retail and enterprise cloud offerings make the car-buying process frictionless, matching modern consumer expectations.
Open APIs & Innovation: With open APIs, Tekion encourages partners to build integrations, creating a rich ecosystem of complementary solutions.
Challenges & Criticisms
Despite its vision, Tekion faces some real-world feedback and challenges:
Many users report performance issues. According to parts managers, the system can feel “slow moving” because it is web-based.
There are transition hurdles when moving from legacy systems. Some support and training complaints have emerged.
On parts management: certain users say handling of special orders or short-sales is not intuitive, leading to inventory headaches.
Finally, as with any cloud platform, strong internet infrastructure is crucial. In weaker network settings, the user experience may suffer.
Real-World Impact
Tekion’s AI-powered platform is helping dealerships modernize, optimize costs, and build deeper customer relationships.
Its enterprise cloud is creating a unified digital retail footprint for OEMs, breaking down barriers between brand websites and local stores.
Dealers who adopt Tekion report streamlined workflows, more effective lead handling, and opportunities for revenue growth from smarter service upsells.
The company’s expansion into markets like Canada and the UK shows growing global trust in its cloud-native vision.
Tekion is more than just a DMS — it’s a full-fledged digital transformation engine for the automotive retail industry. By unifying traditionally siloed operations under one AI-driven, cloud-native platform, Tekion empowers dealerships and OEMs to deliver smarter, faster, and more customer-centric experiences.
That said, the shift to Tekion demands commitment. Dealers need to invest in training, reliable internet infrastructure, and change management. Some users also point out performance issues and parts workflow challenges. But for those ready to embrace innovation, the potential payoff is significant: greater efficiency, stronger customer relationships, and a future-ready retail model.
