Ideal’s Timeline of Innovation

Over the last 30+ years, we have paved the way for new and exciting dealership technology. Every year, we invest in making Ideal better by working closely with dealers to provide solutions to help their businesses thrive, no matter what changes impact the market.

The Target Platform Years

We are continuing to build on the Target platform every year. By taking an automation, web and mobile-first approach to solving problems dealers face in today’s market, we will continue to prepare dealers for the future.
- Late 2022
  
  Business Analytics
  
  Ideal's customizable data visualization and dashboarding tool gives dealers visibility into what's happening in their business and in their industry in real-time, for proactive decision-making.
- February 2022
  
  Text-to-Pay and Customer Management Features
  
  TargetCRM gives customers the flexibility to pay on a mobile device using credit card and ACH, as well as improved customer details and history tracking.
- August 2021
  
  Honda DIRT Report
  
  Ideal teams up with Honda Motor Co., Inc. to deliver the Honda Performance Report for power equipment dealers. The industry performance reports include aggregate retail sales information from more than 1,600 Ideal and c-Systems dealers to establish industry benchmarks for performance, which dealers can use to inform their business decision-making.
- April 2021
  
  Integration with LEPCO
  
  Ideal and LEPCO offer a new purchase order integration with their Ideal system.
- March 2021
  
  Key Manufacturer Integrations
  
  Ideal announces the STIHL Purchase Order Integration, which allows dealers to submit their STIHL purchase orders directly to Crader Distributing and Blue Mountain Equipment through their dealership management system.
- April 2021
  
  TargetCRM Mobile App
  
  Customer communications become even more convenient with the launch of the TargetCRM Mobile App. The app gives dealers the freedom to manage two-way text messaging with customers, send and receive pictures, and update customers in their DMS—directly from their mobile device.
- March 2021
  
  Parts Locator
  
  Ideal makes it easy to look up parts at nearby dealerships and to sell aging stock to other dealers with Parts Locator, an integrated parts database connecting dealers in the same area.
- November 2020
  
  The First Virtual Summit
  
  Ideal and sister companies c-Systems Software Inc. and Charter Software hold their first Virtual Summit for dealers. The event gathers industry speakers, OEM representatives and hundreds of dealers to learn about the latest in dealership technology.
- October 2020
  
  TargetCRM
  
  Ideal meets text messaging technology with the launch of TargetCRM, an automated communication platform. Dealers can send targeted promotions via text or email, survey customers to gage satisfaction, and offer text-to-pay convenience.
- August 2020
  
  Ideal Cloud
  
  Ideal Cloud launches, making flexible, efficient dealership management easy by giving teams the ability to access their system from anywhere, at any time.
  
  This release paves the way for a new era of mobile dealership management applications in Ideal.
- July 2020
  
  Gravity Payments Integration
  
  Ideal partners with Gravity Payments emergpay™ to provide remote payments that automatically connect with customer invoices in Ideal’s dealer management system.
- April 2020
  
  Comprehensive OPE Market Data
  
  In a joint venture with sister company c-Systems Software Inc., Ideal launches the Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) Market Data Report. Drawing from over 1,500 dealers on a nightly basis, this data warehouse is the largest, most accurate source for dealership and market year-over-year trending information in the industry.
- 2020
  
  Ideal Target Platform
  
  Ideal release the Target platform, the next generation of dealer management solutions.
The Mobile App Years
- 2019
  
  QuickBooks Interface
  
  Ideal adds a QuickBooks interface, allowing dealers to ensure that all their transactions and invoices flow from the Ideal dealership management system into QuickBooks automatically.
- 2018
  
  Mobile Work Order Creation
  
  The Ideal Mobile App gets a major update, now giving service managers the flexibility to create work orders within the app, without needing to return to a designated terminal every time they check in a unit for service.
- 2015
  
  Mobile Time-Tracking
  
  Ideal makes service more efficient by adding new features to the Ideal Mobile App, including unit check-ins, work order clocking, labor time-tracking, and picture files.
- 2014
  
  Mobile Customer Service
  
  Ideal adds new service and parts capabilities to the Ideal Mobile App, enabling dealers to provide better customer service by taking important information on work orders straight from their mobile devices and keeping more detailed records for warranty purposes.
- 2013
  
  Ideal Mobile App
  
  Ideal is the first in the industry to launch a mobile app. The Ideal Mobile App runs on both Apple and Android mobile devices. Now, teams can easily perform key daily service, parts and inventory management tasks from anywhere in the dealership.
The Windows Years
- April 2012
  
  Gravity Payments
  
  Ideal connects with Gravity Payments to offer streamlined payments processing.
- 2012
  
  Ideal reaches 1000 active customers
- 2005
  
  Ideal for Windows
  
  Ideal for Windows is launched, bringing Ideal into a new era.
  
  This new iteration of Ideal includes finance and insurance and shopping cart modules.
The DOS Years
- 1999
  
  Ideal reaches 500 active customers
- 1988
  
  General Ledger Module
  
  Ideal launches a General Ledger module for the DOS program, paving the way for future digitization at dealerships.
- 1985
  
  Hello World, Meet Ideal
  
  Dealers need a way to manage inventory, parts, and purchasing efficiently. Dennis Haefner teams up with OPE dealer John Herman to develop the industry’s first DOS business management software. Ideal Computer Systems is born.
  
  Ideal changes the dealership game by offering electronic price lists and purchasing.