Dealer inventory does not always enter the workflow the same way. At many dealerships, vehicle data already comes from an inventory provider connected to the dealer's DMS. In those cases, a lot-service company should not have to recreate vehicles, decode VINs, or enter information that already exists somewhere else.
At smaller or independent dealerships, the situation can be different. The service provider may be responsible for creating the inventory itself. That means scanning the VIN, decoding the vehicle, confirming equipment and colors, capturing photos, and preparing the vehicle for merchandising.
WalkTheLot supports both workflows: import the inventory that already exists, or capture it directly from the lot when WalkTheLot is serving as the dealer's primary inventory source.
The first question should not be, "How quickly can I type in a vehicle?" It should be, "Do I need to enter this vehicle at all?"
If a dealership already has inventory flowing through an upstream provider, WalkTheLot can use that existing data so the field team can concentrate on the work they are actually there to perform. When no upstream inventory source exists, MobileLot provides a practical way to create the vehicle from the lot and continue directly into photography, window sticker and Buyers Guide printing, services, and merchandising.
Either way, the goal is the same: get an accurate vehicle record into the workflow with as little duplicate effort as possible.
For many dealerships, vehicle information is already maintained through an inventory provider such as vAuto, HomeNet, or another system connected to the dealer's primary data source. When that inventory is available to WalkTheLot through a supported feed, the lot-service company does not need to manually recreate those vehicles.
Field staff can import the dealer's latest inventory into MobileLot and immediately begin working from current vehicle records. WebLot can use the same inventory for tasks such as printing dealer window stickers, window labels, Monroney labels, and FTC Buyers Guides, reviewing when vehicles were added or updated, and managing the dealer's inventory workflow.
The dealer can also be given access to its WalkTheLot account when appropriate, although in many feed-driven environments the dealership continues to make its primary inventory changes in the upstream system it already uses.
The important point is simple: when reliable vehicle data already exists, WalkTheLot helps the service provider use it instead of entering it again.
When WalkTheLot is being used as the primary inventory source, MobileLot can take the vehicle from VIN capture through the rest of the field workflow.
Start with the vehicle itself and capture its VIN from the lot rather than manually typing the full identifier.
Decode the VIN and confirm the appropriate vehicle details, including applicable equipment, colors, and other information needed for the inventory record.
Photograph the vehicle through the MobileLot workflow or use one of the other supported photography paths while keeping the media associated with the same inventory unit.
Select the billable services completed for the vehicle so the work can be associated with the dealer's invoice.
Send the vehicle data, photos, or both back to WalkTheLot as the work is completed, or publish multiple completed vehicles together in batch mode.
Print the dealer's required window stickers, window labels, Monroney labels, or FTC Buyers Guides from the same inventory, individually or in batches as the workflow requires.
When WalkTheLot is serving as the dealer's primary inventory source, vehicle data and media can move automatically to the dealer's configured downstream destinations.
The right workflow depends on where the dealership's inventory originates. WalkTheLot can consume existing vehicle data when it is already available or provide the tools to create and manage that inventory when it is not.
That flexibility lets lot-service providers support large feed-driven dealer operations as well as smaller dealerships that need the service company to manage more of the inventory process.
When vehicle data is already available from a supported inventory source, field teams can import it and get to work without manually adding every unit or decoding VINs that have already been processed elsewhere.
For dealerships without an upstream inventory source, MobileLot can be used to scan the VIN, decode the vehicle, verify its details, and create the inventory record directly from the lot.
Field employees do not necessarily have to publish every vehicle the moment they finish working it. Vehicle data and photos can be published as each unit is completed or handled later in batch mode, which is useful when cellular or Wi-Fi service on the lot is poor or the employee prefers to finish uploads from the vehicle.
The vehicle record can continue into photography, dealer window stickers, FTC Buyers Guides, billable services, publishing, and downstream merchandising without rebuilding the same inventory in a series of disconnected tools.
WalkTheLot adapts to the dealership's inventory environment instead of assuming every service provider has to create every vehicle manually.
When WalkTheLot receives inventory from a supported upstream source, field teams can bring the dealer's current inventory into MobileLot and work directly from those existing vehicle records.
That means less time spent creating records and more time spent on the photography, dealer window sticker and Buyers Guide printing, and other services the provider was actually hired to perform.
When the dealership does not have an upstream inventory source, MobileLot can become the starting point. Scan the VIN, decode the vehicle, confirm the appropriate details, take photos, select services performed, and build the inventory while standing with the vehicle.
For smaller and independent dealerships, this allows the lot-service company to provide much more than photography or stickers. It can help operate the dealership's inventory merchandising process.
Vehicle data and photos can be published back to WalkTheLot as each vehicle is completed, or the employee can continue working and publish multiple vehicles later.
Batch publishing is especially useful on lots with weak connectivity or during extreme weather, when the technician may prefer to complete the field work first and handle publishing from the vehicle afterward.
The inventory collected or imported into WalkTheLot can also support dealer window stickers, window labels, Monroney labels, and FTC Buyers Guides through WebLot. These can be produced vehicle by vehicle or in batches depending on how the service company runs the account.
Where the data goes next depends on the dealership's setup. When WalkTheLot receives inventory from an upstream provider, the service company can typically return updated photos or media so that primary source can continue distributing the dealer's inventory.
When WalkTheLot is serving as the primary inventory source, WalkTheLot can handle configured distribution of vehicle data and media to destinations such as the dealer's website provider and classified marketplaces.
Those exchanges happen behind the scenes as part of the configured dealer workflow rather than requiring the field employee to manually upload the vehicle to every destination.
Whether your dealers already have an upstream inventory source or need your team to capture vehicles directly from the lot, WalkTheLot can help connect inventory, photography, dealer window stickers, Buyers Guides, services, and distribution into one working process.
See how WalkTheLot connects inventory with automotive photography, vehicle merchandising, dealer window stickers, FTC Buyers Guides, recurring lot services, and multi-rooftop operations.
Related search topics: DEALER INVENTORY CAPTURE SOFTWARE VEHICLE INVENTORY CAPTURE SOFTWARE DEALER LOT CAPTURE APP VIN INVENTORY CAPTURE
Explore additional WalkTheLot tools for dealership merchandising, lot services, and window sticker automation.
Related dealership topics covering vehicle merchandising, window labels, and dealership media workflows.
