Why Automotive Dealerships Don’t Lack Training They Lack Visibility

By Christina Haumann, Project Manager, VPS

Across the automotive sector, significant investment goes into learning platforms, technical academies, digital content and certification pathways. Most major OEMs have clearly defined curricula, structured role requirements and sophisticated LMS systems in place. The infrastructure exists. The frameworks are defined. The content is available. Yet certification levels across dealership networks do not always reflect that investment. If the training exists, why is completion inconsistent? If standards are defined, why are gaps still visible? In my experience working with European dealership networks, the issue is rarely a lack of training. It is a lack of visibility.

The Visibility Gap

Industry research increasingly points to the same conclusion. Brandon Hall Group highlights that high-performing organisations integrate learning operations directly with business performance rather than simply tracking activity. Training Industry emphasises that operational alignment and actionable data distinguish mature learning functions from reactive ones. CIPD reinforces that people performance improves when managers are given clear, usable insight rather than complex systems. In dealership environments, the frontline manager is the multiplier. Service managers and dealership managers drive standards locally, shaping the behaviours and priorities of their teams. However, most LMS platforms were designed for administrators rather than busy commercial leaders. Managers often need to navigate multiple reports and screens to answer basic operational questions: Who is overdue on mandatory training? Are we meeting minimum role requirements? What needs to be completed this quarter? Are our technicians and sales consultants fully certified? When that information is not immediately clear, it becomes background noise. Certification does not suffer because dealerships do not care; it suffers because friction slows action.

A Real World Example

Recently, VPS supported a major automotive OEM that was restructuring several European markets. Local support teams were being reduced, yet the organisation was determined to maintain high training compliance and consistent brand standards across its dealership network. The network included approximately 7,000 learners across multiple countries, operating in languages including German, Italian, French, Dutch,  Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, Spanish, Portuguese and Swedish. The solution needed to be multilingual, cost-efficient and operational quickly. The decision was taken late in the summer of 2024, and the service was live by mid-October. The challenge was not content availability. It was enabling dealerships to understand their status at a glance and take action with confidence.

Turning Data into Clarity

Working with our data analytics specialists, we consolidated learner and role data into a concise, one-page Dealer Roadmap summary email. Instead of logging into multiple LMS screens, dealership managers received a clear visual overview of certification status, outstanding requirements and role coverage. The roadmap also highlighted where required job positions were missing or underrepresented, allowing managers to address structural compliance issues rather than focusing solely on individual course completions. The difference was immediate. Conversations shifted from abstract compliance discussions to specific, measurable actions. Enrolments could be made quickly. E-learning could be recommended on the spot. Staffing adjustments could be discussed with clarity. The LMS had always contained the data; what changed was accessibility.

Adding the Human Layer

Visibility alone, however, is not enough. It must be supported by guidance and human connection. We recruited training administrators not only for their operational capability but for their empathy and customer service mindset. To manage multiple languages efficiently, we implemented a specialised translated chat solution that enabled centralised support across markets. Our team made proactive, consultative calls to dealerships that were below minimum standards, using the roadmap email as a shared reference point. This ensured conversations were focused and constructive rather than corrective. In parallel, we supported centralised training planning, balancing cross-border attendance and trainer availability while optimising class fill rates. Within three months of initial planning, the first sessions were running. Over time, forward scheduling with sufficient lead time improved utilisation and predictability. Certification improved not because the standards changed, but because the operational barriers were reduced.

Certification as a Brand Lever

For automotive OEMs, certification is not an administrative metric; it is a brand safeguard. Customers expect the same quality of expertise whether they visit a dealership in one city or another. Consistency of technical competence and sales professionalism directly influences customer trust, satisfaction and loyalty. When dealerships clearly understand their certification status and receive structured support to address gaps, standards become manageable. Completion rates increase. Training sessions run more efficiently. Brand experience becomes more consistent across the network.

The lesson is straightforward. Most dealership networks do not lack learning content; they lack a clear line of sight between requirements and action. Improving certification is less about launching new programmes and more about removing operational friction. It requires translating LMS data into simple, actionable insight and combining that insight with human support. When visibility improves, behaviour changes. When behaviour changes, standards rise. And when standards rise consistently across a network, the brand benefits. Training is rarely the missing piece. Clarity is.