The challenge
Why corporate identity audits are hard today
OEMs and distributors set out in their CI guidelines how every dealership should present the brand: the fascia and pylon, the showroom, the furniture and the branded materials. Checked on paper across a network, three things go wrong.
“The guidelines live in a PDF”
Auditors check each element against a long manual, so two auditors can score the same showroom differently and results can’t be compared.
“The photos never reach the report”
Pictures of the signage and showroom stay on auditors’ phones, so head office can’t see what was actually found.
“Fixes are hard to confirm”
A faded pylon or the wrong furniture needs a supplier or a contractor, and without a tracked action and a photo of the fix no one knows when it was done.
How it works
How corporate identity audits work in AutoSmart
Your CI guidelines become a checklist on the auditor’s phone, every gap becomes an action the dealer owns, and head office sees CI compliance for the whole network.
Step 1
Check every CI element on a phone
Each element of your CI guidelines becomes a checklist item. The auditor walks the outside and the inside of the dealership, scores each item and adds a photo as evidence, online or offline.
- Your CI guidelines as a checklist
- A photo on every finding
- Works offline
Step 2
Turn every CI gap into an action the dealer owns
Each failed element becomes a corrective action with a person in charge at the dealership and a due date, tracked from Pending to Completed with a photo of the fix.
- A person in charge and a due date
- Pending, In progress, Completed, Approved
- Photo proof of every fix
Step 3
See CI compliance across the network
Scores and failed CI elements reach head office as each audit is submitted, by region, dealer and element, so you see where the brand is presented right and where it isn’t.
- Scores by region and dealer
- Most failed CI elements
- Open CI actions per dealer
Results
Results from dealer networks
Before and after
Before and after AutoSmart
Without AutoSmart
- CI guidelines checked against a PDF
- Photos left on auditors’ phones
- No record of when a fix was made
With AutoSmart
- Every CI element a scored checklist item
- A photo on every finding, in the report
- Every gap an action with a due date and photo proof
What gets audited
What a corporate identity audit covers
Networks usually check six areas of each dealership against their CI guidelines. Each can be its own checklist or part of one visit.
Exterior
- Fascia and pylon
- Entrance and facade
- Flags, totems and parking signs
Showroom
- Wall graphics and colours
- Furniture and lighting
- Vehicle display areas
Customer areas
- Reception and lounge
- Delivery area
- Washrooms
Service and aftersales
- Service reception
- Workshop signage
- Parts counter
Brand materials
- Brochures and point-of-sale displays
- Uniforms and name badges
- Digital screens
New and refurbished outlets
- Checks before opening
- Refurbishment sign-off
- One standard at every outlet
Who it’s for
Built for the teams that check brand identity
Network development
Set the CI standard once and see which dealers meet it, region by region, before and after each refurbishment.
Field operations
Area managers check CI during the visit, leave with the report done and follow each fix to closure.
Audit agencies
Agencies running CI audits for an OEM use the client’s checklist in AutoSmart and hand over scored, photo-backed results.
FAQ
Corporate identity audits: common questions
What is a corporate identity audit?
A corporate identity (CI) audit checks that each dealership presents the brand the way the OEM’s CI guidelines describe: the signage, facade, showroom design, furniture and branded materials. In AutoSmart, auditors score each element on a phone with a photo, and every gap becomes a corrective action the dealer owns.
Can we use our own CI guidelines?
Yes. The sections and elements of your guidelines become a checklist in AutoSmart, with your own scoring, so every auditor checks every dealership against the same standard.
Can corporate identity checks be part of a wider dealer audit?
Yes. CI can be its own checklist or a section of a dealer standards audit, so one visit can cover CI, operating standards and processes.
Does it work outside the dealership with no signal?
Yes. Audits can be completed offline and sync automatically once the device is back online.
How do dealers prove a CI fix?
Each gap becomes an action with a person in charge and a due date. The dealer closes it with a photo of the fix, and the audit team reviews the photo and approves it.
What should corporate identity audit software do?
Put your CI guidelines on the auditor’s phone, score every element with a photo, turn every gap into an action the dealer owns, and show head office CI compliance for every dealership in one view.
