At the recent New York Auto Forum, CDK Global shared a sobering insight: while dealers are shaving minutes off the transaction clock, they’re still missing the point. Buyers aren’t frustrated because it takes too long – they’re frustrated because it feels like it takes forever. From repeated data entry to waiting around for F&I, the process is still broken where it counts.

And we agree.

At Virtual F&I, we’re not here to patch old systems – we’re here to reinvent the experience.  This requires a new approach to thinking about the process and how tools interact within F&I. We have partnered with various industry technology leaders to address the shortcomings of today’s process and technology, aiming to improve the overall experience.

Dealers Are Measuring the Wrong Metrics

According to CDK’s findings, over 60% of car buyers now finish transactions in under two hours – a technical improvement. Yet despite this progress, customer satisfaction drops sharply when F&I wait times exceed 30 minutes, and many buyers still report having to re-enter information they’d already provided online. These aren’t time issues, they’re continuity issues.

The reality is: compressed deal times don’t automatically mean better experiences. A transaction that takes 90 minutes but feels disjointed and frustrating is still a bad experience.  When you build from the ground up with this in mind, you not only create an actual omni-channel but also one that reduces the time spent in F&I.

The Core Problem: Fragmentation

CDK also reported that 78% of dealers use digital tools, but only 31% integrate them across the online-to-store journey. Worse, 13% now juggle 6–7 disconnected systems, up significantly from last year. The outcome? A clunky, inconsistent process where handoffs and tech silos cause friction at every turn.

When you can’t see where the process breaks down, you can’t fix it.  We developed a unified F&I platform that connects disparate systems to facilitate seamless transactions, enabling users to navigate the sales process with minimal friction, whether they start online or in store.

Our Solution: A Unified Platform for a Seamless Experience

That’s exactly where Virtual F&I comes in. We’ve built an integrated SaaS platform that acts as a single, continuous layer over the entire sales process, from research to signing.

Here’s how we’re transforming the journey:

• Remote F&I empowers your team to close deals from anywhere, while still maintaining control and compliance.
• Hybrid continuity ensures that a shopper who starts online can walk into your store and pick up exactly where they left off – with zero re-entry or reset.

Why It Matters: Flexibility Over Formality

Today’s customers expect agency. They want to start online, pause for a few hours, and finish the deal in-store – or vice versa. They don’t want to resubmit their information. They don’t want to be “handed off.” They don’t want to sit through presentations they could have watched from home.

They want the process to feel seamless and fluid, not fragmented.

We designed Virtual F&I with that in mind. It’s not just about faster deals; it’s about smarter ones. Ones that feel human. Ones that give customers control while maximizing profitability for dealers.

No Handoffs. No Resets. No Stalls.

CDK got it right: the dealerships pulling ahead are the ones designing a process that’s continuous, not transactional. We’re proud to be enabling that transformation.

If you’re still relying on disconnected tools and clunky workarounds, it’s time to rethink your approach. Don’t just digitize – unify.

The future of car buying isn’t just online or in-store. It’s both. And it starts with a single sales platform that brings everything together.

Let’s build that future – together.