Great job- you’ve made the sale! The customer is in love with the bright, shiny new ride and is ready to sign on the dotted line. It’s time to produce the documents to close the deal. What form printing solution does your DMS offer? Functionality varies between software providers, but in some cases such as with Deal Pack’s dealer management solution, you’ll be presented with two options: Impact and Laser form printing.

Impact forms are preprinted documents produced in carbon-less copy and single page versions. They are available for purchase from publishing companies that furnish dealership business forms. Dot matrix (impact) type printers are used to print these forms and only those fields programmed by your DMS are printed. This method allows one form to be printed at a time creating a pause between each form to load the next document. If impact forms are a part of your document printing routine, you will be required to stock forms and maintain adequate levels to keep your business flow operating efficiently.

One of the most common complaints I receive regarding impact form printing is alignment issues. It’s imperative to consistently feed the form evenly into the printer to ensure proper alignment. You must also be certain that the form number and revision date on the document you are printing is the same as what was programmed into your software. You may find that at reorder your form has been updated by the publisher to keep you in legal and regulatory compliance. In most cases this has adjusted the preprinted verbiage causing the programmable fields to no longer align. Alignment issues could also be contributed to incorrect printer settings. Contact your DMS provider for assistance with resolving any of these issues.

Laser forms, also referred to as plain paper or PDF forms, have become a very popular method of form printing and for good reason. This option allows you to send the documents to the same laser printer your currently using to print reports, checks, financial statements, etc. The entire form is printed on plain paper and can be comprised of multiple pages. Alignment issues, the noise of an impact printer and the need to purchase a separate printer specifically for form printing is eliminated. Laser forms open the window of creativity – you have the ability to create your own custom documents and even embed your company logo for that professional touch. PDF forms can also be purchased through a publishing company. It’s recommended to consult your business attorney to confirm your providing the proper documentation to your customers for signature.