Charlotte, 28211, NC,
United States
Sonic Automotive Technographics
Sonic Automotive Technographics, Software Purchases, AI and Digital Transformation Initiatives
Discover the latest software purchases and digital transformation initiatives being undertaken by Sonic Automotive and its business and technology executives. Each quarter our research team identifies on-prem and cloud applications that are being used by the 10800 Sonic Automotive employees from the public (Press Releases, Customer References, Testimonials, Case Studies and Success Stories) and proprietary sources.
During our research, we have identified that Sonic Automotive has purchased the following applications: Coupa Invoice for AP Automation in 2019, UKG Pro Workforce Management Absence (ex UKG Dimensions Absence) for Absence and Leave Management in 2023, Autoline Drive DMS for Dealership Management in 2017 and the related IT decision-makers and key stakeholders.
Our database provides customer insight and contextual information on which enterprise applications and software systems Sonic Automotive is running and its propensity to invest more and deepen its relationship with Coupa Software , SAP , UKG or identify new suppliers as part of their overall Digital and IT transformation projects to stay competitive, fend off threats from disruptive forces, or comply with internal mandates to improve overall enterprise efficiency.
We have been analyzing Sonic Automotive revenues, which have grown to $14.22 billion in 2024, plus its IT budget and roadmap, cloud software purchases, aggregating massive amounts of data points that form the basis of our forecast assumptions for Sonic Automotive intention to invest in emerging technologies such as AI, Machine Learning, IoT, Blockchain, Autonomous Database or in cloud-based ERP, HCM, CRM, EPM, Procurement or Treasury applications.
Sonic Automotive Tech Stack and Enterprise Applications
ERP Financial Management
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coupa Software | Legacy | Coupa Invoice | AP Automation | ERP Financial Management | n/a | 2019 | 2020 |
In 2019, Sonic Automotive implemented Coupa Invoice as part of a broader AP Automation deployment within its Coupa Business Spend Management platform. The initiative extended existing digital Sourcing and Procure-to-Pay processes to improve invoice handling for indirect spend across corporate functions and retail operations in North America.
Coupa Invoice was configured to operate alongside Coupa Sourcing, Procurement, and Contract Lifecycle Management, enabling automated invoice capture, invoice to contract and purchase order matching, and validation of invoices against negotiated contract pricing. Functional capabilities focused on automated validation rules, exception routing, and embedding contracted terms into the invoice validation workflow to ensure sourced pricing and terms were realized. The configuration leveraged the BSM data model to surface prevailing terms and contract line details during invoice processing.
Operational coverage included Procurement, Accounts Payable, and Legal stakeholders, with invoices and contract data consolidated in a central Coupa repository to improve visibility into supplier agreements and prevailing terms. Integrations were realized within the Coupa BSM suite, tying invoicing to sourcing results and procurement approvals to create an end-to-end closed loop from sourcing through payment. The architecture supported automated approval routing and digital signature workflows consistent with the companys existing P2P controls and pre-approval channels.
Governance and process changes standardized invoice-to-contract matching rules and approval workflows, and increased transparency for business users seeking contract terms. Reported outcomes tied directly to the combined deployment included systematic realization of sourced pricing and terms, streamlined contracting and invoice validation workflows, enhanced visibility into contracts and terms, and maintenance of 78% of spend through pre-approved channels. Coupa Invoice therefore provided Sonic Automotive with an AP Automation capability tightly integrated with sourcing, procurement, and contract management.
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Expense Management | ERP Financial Management |
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2017 | 2017 |
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HCM
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UKG | Legacy | UKG Pro Workforce Management Absence (ex UKG Dimensions Absence) | Absence and Leave Management | HCM | n/a | 2023 | 2023 |
In 2023 Sonic Automotive implemented UKG Pro Workforce Management Absence (ex UKG Dimensions Absence) as its targeted absence solution, deploying the application to support Absence and Leave Management across payroll and HR workflows. The implementation was positioned to consolidate time-off tracking and absence adjudication within a centralized UKG Pro Workforce Management Absence environment, aligning absence data with ongoing payroll and scheduling initiatives at the dealer group level.
Configuration work emphasized timekeeping linked absence rules and eligibility, system testing, and phased rollout with end-user training, reflecting the project lead role described by the payroll information systems team. Functional capabilities implemented included absence accrual and balance enforcement, absence request and approval flows, and configuration of absence categories and pay rule interactions consistent with Absence and Leave Management practices. The program also targeted automation of manual absence adjudication steps to reduce ad hoc reconciliation.
The implementation was integrated operationally with UKG HCM for teammate record synchronization and with enterprise BI reporting, specifically Cognos Analytics, which was used to develop and reconcile payroll validation reports. Those integrations supported cross-system reconciliation between absence records, payroll calculations, and enterprise reporting, and were used during acquisitions activity covering more than 20 dealerships and payroll schedule changes. Payroll automation initiatives and existing garnishment automation were coordinated alongside the absence deployment to ensure alignment of payroll disbursement processes.
Governance and process changes were led by the payroll HRIS and Payroll Information Systems teams, who managed configuration governance, testing protocols, and end-user training curricula. The rollout included documented procedures to eliminate manual steps, operational support for system issues, and role-based access and approval workflows to enforce compliant absence administration and state overtime exemption rules where applicable.
Outcomes explicitly cited by the internal team included standardized absence management, enhanced payroll and accuracy compliance, and reduction of manual procedures through automation and BI-driven reconciliation. UKG Pro Workforce Management Absence was positioned to centralize Absence and Leave Management controls within Sonic Automotive while enabling ongoing compliance and reporting integration with HRIS and payroll systems.
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Benefits Administration | HCM |
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2023 | 2023 |
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Core HR | HCM |
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2023 | 2023 |
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Employee Experience | HCM |
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2023 | 2023 |
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Learning and Development | HCM |
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2021 | 2021 |
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Payroll Tax Compliance | HCM |
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2020 | 2020 |
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Payroll | HCM |
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2023 | 2023 |
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Performance and Goal Management, Employee Recognition and Rewards Management | HCM |
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2021 | 2021 |
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Recruiting, Applicant Tracking System | HCM |
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2014 | 2014 |
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Recruiting, Applicant Tracking System | HCM |
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2020 | 2020 |
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Succession and Leadership Planning | HCM |
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2024 | 2024 |
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Workforce Analytics | HCM |
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2023 | 2023 |
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Workforce Management | HCM |
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2023 | 2023 |
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ERP Services and Operations
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDK Global | Legacy | Autoline Drive DMS | Dealership Management | ERP Services and Operations | n/a | 2017 | 2018 |
In 2017, Sonic Automotive implemented Autoline Drive DMS from CDK Global to standardize core dealer systems. The Autoline Drive DMS deployment targeted Dealership Management functions across the organization, aligning retail vehicle sales, fixed operations, parts, finance and accounting, and customer relationship workflows under a single DMS platform.
The implementation focused on configuration of standard Dealership Management modules, including inventory management and vehicle merchandising, sales and F&I workflow orchestration, service scheduling and repair order processing, parts inventory and procurement, accounting and ledger interfaces, and CRM-driven customer retention capabilities. Autoline Drive DMS was configured to support dealership-level transaction processing and reporting while exposing common master data such as VIN, customer, and vehicle records for enterprise visibility.
Deployment architecture emphasized integration readiness typical for dealer management, including connections to OEM data feeds, lender and finance-provider interfaces, and DMS-adjacent systems used by sales and fixed operations. The implementation reflected Sonic Automotives prior experience with the CDK Dealer Management System, leveraging category-standard integration patterns and data models to minimize transactional friction across retail and fixed-ops processes.
Governance centered on centralized configuration control combined with dealer-level operational ownership, using staged rollouts, standardized operating procedures, and role-based access to reconcile dealership autonomy with corporate compliance. Change management emphasized process standardization for sales, service, parts and accounting functions, with data governance applied to inventory and customer records to ensure consistency across Sonic Automotives network.
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AI-Powered Application
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
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Artificial Intelligence Marketing | AI-Powered Application |
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2019 | 2019 |
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Analytics and BI
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Analytics and BI | Analytics and BI |
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2014 | 2018 |
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Analytics and BI | Analytics and BI |
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2018 | 2019 |
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Collaboration
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
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Collaboration | Collaboration |
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2018 | 2018 |
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Content Management
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Contract Lifecycle Management | Content Management |
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2019 | 2020 |
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Digital Signing | Content Management |
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2023 | 2023 |
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CRM
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
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Customer Support | CRM |
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2020 | 2020 |
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Data Management Platform | CRM |
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2017 | 2017 |
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Digital Advertising Platform | CRM |
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2014 | 2014 |
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Digital Advertising Platform | CRM |
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2019 | 2019 |
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Marketing Analytics | CRM |
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2018 | 2018 |
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Tag Management | CRM |
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2021 | 2021 |
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ITSM
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
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Application Performance Management | ITSM |
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2015 | 2015 |
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Application Performance Management | ITSM |
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2019 | 2019 |
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Procurement
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
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Procurement | Procurement |
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2020 | 2020 |
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Procurement | Procurement |
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2019 | 2020 |
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Sourcing | Procurement |
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2019 | 2020 |
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Supplier Relationship Management | Procurement |
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2021 | 2021 |
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Supplier Risk Management | Procurement |
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2019 | 2020 |
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SPM
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
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Incentive Compensation Management | SPM |
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2020 | 2020 |
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PaaS
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
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Transactional Email | PaaS |
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2017 | 2017 |
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IaaS
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
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Application Hosting and Computing Services | IaaS |
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2020 | 2020 |
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Application Hosting and Computing Services | IaaS |
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2014 | 2014 |
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Content Delivery Network | IaaS |
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2014 | 2014 |
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Content Delivery Network | IaaS |
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2018 | 2018 |
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Content Delivery Network | IaaS |
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2020 | 2020 |
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CyberSecurity
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
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Secure Email Gateways (SEGs) | CyberSecurity |
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2016 | 2016 |
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Internet of Things
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
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IoT Platform | Internet of Things |
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2019 | 2019 |
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IT Decision Makers and Key Stakeholders at Sonic Automotive
| First Name | Last Name | Title | Function | Department | Phone | |
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| No data found | ||||||
Apps Being Evaluated by Sonic Automotive Executives
| Date | Company | Status | Vendor | Product | Category | Market |
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