Procede Software CEO Larry Kettler kicked off the company’s annual software conference with a rousing keynote address Tuesday in San Diego.
Speaking to a sold out crowd, Kettler expounded on the event’s GRIT theme and shared updates on how Procede continues to bolster its software, services and solutions to strengthen daily operations for its dealer customer base.
“We are so dedicated to advancing our platform and solutions,” Kettler said. “We want to be proactive and we want everyone to move with us.”
Procede has been moving rapidly throughout 2024 as it continues to grow. Kettler said Procede sales will rise again in 2024, and over the last 10 years the company has experienced an average annual growth rate of 14%. Employees, customers and users are also on the rise, further signifying the company’s core values of being accountable, engaged, impactful and transparent are resonating in the industry.
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On the latter, Kettler noted, “As we get bigger we want to continue to get better. As we get bigger we’re going to have more projects and we want to continue to be transparent about them.”
Kettler also was transparent Tuesday in sharing the many projects Procede has in development. He said Excede v10.5 is on track to be released in 2025 with v10.6 to follow in 2026. Beyond those large milestones, Procede also is constantly releasing new tools, training, patches and integrations into its software to maximize user experience and dealer operational functionality.
Procede Chief Customer Officer Deanna Cocco joined Kettler on stage Tuesday to walk the audience through the company’s biggest user and customer experience improvements.
Among them was Procede’s new help portal. With user testing already underway, Cocco said Procede’s improved help portal will not only dramatically expand the library of assistance resources available to users but also pull those materials together in a single, easily searchable location unlike anything the company has previously offered.
“We think this is a game changer,” she said.
Cocco also noted Procede is further enhancing its Gear Up program for new users and learning management system to ensure dealer users are getting the most value out of the product. Driven by prior feedback from users, Cocco said Procede is determined to update the solution to remove any barriers that may limit a dealer’s usage of the training materials.
“We want you to feel like we’re delivering on your needs,” she said. “We hope to take your knowledge of the new version to the next level.”
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And Kettler said knowledge sharing is essential as Procede’s tools expand. With nearly 40% of the company’s staff dedicated to product development, Kettler said the company remains committed to constant improvements. He teased some new and forthcoming improvements Tuesday, as well as a growing list of partner integrations.
Kettler also noted with those improvements comes an increased focus on data privacy and cybersecurity. While Excede’s fundamental structure removes the “single point of failure” risk that has recently impacted competitors, Kettler said Procede is not immune to cyberattacks. He said the company is developing training and action plans for users to implement designed specifically to educate users about potential cyber risks and how to respond if an attack is encountered.
Finally, Kettler stressed the importance of collaboration and partnership. He said Procede’s commitment to customer experience excellence will be most successful if its users are open about how the product must work for them. That takes dialogue and communication.
“We improve by listening and learning, by understanding what you need and bringing it forward,” he said. “But we have to do it together. We are committed to you.”
