In Part 2 of our conversation with Dan Ziegler on the Year, Make, Model, Money! podcast we saw how Turn 14 Distribution and Data Here-to-There work together to support dealers in both brick-and-mortar and e-commerce spaces. Now, in Part 3 of the interview series, we go deeper into the dealer experience—how the app handles real-world complexities like order management workflows, MAP compliance, and product data imports.
We also explore how automation can save hours (or days) of manual effort, helping dealers avoid the spreadsheet grind and focus on what really moves the business forward. From shipping rate challenges to pricing updates at scale, this part of the conversation pulls back the curtain on how the app solves pain points that many dealers didn’t even realize could be fixed.
And yes—this one includes some honest, unfiltered feedback from dealers that reminds us exactly why we build what we build.
How Dealer Workflows are Streamlined
App Enhancements
Part of what makes the Turn 14 Distribution app so powerful is the continuous collaboration between Turn 14 Distribution and their long-time integration partner, Data Here-to-There. This relationship enables rapid iteration and refinement of app features based directly on dealer needs.
“We’ve had some intense conversations about features,” Jay from Data Here-to-There shared. “Some were more heated—Dan would say, ‘This has to work properly!’—and we’d snap to attention and figure it out. Those design discussions are critical.”
One such case involved fixing a frustrating issue where canceled orders in Turn 14 Distribution’s system didn’t properly communicate with Shopify. The result? Tracking numbers got stuck, and developers had to intervene manually. Jay recalls:
“Anytime somebody had an issue like that, we had to fire up Postman and start poking away at the Shopify API.”
The teams successfully worked together to implement a new setting, giving advanced users the ability to release tracking when they knew what they were doing, while keeping it hidden for novice users to avoid confusion.
MAP Compliance
Another key area is MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) enforcement—a priority for brands that want pricing consistency across retailers. The app was designed with built-in safeguards to help dealers stay compliant automatically.
Adhering to MAP policies is crucial for maintaining healthy vendor relationships. The Turn 14 Distribution app addresses this by automatically enforcing MAP pricing. If a product has a MAP policy, the app ensures that dealers cannot list it below the specified price, even if they attempt to apply a lower markup. This feature protects dealers from inadvertently violating agreements and facing potential repercussions.
“If there’s a MAP policy in place,” Dan said, “the app ensures the product can’t be listed below that floor. That’s critical because no one wants to get an unfriendly email from a brand threatening to pull their dealer status. It protects everyone.”
Real-Time Pricing and Inventory Updates
Maintaining up-to-date pricing and inventory is a significant challenge for dealers, especially during peak sales periods like Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Manual updates can be time-consuming and error-prone. The Turn 14 Distribution app automates this process, ensuring that pricing and inventory levels are always current. This automation not only saves time but also prevents potential sales losses due to outdated information.
Dan emphasizes the value of this feature:
“If you spend more than five hours a month updating inventory or pricing manually, the app pays for itself.”
What Dealers Value Most
When asked what dealers should consider before adopting the Turn 14 Distribution app, Dan emphasized the value it brings—especially to those starting with a clean slate.
“It’s a great option when you’re launching a new site. You know the brands or categories you want, and the app lets you define how you want to handle them—then it pulls in the product data, including fitment, pricing, and images. You don’t need to be a developer to make it work.”
A recent LinkedIn comment summed it up best. A veteran in the automotive space, now working retail, praised the app as one of the only options in the industry that can truly handle integration at this level:
“It’s crazy how fragmented product (including images) and fitment data is. Turn14 is the only one that seems to bring it all together. Their Shopify app is indispensable…”
That insight came from someone with hands-on experience across both sides of the industry—and it highlights what sets the app apart.
That level of data clarity and integration opens the door for real flexibility. Whether a dealer wants to sell everything that fits a Honda Civic, just specialize in brakes, or cherry-pick 10 favorite brands, the app enables it—without hours of spreadsheet wrangling.
And that, Dan explained, is the bigger vision:
“If a dealer wants to sell a brand, we want to remove every possible barrier to make that happen. The bottleneck shouldn’t be product data—it should be things the dealer can control, like pricing strategy or product focus.”
Want the full story? Catch up on our Year, Make, Model, Money! podcast by Data Here-to-There. You can also check out Part 1 and Part 2 of Dan Ziegler’s interview for more insights.
