In May 2006, Canam began working with the Toromont Information Technology department to add a professional software company’s capabilities to the outstanding software products developed by Canadian Cat dealer Toromont Industries. Working closely with Toromont, Canam is taking the lead in sales & marketing, dealer implementation, customization, pre and post-implementation consulting and training, custom development and customer support functions for the entire suite of dealer business solutions software from Toromont. Dealer business consulting is also available to assist with process design and change management.

Working exclusively with Canam, Toromont is excited about the opportunity to extend its software and IT experience to other dealers. A blended team of Canam and Toromont experienced software developers is now working from the Toromont offices in Concord Ontario, and the Canam offices located in the Dun & Bradstreet building 20 minutes away in Mississauga Ontario. Many dealerships from across North America are now committed to a large variety of Toromont software solutions, with many more dealerships coming on board soon.

Dealers are seeing the power, benefits and cost-effectiveness of choosing CRM and quoting solutions that are built and used by another Cat dealer who knows their business, and that integrate with a wide variety of solutions that span the breadth of the business. Popular applications include Toromont Sales Link CRM, iQuote for machine quoting, iMacs for power systems project management, eCommerce, inventory management, equipment reservations, service scheduler and many more. See our Business Solutions page to explore the extensive suite of applications available.

Toromont Industries Ltd. has been actively investing in information technology since 1996. Located in the heart of the Greater Toronto Area, the Toromont IT group has access to the largest centre of technology talent in Canada. The group has been able to acquire some of the most talented professionals in the field, who have developed and continue to support its progressive technology-enabled business strategies. The management team at Toromont are committed to technology deployment as a key component of its business approach.

Toromont has also been recognized by a number of external IT organizations, and Mike Cuddy, Toromont’s Vice President of Information Technology and CIO, has been recognized and quoted on a regular basis. In 2004, Mr. Cuddy was elected by Canadian Business Week Magazine as the top CIO in Canada, and a member of it’s annually selected “All Star Executive Team”. He has been featured in cover stories by CIO Canada, the first time for his innovative approach to training, and the second time for his insightful views regarding vendor and supplier management.

“Information technology is like any other critical functional area within Toromont” says Mr. Cuddy. “We must fully utilize every capability to be more competitive, more aggressive, and more cost effective in our core business operations. We continually balance innovation value with business value and sustainability within the tasks we tackle.”

Mr Cuddy was featured recently in Edge Magazine where he discussed his views regarding Mobile technology. “Mobility represents a very important opportunity to Toromont. We are currently in the process of implementing custom mobile system designed specifically for our Battlefield/Cat Rental Store operations.” Mr. Cuddy said. “This system will create step change improvements in customer service, equipment utilization and expense management. This is just the beginning.”

Mr Cuddy has been a contributor to Optimize Magazine (publication of CMP Media (InformationWeek)). This industry-leading publication, which highlights leadership in IT innovation, recently published his article regarding CIO effectiveness as its lead cover story.

Toromont’s IT group reflects the company’s vision, leadership and aggressive attitude towards thoughtful and deliberate business innovation and improvement. Much of Toromont’s IT investments have been focused on getting increased value from existing transactional systems. Within its Toromont Cat business unit, years of investment in web-based applications have been paying annual dividends in the form of increased market share, lower costs, faster response to changing market conditions, and improved employee morale and customer satisfaction. “There are still so many opportunities to pursue” Mr. Cuddy states.

“The Canam relationship allows us to move to another level of productivity and innovation. Canam’s expertise in modifying and delivering software solutions to Cat dealers is unparalleled. The company has an ever-growing understanding of a Cat dealer’s operations, and with its unique, close relationship with Toromont, the company truly understands the business of its customers. With Canam’s user groups, newsletters and other forms of information exchange, we have the basis to collaborate at an idea level. We (Cat dealers) are focused on the same strategy, guided by a brilliant strategic plan developed by Caterpillar. This business-driven software delivery model will create opportunities for dealers, which we have not even thought of yet. Steven Covey’s Theory of Abundance comes to mind – there really is no limit to the capabilities we can develop for ourselves in the coming years.”