From employee benefits to HR to garage insurance, CADA 360 programs are evolving to help dealers better manage risk
For dealers, risk management now extends well beyond garage insurance or workplace safety programs. It touches employee benefits, HR compliance, CGL insurance, and retirement savings governance — all areas where operational and financial risks can emerge.
That broader view is increasingly shaping how the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) approaches its CADA 360 programs, which span multiple aspects of dealership operations.
According to Michael Psotka, CADA’s CFO and Director of Member Services, “the programs are increasingly designed to work together and provide synergies between them to help dealers mitigate risk while also delivering practical operational value. That is the basis for our current Puzzle concept advertising at CADA.”
The result, said Psotka, is a set of programs that continue to evolve in response to dealer needs.
One of the most active areas is Employee Benefits. Psotka said CADA is close to finalizing a new Master Services Agreement with Canada Life. He said the new agreement focuses on improving program oversight and claims management, and responding to risk areas identified by dealers.
“We are becoming more involved in the management of the program to the benefit of our dealer group,” he said.
Several pilot projects are already underway. Further announcements on how they will roll out to the broader dealer body are expected once the agreement is finalized.
“A lot of the initiatives will help the HR team within a dealership or dealership group manage both their risks and costs associated with their employees,” said Psotka.
Among the initiatives under development are a new administration portal and updated processes designed to help dealerships manage short- and long-term disability claims more effectively — a major cost driver.
Those improvements connect directly to another CADA 360 offering: CADA 360 Drive HR, formerly known as HR Automation.
The program helps dealers manage HR compliance, employee records, recruitment, and training through a single digital platform. CADA relaunched the program under the CADA 360 Drive HR banner alongside the rollout of DriveHRIS, developed with DealerPILOT.
Psotka said the platform was designed to support a wide range of HR functions while providing a modern, mobile-friendly system that can incorporate AI and machine learning capabilities over time.
The longer-term goal is to connect Drive HR with other CADA 360 services so dealers can access multiple tools through a more integrated ecosystem. “Integrating all the CADA programs and systems together is part of the plan,” said Psotka.
Risk management considerations also shape CADA 360 Garage Insurance, which was developed specifically for dealership operations. Psotka said the program, delivered with HUB International, reflects decades of experience working with automotive retailers and incorporates input from dealers and dealer committees.
Another area where CADA 360 continues to refine its offerings is CADA 360 Security Services, which currently centres on vehicle theft recovery.
Psotka said the focus there is twofold: ensuring the technology remains effective, while also providing dealers with a strong business model for offering the system to retail customers.
“There are two aspects to a theft recovery device,” he said. “You have to make sure that technically it’s a really good device, and then you have to be able to offer dealers a strong business model to sell it. We have both.”
CADA is also working to educate insurance companies across the country on how these devices benefit consumers.
Work is also underway on CADA 360 Retirement Savings, where the association has created a new Pension Committee and is working with consulting firm Mercer to update the program in line with current CAPSA guidelines.
Psotka said this initiative focuses on both regulatory alignment and modernization. New education initiatives and program enhancements for both dealers and employees are expected later this year.
Across all of these programs, Psotka said dealer feedback plays a central role in shaping improvements. “We hear them, we listen to them, and we’re amending as necessary to keep our programs at the top of their game,” he said.
CADA 360 also relies on dealer-led committees that guide many of the programs and provide direct input on how they should evolve.
Participation in CADA 360 programs also serves another purpose. Revenues generated through the programs help fund CADA’s broader knowledge and advocacy pillars, and related initiatives on behalf of dealers across Canada.
Psotka said CADA is a not-for-profit organization and aims to finance its expanding role and initiatives in the most cost-effective way possible by having dealers participate in “top-of-the-class” programs.
“At CADA, we always want to hear from our dealers,” said Psotka. “We want to hear the good, the bad and the ugly about what’s going on in our programs because we really do listen and take feedback into account.”
The goal, he added, is to ensure the CADA 360 programs continue to evolve alongside the operational realities facing dealerships.
