Thread regarding CDK Global Inc. layoffs

As a former Keyloop employee, I can speak frankly: the company seems to be entering a critical stage. Today, all eyes are on Fusion, but in my view, it’s still an “empty shell”—lots of promises, very little substance, and essential features still missing. Anyone working on it knows how far it is from being genuinely useful for dealerships.

At the Keyloop Fusion Live 2025 event, Harvey, Chief Revenue Officer, said: “It won’t be perfect, but it gives us 90% confidence.” Honestly, that statement sums it up perfectly: Fusion is far from a mature product, yet it’s being marketed as if it were.
Keyloop this Is THE END!!!

They don't know what the F*@k they're doing......................

@8n2a sadly the people at the top are out of touch with real life, it's just a case of hopefully selling the company and getting their bonus and sodding off and then shafting another company for Francesco brothers in the ongoing process, hope the super hub team in India realise that as soon as they get Ai into the system all jobs that can be handled by that will be and the majority of the Indian team will then be out on their ears in the process, don't envy a new company having to try and sort out the mess they are actually going to end up with but can but hope they take better care to listen to those that are left in the company, good luck to all

It’s evident that Keyloop hasn’t got a clear communication and marketing strategy that is aligned to the company’s overall strategy, or maybe the KLT is realising that it have failed. There is a big and great testimonial on Keyloops website from the customer: Elite International Motors, promoting Keyloops DMS and even sales people are linking this testimonial on their LinkedIn pages. But the last thing I heard from the CRO and even the big DMS boss himself, a couple of weeks ago, was that the DMS is dead and that the platform is the present and future. Yes, I know that the DMS’ is linked to the platform, and yes I know that it will take decades before the DMS is fully decoupled and obsolete, but the message given by the KLT and even SLT is different than the testimonials on the webpage. How can customers even take Keyloop serious, when Keyloop gives these different messages depending on whom and where the message is presented.

@8mw8 That’s a really fair point, and I completely agree that the shift to hybrid working was ultimately driven by the collective choice of staff, not just leadership. Once that flexibility was given, it’s understandable that people adjusted their routines accordingly.

It’s a shame that some of the knock-on effects weren’t managed more proactively afterwards, but you’re absolutely right

@8mw2 as much as I dont think Keyloop have done anything right in many years, the decision to work remotely was not one KLT made, it was made by the staff. The majority of the business always had the ability to work remotely but company policy was to come into the office, when covid happened everyone that could went home and left the few that needed to attend to physical assets in office. At the end of covid all staff were invited to vote on what they wanted and they chose to hybrid. They wanted the option to come into the office but to work from home. In the years that followed teams only came in when management forced them, even site events with free food barely pulled people back in. As the saying goes - use it or lose it.
I know Keyloop is a sinking ship and im glad to not be there anymore but some decisions are brought on by the actions of many not the decisions of the few

Keyloop has a clear objective to reduce its costs in order to increase profits – a classic private equity roadmap.
This is achieved, among other things, by cutting some of the most costly items – premises and locations. It is a fact that Keyloop has closed several locations and transferred employees to full home working contracts. It would be interesting to hear management's view on this direction, given that it has been scientifically proven, and is therefore being implemented by more and more large international companies, that working from home is detrimental to, among other things: Company Culture, Cohesion & Innovation. Something that Keyloop otherwise prides itself on, and which is the basis of its entire “Culture of Accountability.” So there seems to be a clear conflict here between what Keyloop and HR believe is right and what researchers, other companies, and international leaders believe is right. I know who I believe most, even though TK and KLT “know what they are doing, as they have done this before.”

As a former senior executive at CDK International, I am genuinely disappointed when, in my new position at a Keyloop competitor, attend various global trade shows and local OEM dealer association trade shows and observe that Keyloop is conspicuous by its absence. Either it is an incredibly arrogant approach to believe that the products sell themselves through word of mouth and therefore there is no need to network and show your products to those who actually need them, or else the solutions have become so poor over the last five years due to a lack of investment that they can no longer be shown to dealers. Now, the harshest critics will probably ask why I care about Keyloop at all when I no longer work there. I do so because I, together with former colleagues, have worked hard for more than 20 years to break down industry barriers and develop some fantastic products. Ex-colleagues who still work at Keyloop, so it's more about being proud of something I helped build and which Keyloop seems to be throwing out the window.
All I can say is that I recently attended a large MB-specific trade fair, and Keyloop was nowhere to be seen. This is the kind of thing that is talked about in a small, specific world, which is what the mobility world is.
It is clear that Keyloop is focused on the domestic market and not other markets, even though they try to appear otherwise (e.g., by sending one person to Australia). Does Keyloop even know how big Australia is and what it takes to enter that market?
I can only say that my personal income benefits greatly from Keyloop's lack of global effort.

Testimonial Tuesday is brilliant piece of corporate communication. Keyloop of course are so incompetent that they sc--w it up and make themselves a laughing stock in the industry. They only have four positive customer feedback pieces so they are put on constant rotation for the last two years. D-mb and d-mber strike again.

@8m0a

Your response here reflects an attitude that contributes to a divisive culture within our business. Instead of fostering collaboration, it perpetuates a perception that the SaaS teams view the DMS teams as outdated, unnecessary, and negative.

The vast majority agree that Fusion represents a significant step forward for our organization. However, the DMS teams are acutely aware of the challenges we face: our core DMS is outdated, unreliable, and in need of substantial improvement. Unfortunately, these issues are often overlooked because they do not generate positive headlines or immediate revenue, both of which are critical for our bottom line.

It is important to recognize that the DMS (Operate) forms the foundation upon which all our other hubs are built. The concerns raised by the DMS teams are not simply demands for attention, but calls for necessary investment in a system that underpins our entire operation.

Moreover, the situation is exacerbated by the frequent release of new products that are 80% complete, resulting in issues that negatively impact customer data and operations.

My advice is to approach these challenges with maturity and a solutions-oriented mindset. Try to understand why those who address core customer issues may feel undervalued, especially when the focus is primarily on promoting new technologies.

I hope you will consider that your attitude displayed here may also be reflected in your day-to-day interactions. When the new systems encounter difficulties due to weaknesses in the DMS, you may find yourself relying on the very people whose contributions you currently undervalue.

@8m01 sounds like you are yet another DMS person desperate for attention because you think you’re being overlooked?" Grow up and welcome to adulthood.

Keyloop's challenge is that they consider themselves to be a SaaS company, and therefore they hire ELT and SLT people who are presumably skilled in that field (SaaS). The problem is that Keyloop is NOT a SaaS company – yet. Sure, there are SaaS products and elements in Keyloop, but the core of what is offered is not SaaS, it is DMS, whether the talented CRO, she likes it or not. So if Keyloop continues to remove managers from the old CDK and DMS space, at the same pace as I change my dirty G-string pa-ties after a good night out on the town, the company will forget where it came from and therefore lose its bearings in terms of where it is going. That is what is happening now, and it is one of the reasons why there are so many challenges in getting, for example, ADC, ServiceHub, and eventually VEGA and other SaaS products to function optimally, because the core of Keyloop (DMS) is simply being ignored. I also don't think it's any secret that the people who work with DMS on a daily basis, whether it's support, engineering, or product, feel that they are looked down upon and deprioritized.
I don't think it's any secret that the people who work with DMS on a daily basis, whether it's support, engineering, or product, feel that they are looked down upon and deprioritized compared to those who work with SaaS products in the company.
I could easily go into more detail about what is wrong, but that is not what Keyloop pays me for on a daily basis, so I will leave it up to the respective, undoubtedly talented ELT and SLT managers to explain to FP when the time comes – probably sooner than expected.

Another Operational KLT VP failed and getting pushed aside. No one lasts longer than 6 months as the strategy is wrong and they don’t care about experience and capabilities. It’s a train crash that keeps giving. Get out FP you are beyond useless.

Can any more information be shared about the rumoured redundancies?

More redundancies? Which part of the organisation?

Watch out sisters and brothers. Next week is going to be manic when it comes to redundancies. Don’t accept any meetings unless there is a clear and available agenda. If you get an invite that you suspect could be a potential “final call”, reply that you haven’t been feeling well lately so you call in sick.

The settlement negotiation tool which many of you have is all of the staggered sham redundancies going on. It doesn't look good to potential buyers, if a business has multiple lawsuits hanging over it's head. A judge would look unfavorably at a business if a high number of claims were going on and they would side with the employees making any claims.
The sell off date is approaching, the KLT have a deadline and targets to meet. They want their bonuses and final pay offs. It's a good time to sharpen up your CV and think about what a good settlement figure may look like for you. After all, the sell off is going to happen soon and time is moving fast.

@8jm0 they paid 50% more than what a court ruling against Keyloop and a subsequent settlement in court would have cost them. I suspect that someone from KLT was involved in the decision to avoid more negative press coverage than they already have in my country. In addition, there are the normal statutory and contractual financial obligations that they have to pay regardless, but which they also tried to avoid paying by opting out of them in the first draft agreements.

@8jkz I appreciate you are unable to give specifics, but how generous of an offer was it? A while back, the term "a years salary" was flying around. That would of taken into account the tax free amount of 30K.

@8jcq Keyloop's starting point or proposal is ALWAYS nothing, even if it conflicts with legislation and collective agreements, so it is important to know the law. Do not sign anything, and ask them for a new meeting where you have someone with you, preferably a solicitor or someone who knows the labour market and the relevant legislation in your country.
I myself was dismissed some time ago, and it took over a month to negotiate terms with Keyloop. Along the way, you will encounter countless ‘this is our final offer’ statements, where they try to pressure and threaten you into signing quickly, even if it is against the law. They are cold and cynical, and they are not familiar with the legislation in each country.
My own case was a hair's breadth away from ending up in court, which Keyloop would have lost 110%, but I don't know what suddenly made them change their minds and finally come up with an extremely generous offer.

@8jkk would be lucky to get a week for every year

While I wouldn't expect anyone to share actual numbers for pay offs the formulas would be good to know:

is it a month for every year as an example (doubtful :-) )

With the cheque book being flashed around of late, anybody willing to disclose what settlement figures have been offered to them?

@8j5v yet spending thousands on accountability training for the last 6 months - wonder if ELT are taking that training?

The company will never reach its full potential until honesty, accountability and stability are restored at every level, especially within KLT and SLT. Right now too many people feel betrayed, like they are being taken for a ride. Even managers are staying quiet out of fear of losing their jobs, which is understandable but damaging.

The best outcome for everyone would be for the company to be sold to new ownership that has the courage to remove the toxic leadership at the top. We need leaders who invest in people for their skills and passion, not ones who simply outsource jobs to cheaper markets like India. Only then can balance be restored, customer confidence rebuilt, and employees given the drive to move mountains again.

The months ahead are going to be rough, but if we hold on and keep faith there will be light at the end of the tunnel. And this time, it won’t be a train.

@8e3p any jobs?

@8j1w Networks and office systems have had a couple of losses. Not sure if any others

@8j1w Yes, that is correct. The year is drawing to a close and we are rapidly approaching the last quarter, which is very important, perhaps Keyloop's most important quarter ever before the announcement of Keyloop's sale is made public. After all, the corpse should be dressed up as nicely as possible before it is laid to rest.
It is not only the UK that will be affected, other countries will be too, and who knows – perhaps someone from KLT will announce that ‘they want more time for their family...’, or however they usually present it.

@8hns
Hearing rumours of more UK redundancies - any idea which area affected?

It has now been six months since I left Keyloop. The more time passes and the more posts I see from former colleagues on LinkedIn, the more striking similarities I see between Keyloop and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea:

• Very few people have power and can make decisions.
• Anyone who challenges this tends to suddenly disappear.
• Everyone is afraid of those in power and therefore has an incredibly brown nose.
• Everyone behaves like lemmings.
• Everyone wears blinders and believes that where they are now is heaven.
• Management firmly believes that they are God's gift to humanity.
• No one believes that “the grass is greener on the other side.”
• Everyone outside the dictatorship is amused by and benefits from the obvious incompetence of the leadership.
• Those who suffer most under a dictatorship are the people, not the leadership.
• Those who escape the dictatorship can all relate to the above.

Have a good weekend, whether you are inside or outside the dictatorship.

Which area?

Lost my job, outsourced to India, I will be contacting a lawyer for advice.

It is extremely interesting that Keyloop has created a number of local positions (remote, of course) within finance and financial management. Some of them are contractually limited to one year, and the job advertisement also states that you must have experience in project management and M&A. I think we all know what that means—an imminent sale. It could also be a sign that financial management and reporting are failing. However, you wouldn't think so when you see how many people are employed under Keyloop's CFO.
By the way, does anyone know how all the roadshows Keyloop is currently running are going? All we hear in the office is that there is a waiting list to participate and that all customers are blown away by our brilliant products and understanding of their businesses and challenges.

There could be hundreds if not thousands of reason to complain about a company, however.

They promote remote? They want to cut costs to then fire you for the sale

They promote return to the office? They want to force you to quit and then fire the rest for the sale

They promote hybrid? They want to confuse (???) you without clear direction so you are so confused to fire yourself for the sale.

I mean. No matter what they do the narrative will always go there. At least let's not create fiction.

Reducing the cost of buildings that nobody goes to because everyone chooses to work from home most of the time - shocker!

"Keyloop's top management" - made me chuckle.

Top of what? Top of the flops?

Today, Keyloop's top management has launched a project aimed at further reducing the costs of buildings, offices, and equipment in order to meet the targets set by FP and achieve their "Rule of 60", so that the sale of Keyloop can be completed next year - in 2026.
In fact, the goal and plan have been in place since day one, but as progress has been insufficient, it is now a priority project.
So what does this mean for us as employees?
All new hires in countries where physical offices are expected to close will be exclusively “remote.” In addition, HR is in the process of moving as many current employees as possible to ‘remote’ contracts and, if not possible, to “flex” contracts. Furthermore, in certain countries, subsidies for physical employee activities, such as Christmas and seasonal parties, will be cut in order to indirectly promote and encourage the separation of employees from physical locations.
In countries with multiple physical offices (regardless of the size of the country), there will only be one physical office going forward. In countries where there are no so-called "hq" or “hubs,” the offices will be significantly reduced in size, if they are not closed as previously mentioned.
Many employees will probably view this negatively, but as a legal professional, I can only encourage you to look at your contract. Perhaps the upcoming change in your contract will be your opportunity to leave Keyloop with a large bag of money under your arm, if you so desire. At least, this is what we have already seen in several countries.
As mentioned, the project is now underway and is expected to be completed in Q1 2026, so that sales negotiations can be concluded in mid-2026, with effect from the beginning of 2027.
As always, senior and middle management will deny this information, which is completely understandable, but just look at how the content of this post fits with what you see and experience, and you will have no doubt.

Darwin award?

Interesting that Keyloop have been shortlisted by Reuters for an innovation award for a product that multiple competitors already have had for many years, and some of these are even OEM endorsed. Wonder how much Keyloop have paid for that nomination.
I really hope that customers, both current Keyloop and others are looking beyond what is present in UK because they could get solutions that are minimum adequate to what Keyloop have but for half the price, because they are not owned by FP who require a margin of minimum 60%.

What a load of tosh, roles are not made redundant in Keyloop individuals are, usually the most expensive go first, has nothing to do with ability, just look at the people that have gone and the ones that are left (for now). Take the money and go and work for a company that knows what it is doing, Keyloop will being running another competition soon for a new company name (as CDK did) my suggestion would be Titanic. Much Love.