Maintenance of its traditionally decentralized

maintenance of its traditionally decentralized operational infrastructure. The company prefers
to decentralize their business operations in such way that each car dealership is responsible
for purchase and sale of its vehicles, credit decision making and collection of contracts that
spawned of established policies. The dealerships are overseen by a corporate management
which also controls a centralized financial base monitors the score of the proprietary credit
and drafts up contracts terms and down payments standards. Another is sales of basic
transportation. Since this is the primary revenue source of Car-Mart, the company aims to
continue to support it. In 2017 fiscal year, the average retail price was $10540 for every
transportation unit.
o Technological Infrastructure
Technologically, Car-Mart has employed information communication technology in its
operation to increase their efficiency for example in a bid to reduce credit losses; the
company invested in a proprietary system for credit scoring. Through this system, the
company monitors contracts’ qualify. The system is also capable of credit reporting even
when customers are not currently buying or selling vehicles. Car-Mart has also invested in
Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for all their vehicles. Car-Mart moreover has implemented
information systems to automate most company operations. For example, the management of
sales, consumer financing, inventory and customer information is all done on dealership level

Knowledge Management Strategy for Car-Mart 10
and the corporate level using this system. The company, therefore, has hired tech personnel to
continually protect these systems’ integrity[Ame17]. The company moreover has expanded
its technological infrastructure to include a call center that notes every customer’s contact
and maintain a record of conversation at the dealership servers. Moreover, in May this year,
the company commenced the use of text messaging to notify customers on where to receive
their payment reminders or late notices.
o Cultural Infrastructure
Culturally, the current operation of Car-Mart is based in areas with low populations of about
50000 or less. Car-Mart believes that services in small communities offer it better-
consolidated results than it would get in the larger community. Moreover, the financial
objective of cost saving is realized in such community since the operating expenses like rent
salaries and advertising are low in these areas. In the 2017 annual report, Car-Mart stated that
its most precious investment was people. Thereby, the company invests in hardworking and
honest individuals in this every position and develops and nurtures the people to fill its vast
managerial capacity. Car-Mart believes that promoting people from within the company
enables it to continue in its long-standing unique culture as well as maintaining associates
loyalty through the provision of advancement opportunity. Another facet of Car Marts
cultural infrastructure is its diverse community of customers. The company has a reputation