Reducing Operational Expense Through Platform Modernization

Cars.com

Industry

Automotive

Service

Software Product Design and Development

Summary

  • Takeaway

    CHALLENGE

    Cars.com asked us for supplemental help in executing a comprehensive platform modernization.

  • Takeaway

    PARTNERSHIP

    Over a two-year period, 8th Light teammates embedded in various Cars.com’s teams helped them update its core web and mobile functionality, improve local search, and migrate to a more bug-free and efficient front-end design system.

  • Takeaway

    IMPACT

    The platform relaunch reduced operational expense by migrating away from expensive enterprise licenses, helped reduce tech debt via a new front-end system, and helped improve customer UX with new personalization features.

8th Light Cars Featured Laptop

The internet has enabled innovators like Chicago-based Cars.com to revolutionize the way traditional industries serve their customers. While empowering shoppers with the data and digital tools they need to make informed vehicle-buying decisions, Cars.com also enables automobile dealers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to advertise to in-market shoppers, showcase inventories, and close sales.

SERVICES PROVIDED

  • Ecommerce Platform Development
  • Enterprise Software Development
  • Mobile App Development
  • Third-Party Integrations
  • UI Design & Engineering

OBJECTIVE

Modernized ecommerce for that new website smell

While empowering shoppers with the data and digital tools they need to make informed vehicle-buying decisions, Cars.com also enables automobile dealers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to advertise to in-market shoppers, showcase inventories, and close sales.

8th Light developers are valuable contributors to our teams at Cars. They have worked across our stack on many projects. 8th Light contributed to the relaunch and modernization of Cars.com, which helps us innovate in new and modern ways.

Jason Sisk
Manager, Software Engineering
Cars.com

RESULTS

Our partnership enables results

Over a two-year period, 8th Light teammates embedded in various Cars.com’s teams  helped update its core web and mobile functionality, and worked to improve elastic search and localization (most buying occurs within a 50-mile radius of the shopper). The project continues to feature building and shipping ecommerce features including finance options, and providing ongoing strategic guidance to Cars.com’s internal teams in order to capitalize on agile development best practices. This work is helping Cars.com on its quest to become more and more customer-centric, make its systems more future-friendly, and lower its operational costs.


CONCLUSION

Insight driven results

Cars.com’s comprehensive platform modernization demonstrates the immense value of long-term partnerships built on trust and collaboration. By embedding within Cars.com’s teams for over two years, 8th Light provided crucial guidance and development to revitalize core functionalities. Most notably, major upgrades to search, localization, and ecommerce experiences elevated customer-centricity and future-readiness while reducing costs.

As Cars.com Manager, Jason Sisk, affirms — this work was integral across the entire tech stack, driving innovation through modern approaches. With origins tracing back to traditional industry shakeups, this partnership confirms that staying ahead of the curve requires both internal vision and external expertise across design, development, and infrastructure.

Throughout the multiyear engagement, Cars.com relaunched its mobile application in order to provide better results to its customers.