Important Questions As You Evaluate Your Current Dealer Management System

Now that we’ve surpassed the midpoint of the year, it’s an opportune time for equipment dealerships to conduct a comprehensive checkup on their dealer management system (DMS). As technology is ever-evolving, it’s essential to ensure that your DMS is still meeting the dealership’s needs. Dealers seek out a dealer management system to increase efficiency, streamline tasks, aid in profitability and increase customer engagement and customer management. If uncertain whether your current dealer management system is delivering the results your dealership needs, keep reading as we explore 6 important questions to ask yourself and your team.

Revisiting Your DMS: Is Your Dealership Management System Meeting Expectations?

1. Are you Partnered with the right dealer management system provider?

Amid the rising number of mergers and acquisitions within the dealer management system provider industry, it’s essential to consider whether your current provider remains dedicated to ensuring the success of its customers in the long run. Unfortunately, during such acquisitions, the focus may shift towards maximizing profits while potentially neglecting the satisfaction of existing customers. As a result, critical aspects like customer support response times and timely releases of new features might suffer, adversely affecting their current customers.

2. Is your dealer management system increasing efficiency and productivity?

One of the primary objectives of a DMS is to optimize dealership efficiency and productivity for all departments within the dealership. From the parts department benefiting from an integrated, real time inventory parts management system to the service department utilizing job scheduling, service productivity and profit reports. All aspects of a dealership’s performance should be able to be accounted for within the dealer management system, easily and accurately.

3. Is your dealer management system focusing on stability and flexibility?

As your dealership evolves, does your current software have the flexibility and scalability to adapt to changing needs?  Access whether your current DMS can accommodate expanding operations, multiple locations, new OEM distribution agreements, include features allowing the ability to quickly scale up or down inventory and expand on new business models.  Make sure your DMS is keeping pace with your dealership’s needs and not limiting important growth opportunities.  

4. Is your dealer management system including the right integrations and connectivity?

In today’s interconnected business landscape, the ability of your DMS to integrate with other software and tools is vital to your success. Assess whether your current dealer management system seamlessly integrates with third-party applications such as Finance & Insurance tools,  and customer engagement and messaging platforms. As your dealership evolves, does your current software have the flexibility and scalability to adapt to changing needs? Access whether your current dealer management system can accommodate expanding operations, multiple locations, new OEM distribution agreements, include features allowing the ability to quickly scale up or down inventory and expand on new business models. Make sure your DMS is keeping pace with your dealership’s needs and not limiting important growth opportunities.

5. What grade would you give your dealer management system’s overall performance and reliability?

Evaluate the overall performance and reliability of your dealership management software.  Consider its efficiency in handling critical functions such as inventory management, service repair work, sales tracking, accounting and finance reporting.  Is the software reliable?  When training and support is needed does the current provider respond promptly with knowledgeable advice?  A well performing DMS should enhance productivity, minimize errors and contribute to a seamless customer experience.  Important advancements in cloud computing technology should provide DMS users with vast connectivity options and access to important features and functions while outside the dealership.

6. Are key personnel satisfied with performance of your current dealer management system?

Engage with top personnel within each department to gather their feedback on the usability and effectiveness of the current dealer management system.  Are they satisfied with performance?  Are they encountering limitations?  Their input is invaluable in understanding how well the software aligns with day-to-day operations and identifying areas that may require improvement.

Remember, a well-functioning dealer management system empowers your dealership to operate efficiently, enhance customer experiences, and drive profitability.  Use this mid-year checkup as an opportunity to optimize your DMS and position your business for success in the second half of the year and beyond.

To learn why more ag dealers, construction dealers, material handling dealers, equipment rental dealers and industrial dealers trust HBS Systems as a partner for the life of their business, contact our experienced team at via email at sales@hbssystems.com, call 800-376-6376 and read what customers say about working with us.