Over the past year and a half, the business has gone through many transformations. Some of the companies in certain fields had struggles and felt a negative impact but for others, this period was rewarding.
According to CEMA Business Barometer, a monthly survey within the European agricultural machinery industry, the field reached its peak for the third time in a row this year and now is at its highest level since 2008. The results show that more than 75% of respondents noted overall turnover growth expectations. Also, nearly 55% of the participants evaluate their current business as good.
These are just part of the results that indicate the potential growth of agricultural machinery companies. An expansion is a significant moment for every organization but it comes with many challenges related to process optimizations, OEM relations, and customer satisfaction.
Therefore, digital transformation is mandatory in the business plan of a growing company. But there are some points that you need to keep in mind before considering implementation of a dealer management system.
Internal preparation before starting to look for a Dealer Management System (DMS)
We have identified some key aspects:
– Set your goals – knowing what you want to achieve will move you halfway closer to success. A clear vision of your goals will help the provider to understand your needs better and bring in the right functionalities.
– Be clear about the organizational gaps and weaknesses – upgrading the workflow and increasing efficiency will be easier if you know the exact problems of your company.
– Data preparation – once you decide it’s time for integrating a DMS into your business, make sure that all existing data you bring over is to the point – get rid of incorrect or duplicated information.
What to keep in mind when choosing а DMS provider?
– Operational expectations – easy integration of DMS is possible when you choose a provider who is agile, supportive, and capable of listening and understanding of your needs. And last but not least, keep in mind that the partner’s capabilities must concur with your requirements.
– Training – true valuable providers organize training during and after the integration is done. This helps people to get along with the new software step-by-step.
– Support – even after transformation is made, questions may appear. Choosing a partner who will be available for you and capable of supporting you as fast as possible is a sign that you have made the right decision.
What are the benefits of implementing а DMS into our business organization?
– Unified platform for all processes – most common issue is buying “pieces” of software (financial, sales or inventory, for example) while your business grows at a point when an organization gets to its peak, this may cost mistakes and low activity tracking at every level. By integrating a DMS in your organization, all data and processes will be moved on a unified platform. In this way, information will seamlessly exchange in real-time across all departments leading to efficient workflow optimization.
– OEM integration – according to CEMA survey, more than 90% of the participant companies complain about supply bottlenecks. Having direct relations with original equipment manufacturers is the key to success for heavy machinery companies. On the one hand, this will lower the time for requests and orders, and on the other hand, it will reduce mistakes due to the lack of manual work in transferring information. Therefore, you have to look for a provider that has rich experience in OEM integration.
– Mobile functionalities – having a dealer management system with features for mobile service is always a good option. Your business can smoothly continue to operate remotely and access different data such as service contracts, inventory, warranties, etc. Overall, mobile functionalities give you the freedom to perform tasks in any location.
A business management system can bring many more benefits to your heavy machinery dealership. Explore our machinery & equipment page to learn how DealerBox can upgrade your business.
To share more information about our intelligent software solutions, please contact us!
