6 Ways Equipment Manufacturers can Build an Effective Dealer Network

effective dealer network
To run a successful organization and create a consistent service experience for end-users, manufacturers need an efficient dealer network. Here are some tips manufacturers can use to help their dealers prioritize service. yours.

It’s no surprise that manufacturers of heavy or complex equipment have extremely intricate systems and processes, with field service being a key part of their business. For every dealer in a network, there could be hundreds of service technicians that manage inspections, installations, repair, and preventative maintenance.

With their equipment’s complex service needs in mind, it’s essential for manufacturers to find the best way to work efficiently with their dealer network to provide a consistent service experience for the end-user. This perfect balance of communication and access to information between manufacturers, dealers and end-users is called the Equipment Triangle. Without the constant flow of information through the Equipment Triangle, there is a gap in the service process.

Here are some ways to close that gap, give your customers a consistent service experience, and make product support an integral part of business across dealerships.

1. Invest in a Service Management System

The first step in gaining access to real-time data and creating a consistent service experience is investing in a field service management system. Connecting your dealer network through one service management suite is essential to your success. Data can be interchanged between dealer networks, allowing dealers to solve faulty equipment problems earlier and share preventative maintenance data.

Service management systems also make it easier to expand your dealer network. By integrating the system into your network now, it will be far easier when you open a new dealership in the future.

2. Increase Visibility and Reporting

Manufacturers need to see how efficiently dealers are completely service orders, preventing issues, and responding to customers. Through access to all of this real-time data, manufacturers can identify the best areas to improve and what dealers or areas of service are bringing in the most money. Through this open communication to their dealer network, manufacturers can learn exactly where revenue is coming from.

In a similar way, dealers want to know specifics about their own service. They want to know statistics such as how quickly service orders are being completed and when preventative maintenance calls are scheduled. At the same time, they want to communicate with other dealers to see how they can be more efficient or if they are dealing with similar equipment problems.

3. Make use of Intellectual Resources

Dealer networks hold a plethora of information and resources. Each dealer knows what areas their equipment sells best in, what leadership works best in their dealership, and how effective their service calls are. By utilizing the same service software, dealers can mirror each other’s service processes and create consistency across the end-user’s service experience. Dealers can find service best practices and discuss ways to improve service processes, through the use of the same service software.

4. Integrate Systems

Manufacturers may have an accounting system or a CRM system already in place. It is essential to integrate this system and data into the new service management system. By implementing and integrating at the manufacturer level, your dealer network will only need to integrate once. Now, every time a new dealer joins the network, the work has already been done. By utilizing one system across dealership at manufacturer levels, integration happens only once.

5. Find a Best-of-Breed Partner

If you’re partnering with a software provider, this gives you the opportunity to partner with someone who will develop and understand your business on both a manufacturer and dealer level. They will take the time to understand how one dealer will utilize the software and then adapt it to every other dealer in your dealer network. A strong, best-of-breed service partner will adapt to your complex business.

6. Take Advantage of Advancing Technology and Stay up on the Trends

Creating a strong relationship with your dealer network makes it easier to utilize the power IoT and data analytics. The IoT connects devices in the field to be able to predict equipment malfunctions in advance, alert service technicians, and report all data to the back office. Dealers can utilize this information to dispatch a service technician and solve the problem.

For more information on this topic, check out our video: How to Build an Effective Dealer Network

Conclusion – Invest in Strengthening Your Dealer Network

By building a strong and efficient dealer network, manufacturers can grow the size of their organization and provide strong and consistent service programs across the board. Investing in a service management system simplifies the process of getting your dealers on the same page and eases the process of adding new dealers to the network when you decide to grow. In an age when customer demands are higher and service is becoming more important than ever, manufacturers can’t afford to let their dealers slack in service. Take the time to invest in and unify your dealer network now.

Roadmap to Becoming a More Efficient Service OrganizationRoadmap to Becoming a More Efficient Service Organization

Use this guide as a blueprint to transition equipment dealerships from manual to automated service processes with all-in-one mobile and back office service automation software.

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Authors

Full color photo of Alyce Peterson.
Alyce Peterson

Product Marketing Manager

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Andrew Knox

Vice President of Sales and Marketing

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Geoff Surkamer

Chief Executive Officer

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Leena Meyers

Content Marketer