Heavy Equipment and Truck Dealers: 3 Tips to Achieve Competitive Advantage with a Cloud Based DMS

Your competitors are driving success through innovation. How about your heavy equipment or truck dealership? The key could be utilizing the right technology to ensure you aren’t left behind. The truth is, times are changing. Not only are you seeing new competition, they are thriving in your market with the help of innovative technology such as cloud based DMS. Heavy Equipment Dealers can no longer rely on the longevity of their product or business process to continue to thrive. They must also move on from the mind set of “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”

Now I’m not saying to stop everything you currently do and focus only on innovation. What I’m saying is, make sure you are aware of some advantages that are now available and don’t let the innovative leadership of your competitors takeover your business.

Here are three innovative technology tips that will help:

Mobile apps

The heavy equipment and truck dealer industry is fast paced. You need to be able to stay on top of your game. Owners need easy access to reporting. Managers need the ability to quickly approve records and transactions. Salespeople need to be able to add a lead or view client information when away from their desk. Not to mention, all of your employees want to be able to enter time and expenses while on the go. In order to accomplish this, you’ll want to invest in a mobile app.

We deliver a unified cloud based DMS  that includes access to NetSuite’s mobile app. App features include instant access to client records/transactions, easy expense reporting and time tracking in a mobile interface filled with mobile dashboard portlets and KPI’s. The NetSuite mobile app is designed with a mobile-first UI, supports push notifications, and provides support for various roles, allowing each team member to streamline work on the go.

Mobility brings an advantage over your competitors because you will no longer miss sales opportunities, have late time and expense entries, and you gain the ability to stay on top of important metrics and KPIs.

GPS Tracking/Fleet Management

Managing your heavy equipment fleet is tough when you have thousands of units in the field. It’s difficult to always know where all your equipment is at any given time, to accurately track usage, or to monitor and detect engine defects or other mechanical issues that may result in the need for service or roadside assistance. In order to easily and efficiently manage your fleet, I recommend investing in a GPS Tracking/Fleet Management solution.

Imagine you have equipment that has been stolen or equipment that is being under-utilized. It makes life much easier when you can log into a GPS Tracking or Fleet Management system to see exactly where a piece of equipment is or run a report to view utilization numbers. There are many solutions that equipment dealers are using today such as MyGeoTab by Geotab or Fleet Manager by GPSTrackIt Our team is able and willing to work with the 3rd party GPS Tracking company of your choosing and assist you with finding the perfect fit for your business.

Electronic Signature Capture

One thing that both dealers and customers sometimes forget about once the decision to purchase has been made is the amount of paperwork that needs to be reviewed and signed.  It’s frustrating for dealers and customers alike to keep track of all the paperwork and what has been signed or not. There have been many times when a signature has been missed and the customer must return to the dealership to sign additional paperwork after spending an hour or two doing the same earlier that day or the prior day. On the dealership’s side they must store all these documents in file cabinets and boxes that sometimes take over entire rooms and extend out into hallways.

With our DMS solution, there is a resolution. You can now safely and securely deliver and collect signatures on these documents using electronic signature capture. At Velosio, we have partnerships with both AdobeSign and DocuSign which are integrated into NetSuite — alleviating the stress of physically storing and collecting signatures in-person for these very important documents.

Our DMS offering allows you to leverage the technological advances that I listed above and will keep your business flowing while also keeping you ahead of the competition.

For more information about evaluating your current systems, automating processes, and driving business success through innovation, join upcoming webinar, Proven Ways Heavy Equipment & Truck Dealers Boost Sales & Profits on September 26.

Nicholas Jones

Nick, a Velosio Heavy Equipment and Truck Dealer Specialist, consults with dealerships to design and implement innovative software solutions that meet industry requirements and achieve desired outcomes.