digital future of dealerships

How to Make Your Dealership’s Customer Service Ready for the Digital Future

What comes to mind when you envision the digital future of dealerships? Robotic shop techs? Drone-delivered parts? Flying machinery? Maybe these are visions of a dealership in the more distant future. But the foundation is being laid today with autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence (A.I.), and the Internet of Things (IoT). These digital advancements are changing how […]
running a profitable dealership using technology

5 Expert Tips for Running a Profitable Ag Equipment Dealership Using Technology

When the average person thinks about an autonomous, self-driving vehicle, the first thing they’ll think about is a Tesla rather than an autonomous tractor. But before Tesla, the seeds of the first driverless tractor were planted in the early 20th century by Frank Zybach, the inventor of center-pivot irrigation and who patented an automatic tractor […]
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8 Ag Equipment Industry Statistics to Know in 2023

Doing more with less might as well be the universal motto for farm equipment dealerships heading into 2023. Escalating equipment costs and interest rates combined with a scarcity of essential parts and qualified talent rank among the top challenges dealerships anticipate in the coming year according to the 2023 Ag Equipment Industry Trends report. But […]
DIS Technician Retention

5 Ways Service Automation Tools Can Improve Technician Retention

Reliable, reputable service is one of the highest-margin sources of recurring revenue for dealerships. But the ability to capture that potential is only as good as the stability and efficiency of your team. Dealerships can’t afford to lose talented service and precision ag technicians due to outdated or obsolete technology infrastructure, especially with quality, qualified […]
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Dealership Cybersecurity 101: Dealership Network Strategy, Best Practices, and More

Dealership cybersecurity is more important than ever. In the past, hackers focused their efforts on large enterprises, but it’s becoming just as common for small businesses and individuals to be targeted. Now, there are new cybersecurity vulnerabilities that didn’t exist a few years ago. Social engineering schemes directed at obtaining sensitive data have become the […]
ERP vs. DMS blog prev

DMS vs. ERP: Which Solution is Right for Your Dealership?

Chances are your dealership has become more discerning with how, where and when to invest in advanced technology solutions designed to increase business efficiency. As companies are asked to do more with less, having a versatile, scalable business management system that meets the specific needs of your dealership is critical. Can you afford to expect […]
Digital Tools to Help Transform Each Part of Your Dealership’s Service Department

Digital Tools to Help Transform Each Part of Your Dealership’s Service Department

Now that we’ve covered the different ways that you could begin to bring digital solutions to your service department, this guide will give more specific tools and solutions for each area of your service department. We’ll dive deeper into the specific kinds of tools you can offer technicians, the service office, and customers. Different tools […]
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8 Ways to Implement Digital Changes in Your Dealership’s Service Department

Dealership service departments across all industries are moving away from traditional methods of record-keeping, such as pen, paper, and even whiteboards, to computers and digital records. There are more ways than ever for dealerships to use technology to grow their business and remove older, less accurate, and slower processes. But which technologies should dealers bring […]

How Farm Equipment Dealers Use Software to Manage Their Business

Technology has expanded into every nook, cranny, and corner of our lives more than ever before. The farm equipment industry is no different. Older methods that may have worked for dealers to keep track of and manage different departments are becoming outdated and costly. Farm equipment dealers are adapting to trends in the agriculture industry […]
Dealership Cloud Computing Benefits Blog Preview

5 Benefits of Adopting Cloud Computing at Your Dealership

According to a Gartner report, 85% of businesses will migrate from on-premise to cloud hosting by 2025. But many dealers are reluctant to make the switch. For some, it’s because they worry moving to cloud computing will be expensive. Others are simply used to their on-premise server and aren’t sure they can trust their system […]
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What is Dead Inventory? [How to Avoid It, Get Rid of It, and Organize New Stock]

Once you’ve finished counting inventory at your dealership, there is still important work to be done. That’s because your inventory count should have revealed what your slow-moving parts are and what items you can safely label as “dead inventory” or “dead stock.” If your dealership has dead inventory on its hands, you’re wasting hundreds and […]
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Dealership Inventory Counting Tips: Getting the Count Right

The value of inventory counting cannot be overstated. Think of your inventory as an ecosystem that needs to be kept in balance, where both understocking and overstocking can have costly consequences for your dealership. Maintaining that balance is why it’s important to manage your inventory count. Inventory counting may sound like it’s straightforward, but it’s […]
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What is a Dealership Management System? [Features, Picking One, and More]

Between everything that goes on at your dealership – from customer service to work orders to invoices – your dealership relies on all its different departments to work together. Nowadays, it’s more important than ever that your management system scales with your business, so a dealership management system (DMS) is a tool you might be […]

How to Select the Right Dealership Management Software [2022 Guide]

Did you know that industry-specific dealership management systems have been around for more than 35 years? In that time, they’ve advanced quite a bit. So, it’s strange then to see so many equipment and machine dealerships go for the more “generic” systems on the market. If your dealership system covers only a handful of areas […]
DIS Top Dealer Management Software

8 Dealership Management System Features to Look For [Updated for 2022]

Dealership management software is the core and backbone for nearly every agricultural, lift truck, construction, and truck refrigeration dealership in today’s world. Systems like this constantly evolve to make dealerships more productive and profitable. If you haven’t given your system much thought lately, that’s a good thing. It probably works! But for those of you […]
2022 Ag Equipment Industry Trends Report

8 Agriculture Equipment Dealer Statistics [2022 Trends]

While the pandemic may have created challenges, dealers have pulled through with incredible resilience. But we aren’t in the clear just yet. Dealers still face unprecedented challenges, from supply chain disruptions to labor shortages to changing customer expectations. With many of these challenges set to carry on in the year ahead, dealers will need to […]
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Dealer Technology Solutions That Are Shaping the Industry [Podcast]

Shane Waldemar, General Manager at DIS, appeared on the WEDA Connect podcast to talk about how DIS is meeting—and setting—trends in the market with technology. In the interview, Shane and host Mike Kraemer discuss: The biggest problems dealers are facing right now Technology DIS is developing to address those problems How dealers can use data […]
5 Best Practices for Documenting Service Procedures at Your Dealership_2

5 Best Practices for Documenting Service Procedures at Your Dealership

“Why am I paying so much for this? It doesn’t look like much work.” — how many times have customers said this to you, forcing you to reassess your initial quote? A proper technician work order documentation process can help you avoid such a situation. Service or work order documentation includes all the information about […]
5 Best Practices to Improve Service Productivity and Efficiency Blog_2

5 Best Practices to Improve Service Productivity and Efficiency

Your dealership technicians might seem busy but the real question you should be asking is: are they productive and efficient in their work? It doesn’t matter if your technicians clock in long hours. What matters is if their efforts contribute to the profitability of your dealership. The two key elements you need to focus on […]

5 e-Commerce Dealership Best Practices Customers Expect

At this year’s Kubota Connect event, a big focus is being put on their K-Commerce DMS integration. They’re not alone in this—dealership e-commerce has been a hot topic in the industry for the past few years. The pandemic only added fuel to that fire. According to Statista, e-retail sales accounted for 18% of all retail […]

5 Expert Tactics for Improving Dealership Performance in 2022

Despite the challenges dealers have faced over the last two years—from technician shortages to supply chain backlogs—the equipment dealer industry is still trucking forward. What’s more, many of the challenges dealers faced in 2020 and 2021 have led to some exciting changes in the industry. More dealers are adopting technology to improve service efficiency, enhance […]

10 Ways to Use Technology to Cope with the Technician Shortage

Dealers are experiencing a technician shortage. That isn’t news – labor shortages are one of the biggest construction industry trends this year. But it’s an issue that dealers across virtually all industries have been facing for the last few years. There are a number of reasons why the shortage is happening, which have all been […]
Construction Industry Trends Equipment Dealers DIS

6 Construction Industry Trends Equipment Dealers Should Follow in 2022

The last year has been challenging for dealers across virtually every industry—and the construction industry was no different. But despite supply chain challenges and social distancing guidelines, the construction industry is still plowing forward. No doubt, this is an exciting time for construction equipment dealers. Increased investments in development, consumer habits, and technological advancements are […]

How to Ensure Consistent Productivity in Your Dealership’s Service Department

You know what isn’t easy? Retaining consistent productivity within a dealership service department, especially with today’s technician shortage. According to Gallup, 70% of workers feel disengaged from their workday, which costs the US between $450 billion and $550 billion annually. It seems many employers have their work cut out for them, yet consistent productivity is […]
Assess and Improve Your Employee Efficiency

4 Ways to Maximize Dealership Effectiveness During the Pandemic

It’s no secret to anyone that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on every aspect of our lives, including business. Though many states have reopened, the novel coronavirus is still at large, which means that you need to readjust the way you conduct your business (if you haven’t already) to stay safe and […]
Rural Lifestyle Dealer

Jacobi Sales Mentions DIS in Rural Lifestyle Dealer’s New Video Interview

We are pleased to announce that Kevin Book, the Vice President and General Manager at Jacobi Sales, has given DIS a shoutout in his recent interview with the Rural Lifestyle Dealer magazine. Founded in 1928, Jacobi Sales is an agricultural equipment dealership with seven locations in the Louisville, Kentucky, area. In 2019, it had the […]
Unify Employees Across Multiple Dealership Locations

How to Manage Multiple Dealership Locations [Best Practices]

Managing and running a dealership at one location is hard enough. What about creating a cohesive atmosphere, uplifting environment and unifying employees, all while driving sales across multiple dealership locations? Whether you are a dealership with several locations, or a dealership thinking about expanding and opening new ones, here are best practices for how to […]
Strengthen Your Customer Relations

4 Ways CRM Will Strengthen Your Customer Relations

Keeping up with technology at your dealership can seem like a daunting task. But with technology constantly improving, rest assured that there are easy ways to manage your dealership that will save you time and money, help convert more customers, sell your products and services and strengthen customer relations. CRM, or customer relationship management, is […]
Farm Equipment Podcast

How DIS Helped Mason Machinery Avert a Disaster [Podcast]

We are proud to let you know that DIS’ dealership management software has played a role in helping Mason Machinery avert a disaster – according to Farm Equipment’s “Our Dealer Story” podcast brought by HBS Systems’ Editor/Publisher Mike Lessiter. An interview with Mason Machinery Lessiter sat down to chat with Eric Mason, the General Manager […]
How to Execute an Inventory Count Efficiently

How to Execute an Inventory Count Efficiently

Do you have full control over your equipment dealership’s inventory? “Control” in this scenario refers to managing all aspects of your dealership’s inventory – from purchasing, shipping, receiving and tracking, to storage, turnover and reorders. And in order to have complete control, you must know how to conduct a proper inventory count, which – as […]

Customer Corner! Winter 2017

We love staying connected to our customers and sharing in your successes, acquisitions and milestones. We're constantly impressed by what you do and want to give you the recognition you deserve. Check out what's happening with our customers this month!

What is Third-Party Software?

You use third party software every day... in fact, if you are viewing this - you are using it right now! In this article, find out more about what it is, how it interacts with your business system, and how to avoid trouble.

Are You Doing THAT On Your Work PC?

When it comes to your PC at work, it is good to keep in mind that the primary purpose of the PC is business, not personal. Why is this important?

Internet Explorer 11 Compatibility View Settings

Internet Explorer 11 opens web pages fairly well, but some sites fail to load correctly due to compatibility problems. Read on to find out what to do should this happen to you!