Fifteen years ago, the industry began recognizing the immense benefits of a well-designed winter service program. However, with the current shortage of technicians, dealers often face more service work than they can handle.
It is fashionable to attribute the failure of a business strategy to its poor execution: “It was a great strategy, but the team totally bungled its implementation.” Some people even state that implementing a winning strategy is tougher than coming up with one in the first place.
Kelly Mathison, a consultant and trainer at the Western Equipment Dealers Assn. Dealer Institute, discusses emphasizing interdepartmental teamwork and personalized, rather than automated online-based, service in ag equipment dealerships in order to maximize profits per hour.
Chad Bruns, corporate parts manager for Van Wall Equipment, explains how the dealership decided to lay out the floorplan of the parts department with the goal of having 75% of the parts on a line item basis within six steps. Van Wall Equipment earned top honors in Farm Equipment's 2016 Dealership of the Year program.
In the last several years, Kern Machinery transitioned to Charter Software's ASPEN dealership management system. Charlie Moe, corporate aftermarket manager with Kern Machinery of Bakersfield, Calif., explains how the capabilities introduced with the move to ASPEN have brought new efficiencies to the parts and service department and have enhanced the team's effectiveness and mobility. The 54-part 2016 Farm Equipment Dealership Minds video series is sponsored by Charter Software.
After several years of rising row crop prices, a perfect storm of high crop production (in excess of demand), a sharp correction in grain values and contracting farmer margins in mid-2014 has resulted in declining sales of agricultural equipment sales. This trend is expected to continue through 2017, according to Rabobank's recent report, 'Contraction Today, Consolidation Tomorrow?"
While speed has taken center stage in ag's push for increased productivity, industry experts say it will take more than going faster through the farm field to meet the growing demand for agricultural commodities.
While speed has taken center stage in ag's push for increased productivity, industry experts say it will take more than going faster through the farm field to meet the growing demand for agricultural commodities.
Built on 90 years of expertise, Yetter Farm Equipment leads the agriculture industry in designing effective and innovative equipment for residue management, seedbed preparation, precision fertilizer placement, harvest attachments, strip-tillage, and more.
At Machinery Scope, we believe you deserve the best risk management solutions for your investments in heavy equipment. Since 2013, we have been proud to offer extended warranty, appraisals, and inspections. Machinery Scope is a family-owned business built on our experience in farming and equipment dealerships. We understand your business and provide a personalized and professional level of customer service. Machinery Scope has built a strong warranty product with our customers in mind, offering the same professional level of service from the time you get a quote, through the processing of a claim.
Finance Scope is able to provide the best financing opportunities for equipment dealers and customers through a diverse mix of lending companies under one single platform. Our large group of lenders, allows for competitive rates regardless of credit scores. Additionally, dealers and customers have access to the industry’s best expertise surrounding finance and lease structures, for all purposes, within the agricultural and construction industries. We provide all of this into one online platform to provide our customers with the best available tailored finance solution for their equipment.