You Need (More Than) a CRM: Introducing Dealer Intelligence Platforms

7/16/2024
Over the past few years, manual methods of managing customer relationships, inventory, and sales processes have all but disappeared. Equipment dealerships are increasingly embracing digital management software to streamline and enhance their operations. Digital applications like these are designed to centralize and automate various processes and help dealerships operate with greater efficiency and accuracy.
But what does this software actually enable dealerships to do? How do the different types of operations and sales management software used at dealerships compare in driving growth and competitiveness? And are there ways that these digital tools can be further optimized to not just enhance productivity but to transform dealerships into data-driven, strategic powerhouses?
This article will walk through a few of the current specialized customer and business management tools used at equipment dealerships and show how they stack up against more recent dealer intelligence platforms that feature integration of these various systems to enhance visibility and provide deeper insights for dealers.
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Table of Contents

  • Types of management software used at equipment dealerships
  • What are CRMs?
  • What are dealer intelligence platforms?
  • CRM systems vs. dealer intelligence platforms
  • Does your dealership need a CRM or dealer intelligence software?

Types of management software used at equipment dealerships

Adopting dealership management software brings objective benefits, including improved centralization of data, increased operational efficiency, and enhanced accuracy in record-keeping and transaction processing.
Here are some popular types of customer and business systems currently in use at equipment dealerships (you might even be using one right now):
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems: Centralized platforms that manage interactions with current and potential customers.
    • Examples: Salesforce, HubSpot CRM, CDK Global, Microsoft Dynamics, CustomerTRAX (formerly Handle 2.0), IronHQ, Power EQ
  • Marketing Automation Software: Applications that streamline digital marketing tasks such as sending targeted messages to customers and prospects. 
    • Examples: Marketing Cloud, HubSpot, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Marketo
  • Dealer Management Systems (DMS): A suite of software that manages all aspects of a dealership's operations.
    • Examples: CDK, Primus, Equip, DIS, Aspen
  • Inventory Management Systems: Software that helps dealerships track and manage their inventory of equipment and parts.
    • Examples: MFPro, Texada Inventory, IronHQ, Power EQ
  • Quote Management Software: Sales quoting systems that streamline the sales process by enabling sales teams to create accurate and timely quotes and capture customer requirements.
    • Examples: JDQuote2, IKQ, IronHQ
  • Workflow Management Software: Platforms that provide various tools and features aimed at improving efficiency, accuracy, and coordination across different dealership departments.
    • Examples: Sedona
As you can see, there are a LOT of business systems out there designed to handle specific dealership processes–and these don’t even include any internal tools you may be using, such as custom quoting systems and various Google spreadsheets and forms. 
The drawback to using so much software? Although some products let you manage multiple systems via third-party integration, they don’t connect everything in one place. When operating in most business systems, employees are forced to jump between multiple platforms or websites to view data or manage various procedures. 
Let’s take a deeper look into one of the most popular platform types – CRM systems: What they can and cannot do, why they are used at dealerships and many other companies, and how they stack up against more advanced dealer intelligence platforms in terms of customer visibility, operations management, automation, and the ability to integrate with and centralize other critical business systems.

What are Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems? 

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems (or simply “CRMs”) are applications used by equipment dealerships to manage and enhance interactions with current and potential customers. The best CRM for dealerships should centralize customer data, automate sales processes, and streamline internal and external communication, thereby improving customer satisfaction and driving sales growth. 

How do dealerships use CRM systems?

If you work at a dealership, you’ve likely not only heard the term “CRM” used around the store but have also found yourself using one – perhaps even on a daily basis. By providing a holistic view of customer interactions and sales activities, CRMs enable dealerships to manage leads, track customer engagement, and foster long-term relationships. But as you also may know, many CRMs have functional limitations that can frustrate employees when they try to perform certain basic operations.
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Here is an overview of how CRMs created for dealerships help with different processes related to customers:

What a CRM can do: 

  • Automate routine sales tasks such as follow-ups and scheduling.
  • Provide insights into customer behavior and preferences.
  • Track sales performance and generate detailed reports.
  • Key features often include contact management, sales management, and workflow automation.

What a CRM can’t do:

  • Manage inventory levels or track equipment status in real time.
  • Perform detailed financial and accounting tasks.
  • Track quotes, sales pipeline, and purchase order details.
  • Import valuation data to perform trade assessments.
  • Integrate with most third-party business systems to provide a centralized workspace for all employees.
  • Provide actionable insights by combining analytics data from multiple connected systems.

Types of dealer CRMs: 

  • Cloud-based CRMs: Accessible from anywhere with an internet connection, offering real-time updates and easy scalability.
    • Advantages: Lower upfront costs, automatic updates, accessible on multiple devices, can scale with operations.
    • Disadvantages: Dependent on internet connectivity, potential concerns about data security.
  • Server-based CRMs: Hosted on local servers, offering greater control over data and customization.
    • Advantages: Enhanced data security, full control over the system.
    • Disadvantages: Higher initial setup costs, ongoing maintenance requirements, lower options for scalability.

Popular CRM software for equipment dealers:

  • Salesforce, HubSpot CRM, CustomerTRAX, IronHQ, Power EQ
A quality dealer CRM can bring significant value to dealerships by improving customer management, enhancing sales efficiency, and providing insights into sales and customer behavior. It can streamline communication and automate repetitive tasks related to sales and customer interactions, which frees up sales teams to focus on other high-value activities.
However, while CRMs are excellent at collecting and cataloging customer data, they have limited ability to manage inventory and perform detailed operations and financial tasks, requiring additional specialized software for full visibility and management of dealership processes. Despite these limitations, a CRM system can be a crucial tool in your dealership operations toolkit, as it helps foster customer relationships and drive business growth.

What are dealer intelligence platforms?

While CRM systems focus on managing customer relationships and sales data, a dealer intelligence platform encompasses a wider range of capabilities that enhance most sales and operations processes with tools, content, and information salespeople need to sell more effectively. 
Many equipment dealerships use sales enablement software that provides comprehensive solutions targeted to support every aspect of the sales process, from initial lead generation to closing a deal. But a fully centralized platform (like Anvil Pro) also features CRM integration, inventory management, workflow and pipeline management, and automation tools that are designed to enhance every department and every process. The comprehensive “dealer intelligence” facilitated by system integration can also produce analytics insights to help dealers revise and act on sales and operations strategies with confidence.
For sales and marketing teams, an integrated platform offers a few vital benefits that traditional CRM systems cannot provide.
  • Centralized access to data: By integrating with internal and external systems, dealer intelligence platforms provide real-time access to customer, inventory, and financial data in a single, easy-to-use platform.
  • Enhanced productivity: Routine tasks such as follow-ups, scheduling, and report generation can be automated, allowing salespeople to attend to other high-value activities like refining marketing campaigns and getting in front of customers in your AOR.
  • Reduced error rate: Dealership-wide centralization of data eliminates errors and redundancies due to manual inputs, providing a single source of truth for all departments. 
  • Improved lead management: By helping to manage and nurture inbound leads through the sales funnel, these platforms ensure that no potential customer slips through the cracks.
  • Sales and marketing alignment: Dealer intelligence facilitates better coordination between sales and marketing teams so the right content reaches the right prospects at the right time.
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CRM systems vs. dealer intelligence platforms: Key capability differences

To excel in a competitive and uncertain market, many dealerships have started to look beyond standalone CRM systems as they seek ways to leverage data, automation, and intelligence to drive strategic decisions and operational improvements.
Enter dealer intelligence platforms, which provide a comprehensive suite of tools designed to optimize every aspect of dealership operations, from inventory management to customer engagement, all with the goal of enabling data-driven decision-making. By integrating these advanced technologies, dealerships can move beyond the traditional CRM and ensure they are well-equipped to meet modern demands and achieve sustained growth.

Gaps in CRM process capabilities that dealer intelligence platforms can fill

Issue: Inventory visibility and management

  • CRM gap: CRMs often lack comprehensive inventory tracking and management capabilities.
  • Dealer intelligence platform solution: Provides integrated tools for tracking inventory, managing stock levels, and ensuring equipment availability.
  • Use case: The sales team needs to find out how often a piece of inventory has been quoted. With a standard CRM without integration, this information will not be available without sourcing their inventory management software. But a dealer intelligence platform links inventory data to sales activities, allowing the team to instantly view this data in one place.

Issue: Incomplete sales pipeline visibility 

  • CRM gap: CRMs offer limited visibility into a dealership’s sales pipeline by deal stage.
  • Dealer intelligence platform solution: Offers comprehensive pipeline visibility for sales managers, enabling them to track progress, forecast sales, and identify opportunities for improvement.
  • Use case: An important sales rep has suddenly left the company. The sales manager needs to view the sales rep’s entire pipeline to check the status of deals and determine next steps. A CRM system does not provide a consolidated view of the pipeline, but a dealer intelligence platform can include sales pipeline software that provides a detailed visual view of each rep's pipeline status, ensuring no deals are lost.

Issue: Disconnected workflow/PO process

  • CRM gap: CRMs do not automate workflows or centralize purchase orders and invoicing.
  • Dealer intelligence platform solution: Streamlines workflows and purchase order processes, linking sold stock units to customer orders and allowing every member to view every stage of a sale.
  • Use case: A sales rep needs to link sold stock units to the customer purchase order to see who bought which piece of equipment. This is difficult with a siloed CRM system, but a dealer intelligence platform seamlessly integrates sales and inventory data to make this task manageable from within one program.

Issue: Slow trade evaluation process

  • CRM gap: CRMs often lack the ability to quickly and accurately evaluate trades.
  • Dealer intelligence platform solution: Provides a unified system for accessing and viewing trade assessments alongside customer records and open quotes.
  • Use Case: A used equipment manager (UEM) wants to access and view trade assessments alongside the customer record and open quote in one place. A CRM alone will require multiple systems and windows, but a dealer intelligence platform consolidates this information, speeding up the evaluation process and allowing UEMs to complete more monthly trade assessments.
By addressing these CRM gaps in visibility and efficiency, dealer intelligence platforms provide a more comprehensive improvement of dealership operations through integration, automation, and optimization of all aspects of the dealership’s process. Centralization is a key differentiator, as it allows dealerships to not only improve efficiency and reduce errors but also gain deeper insights into their operations, making it possible to anticipate trends, adapt to market changes, and drive sustained growth.

Does my dealership need dealer intelligence software or just a standalone CRM?

Determining whether your dealership’s processes would benefit from system integration depends on factors such as inventory size, number of locations, and specific operational challenges. For smaller dealerships with limited inventory and a single location, a CRM might be sufficient to manage customer relationships and sales data effectively. However, as your dealership grows in size, inventory, and complexity, your needs for a more comprehensive solution like a dealer intelligence platform might become more apparent.
In future articles, we will delve deeper into these factors and address some specific challenges to help you make an informed software decision for your dealership. If you are unsure whether your dealership can afford new software or

Do it all with Anvil Pro’s end-to-end dealer intelligence platform

Anvil Pro’s dealer intelligence platform provides the best of both worlds:  A unified inventory, workflow, and PO/invoicing solution that integrates with your existing third-party systems, along with a CRM powered by Salesforce – the #1 CRM worldwide – that combines all your customer, operations, and business data into a single view accessible to every member of the team, wherever they happen to be working. Because the platform is cloud-based, it effortlessly scales with your business operations due to unlimited capacity for data storage and low maintenance costs.
Pre-configured with features specifically built for equipment dealerships, Anvil Pro can be further tailored to suit your specific needs and processes and enhance every aspect of your operations – from inventory flow, marketing leads, and initial quotation, to trade assessments, purchase orders, invoicing, and customer follow-ups,  and every step in between. With Tractor Zoom’s Success Team at your side, you have guidance every step of the way – from onboarding and implementation to additional configurations into the future – giving you a clear roadmap for ongoing growth and improvement. 
By centralizing your business systems, enhancing operational efficiency, and offering actionable insights into your dealership’s customers and operations, Anvil Pro ensures your dealership is poised for sustained success and growth in an ever-evolving market. Book a demo today, or read about how Anvil Pro helped United Ag & Turf consolidate their business systems to meet their expansion needs, and how it can help your entire dealership work smarter to achieve similar results.

Learn more about how Anvil Pro’s integrated platform improves every aspect of your business.

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