Digital transformation is the process of using digital technologies to create new - or modify existing - business processes, culture, and customer experiences to meet changing business and market requirements. This reimagining of business in the digital age is digital transformation. SALESFORCE
Technology like mobile apps, SMS, and self- service portals have become standard for a lot of industries, and customers, especially Millennials and Gen Z, expect them.
SHANE WALDEMAR General Manager at DIS
Farm equipment dealership service departments are moving from paper and whiteboards to computers and digital records. Digital transformation is about getting away from older technologies and looking at how we’ve changed as consumers. For example, look at how smartphones and apps have changed us as consumers and the way we manage our day-to-day lives. Digital transformation is not new—it’s been shaping and changing virtually every industry. But Ag equipment dealerships and in particular, their service departments, are undergoing a digital movement. THERE ARE 8 KEY AREAS WHERE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IS HAPPENING AT FARM EQUIPMENT DEALERSHIPS: Infrastructure: To facilitate digital transformations, your dealership needs the infrastructure to support it—specifically, internet bandwidth. Every device brought into the dealership uses the internet. But if the internet is slow, then it can’t transfer information quickly enough to meet the demands of your business. Getting the infrastructure in place increases your ability to deliver information to your customer more quickly and improve their experience. Mobile: Customers are already accustomed to using their mobile devices for shopping, thanks to services like Amazon. Recognizing that, it’s important for dealerships to start using tools and processes that are mobile-friendly because that’s what customers expect. Another as- pect to consider is optimizing your website for mobile devices. This ensures that your custom- ers can access your website on any device. Communication: The first thing you can do to be more proactive in your communication with customers is to observe your service team’s shop walkthroughs. During these walkthroughs, check in with technicians at each bay to get the status of a service repair and if an update to the customer is needed. This gives you proactive communication from the service technicians in the shop, or in the field, that you can translate to the customer. Text messaging is an effective way to create communication touchpoints with customers not only when their unit is being repaired, but before and after the sale too. According to a DIS survey of Ag dealers across North America, 35% of respondents are already using text messaging to send service status updates, marketing promotions, and more—and 32% plan to use text messaging in the year ahead.
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