The complication with selling, manufacturing, or servicing equipment is that so many things can vary from one piece to another. You can have two tractors that are the same year, make, and model but depending on how often either one was used and how well they were maintained, those two pieces of equipment are going to perform very differently and hold different resale values. You need to be able to log information for each piece of equipment on an individual level.
Tracking Equipment Details
Using an inventory and job management system (like EBMS) that sorts and traces information based on VIN or serial number can help you quickly track the product details, cost added, and history of each individual piece of equipment you’ve sold or worked on – without relying on work-arounds such as filing cabinets full of old service logs or documents randomly saved in file folders on your computer.
With everything managed in one place in the right system, you’ll be able to quickly get an accurate overview of what an item is worth based on its individual specifications. This ease of visibility can help you build loyalty with your customers because they know you can answer their questions quickly and concisely.
Maintaining Records
When you do go to look for records on an individual piece of equipment – like how much it was originally purchased it for or how many times you’ve serviced the radiator – you’ll be able to find that information easier in a system like EBMS than you would otherwise. And since you don’t have to go digging for information for every service job, you can get items in and out more quickly – giving your service techs the capacity to complete more jobs and turn more profit while cutting turnaround time for your customers.
Improving Profitability
With a fully integrated equipment shop management system, you’re working with the same information for every part of your business. Your sales, inventory, job costing, and accounting is all in the same place so everything remains clean and reliable, giving you accurate profit and loss statements – even down to an individual item. This can help you make decisions on what to stock based on what equipment has been the most profitable in the past or by discontinuing items that seem to need constant repair. Next thing you know, you’re known around town for having the best service and most reliable equipment for sale or rent.
Spotting Potential Issues
If you ever find yourself wondering if a certain repair is worth it or if it’s time to retire that old John Deere 8100 – having a clear look at the many years of history that piece of equipment holds is indispensable. Because you know exactly how much money has been spent repairing and servicing that machine, how many hours you’ve worked on it, and which parts have been replaced over the years, you can help your customers decide if the cost to repair it further is reasonable compared to its current history-based value.
As an equipment company, having ease of visibility into all the aspects of the equipment you sell, manufacture, or rent helps you make the best decisions for your business and reliable recommendations to your customers.
Reach out to Jethro if you want to learn more about how EBMS might be helpful as you manage and grow your business.
Additional Resources
- ERP for the Equipment Industry
- Simplify and Grow your Equipment Business with ERP | On the Blog
- ERP for Outdoor Power
- Sam's Mechanical | Customer Case Study
