Top 9 Features to Look for in a Dealership Management System (DMS)

Over the decades, dealership management systems (DMS) have evolved significantly. Yet many RV, marine, and trailer dealers still operate without a fully integrated, industry-specific solution. Instead, they rely on fragmented tools that only address parts of their operations—often accounting or inventory—while leaving critical gaps in sales, service, and customer management.

The problem isn’t a lack of technology. It’s that most available systems are designed to be generic, built to appeal to the broadest range of businesses rather than tailored to the unique needs of dealerships in the RV and marine industries. As a result, dealers are forced to adapt their processes around software that was never built for their industry.

To help you avoid these pitfalls, we’ve outlined the eight most important features and functionalities every dealership should look for in a DMS. With the right system in place, you can streamline operations, improve customer experience, and set your business up for long-term success.

1. Overall System Capabilities

When evaluating a DMS, usability should be your top priority. Look for an intuitive system that’s easy to learn and built specifically for your industry. The ideal system should:

• Manage multiple locations, departments, and processes seamlessly
• Provide employees easy access to critical information anywhere
• Generate customizable daily reports
• Integrate with supplier systems to streamline interactions
• Eliminate double-entry to save time
• Scale as you expand to new locations
• Maintain detailed performance data across all departments
• Protect all your DMS communications via secure remote hosting
• Be accessible on any Windows, Mac or Android device

Your DMS should support your current operations and grow with your business.

2. Analytics Capabilities

In today’s competitive market, you can’t manage what you don’t measure. A DMS with built-in analytics, like Leadership Insights, lets you access accurate performance data anytime, anywhere. View your dealership’s metrics at a glance, slice and filter for detailed insights, and save time on reporting without sacrificing accuracy, so you can make informed, data-driven decisions quickly.

Your DMS should make it easy to:

• Track dealership performance anytime, on any device
• Use intuitive dashboards with high-level and detailed views
• Gain deeper insights than competing analytics platforms
• Compare sales and expenses by department across months and years to spot trends
• Monitor progress toward goals, forecast performance, and make data-driven adjustments
• Track your dealership’s performance against industry averages

3. Accounting Capabilities

If you’re already comfortable with QuickBooks or another robust accounting tool, the last thing you want is a system that feels like a downgrade. At a minimum, your DMS should integrate seamlessly with your existing accounting software to ensure efficiency and ease of use. But a true accounting system upgrade will connect your General Ledger with all areas of your dealership, centralizing your data, streamlining reporting, and ensuring accuracy.

With that in mind, here’s what an ideal dealership management system should be able to do when it comes to accounting capabilities:

• Track spending and manage your budget against goals
• Centralize all departmental transactions into a unified accounting ledger
• Treat each department as a profit center with custom reports
• Generate only the essential, tailored reports you need
• Access P&L statements and balance sheets by department or location
• Identify cost reductions and revenue opportunities with accurate data
• Maintain flexibility to finalize year-end transactions when needed

4. Sales and Customer Relationship Management Capabilities

A strong dealership management system empowers your sales team to manage their pipeline and customer interactions effortlessly, maximizing closed deals. It should provide seamless visibility into every stage of the sales process—from tracking prospects to finalizing sales—ensuring your team operates efficiently and profitably.

Make sure the system you’re looking at can do the following:

• Match inventory to customer needs with integrated parts and automated F&I
• Share up-to-date customer info across the dealership
• Automate CRM tasks for fast, personalized follow-ups
• Instantly calculate and optimize deal profitability
• Access inventory, work orders, and profiles with ease
• Track lead activity in real time for better follow-through
• Receive customer signatures from any device or location via esign
• Speed up checkouts with integrated payments processing

Given how vital salespeople are to any dealership, a system that leaves them without any tools is not worth your time.

5. Parts and Inventory Management Capabilities

Parts management is a critical component of any competitive dealership system. Your DMS should enable employees to easily order, track, and manage parts at all times to maximize profitability. By maintaining visibility over every part in inventory, you can prevent duplicate orders, reduce emergency shipments, increase turnover, and deliver what customers need, fast.

A good DMS should make enable your team to:

• Monitor inventory levels across all locations
• Set MIN/MAX levels and get auto order suggestions
• Easily manage and fulfill customer-specific orders
• Speed up sales with instant inventory access, scanning, and e-signatures
• Use price escalation and trend insights to boost margins
• Integrate with suppliers for accurate, timely orders
• Digitally track all parts requests and order statuses in one central feed
• Reduce double-data entry and internal handoffs to save time
• Notify the right people automatically
• Provide a clear view of all parts requests to ensure accurate, timely ordering

6. Service Management Capabilities

A robust dealership management system streamlines service management, boosting efficiency and profitability. Technicians can update work orders on the go, service writers can upsell and document jobs, and warranty claims and customer communications are tracked seamlessly.

A robust service management module will enable you to:

• Manage appointments, customer history, and work in one shared system
• Convert appointments to work orders and assign techs instantly
• Allow techs to easily clock in/out, update jobs, and stay focused on repairs
• Keep workflows smooth with real-time calendar updates
• Monitor and process claims efficiently
• Keep your team aligned with centralized work order updates
• Give your technicians access to work order information from their mobile device, so they spend more time turning wrenches
• Seamlessly allow your technicians to punch in and out from their mobile devices
• Request parts and snap pictures directly from a mobile device
• Receive customer signatures from any device or location via esign

Ideally, your DMS provider will also offer mobile capabilities that make it easy to:

• Give Service Writers a clear overview of daily tasks
• Access repair status updates directly from your DMS
• Share notes and photos on Work Orders to streamline teamwork
• Manage service jobs from any location

7. IT Support

Even the best DMS can fail without reliable IT support. When assessing a vendor, ensure:

• Data is protected from disasters and automatically backed up offsite
• Security controls prevent unauthorized access
• Support can scale with your dealership’s growth
• IT professionals are available to maintain system uptime

Poor IT support can disrupt operations and cost your dealership time and money.

8. Customer Support and Training

Aside from decent IT support, a DMS vendor should also offer good customer support and training. After all, what good is a system if there’s nobody there to help you use it?

A DMS is only as good as the support behind it. Look for a vendor that offers:

• Support during your business hours via phone, email, and web portal
• More than one method of submitting and tracking a support incident, including telephone, email, and web portal
• Support staff consisting of industry experts with real-world knowledge
• Training available via prerecorded online tutorials, remote sessions over the internet, and in person
• Software documentation available online and in printed form
• Ongoing training opportunities to keep your team up-to-date

9. Vendor Reliability and Partnership

Finally, evaluate the vendor itself. Choose a company that is:

• Industry-focused and tailor-fit for your dealership type
• Financially stable for long-term support
• Capable of scaling with your business
• Committed to R&D and adapting to market changes
• Transparent and a true business growth partner

At IDS, we provide RV and marine industry-specific solutions designed for long-term dealership growth, backed by expert support and training. Your DMS vendor should be a partner you trust, not just a software provider.