Dealership Performance

Dealership Performance

In the first study of its kind across brands to identify and measure the activities, practices, and behaviors that drive dealership financial profitability, NADA undertook a research project with support from McKinsey & Company to define and corroborate best practices in automotive dealership management.

The study found that the policies and practices that take place within a dealershipês –four walls” represent the number-one factor in company performance. Although product and volume matter, the study found that the right internal policies and practices are the biggest differentiator of performance.

Analyzing survey responses across all the different factors that influence profitãregion and demographics, brand and origin (domestic, European import, or Asian import), dealership size (measured by volume of new-vehicle sales) and structure (stand-alone store versus part of a broader network of dealerships), and operational practicesã the study found that operational best practices are the single biggest profit differentiator.

Based on this study, the average-performing dealership in an average environment achieves about two percent net profit before tax. An improvement in each of the influencing factors, one by one, results in more profit:

· If the average dealership could be relocated to a better region with better demographics, net profit would be expected to increase three-tenths of a percent, to 2.3 percent.

· If the dealer had a better-selling brand, profit could increase another nine-tenths of a percent, to 3.2 percent.

· Improvements in sales volume and structure can add a full one percent to net profit for this dealer, bringing the total to 4.2 percent.

But the big jump can come with implementation of operational best practices: for example, if the dealerês operations are consistent with best practices, net profit can increase by 2.3 percent, bringing the total for the hypothetical dealer all the way to 6.5 percent.

Obviously, most dealerships canêt change all the external factors that affect profit. They can, however, change internal factors. Therefore, finding #1 is vital to all dealerships.

The analysis suggests that regardless of size, brand, or region, an average dealer who transforms average practicesãnot poor practices, but average practicesãinto the best operational practices can increase operating profit by more than two percentage points.

This article is adapted from NADA Management Educationês A Dealer Guide to Driving Dealership Performance (BM34), which provides more detail on the project. This guide may be ordered at www.nada.org/mecatalog or by calling NADA at 800-252-NADA, ext. 2.