Retail Inventory Management

Retail Inventory Management (RIM) is a critical business tool used by most OEMs in the industry, specifically due to its criticalness to achieving high dealer off-the-shelf fill and ultimately, end-customer satisfaction. For this reason, we conduct the RIM Focus Day on an annual basis, and participants continue to see significant value in the increasingly detailed discussion.

This Focus Day takes place over 2 days, as opposed to our normal single-day offering, due to the expansive and detailed nature of the topics covered during it. Exact topics vary each year depending on OEM interest levels, yet typically the sessions cover items such as: • Overview and updates on each OEM’s system • Terms and Conditions and the impact of RIM on dealer behavior and customer success • Detailed functionality deep-dives • System demos • Next generation technology (including the potential use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the systems)

Wholesale Programs

Following the success of last year’s Mechanical Wholesale Support Focus Day, wholesale is back as a focus day. This year we are broadening the discussion to include both mechanical and collision wholesale programs. As we learned last year, wholesale strategies and efforts vary widely across OEMs with some managing fully built out programs and others looking to launch OEM-level programs soon.

Supply Chain Leaders

Each year, we gather supply chain leaders for two meetings – one at the conference in the spring and another about six months later at this Focus Day. Unlike our traditional Focus Days, this session has more free-flowing discussion amongst OEM participants, with Ducker Carlisle facilitators guiding the conversation.

Parts Packaging

The condition of shipments is a significant driver of dealer satisfaction – dealers want parts to arrive undamaged and in good condition. This is also an area where there is consistent underperformance throughout the industry, with low levels of satisfaction. While there are a variety of factors that influence the condition that parts arrive at the dealer in, packaging is one that OEMs have influence over. Good quality packaging is often the difference between an intact part and a happy dealer and customer versus a damaged part and an unhappy dealer and customer. During this Focus Day, we will discuss packaging best practices – focusing on solutions for problematic parts like glass and fascias, material and methodology innovations, and the impact of sustainability initiatives on packaging. Additionally, we will dig deep into the practices surrounding the packaging process, including items such as: carton management strategies, equipment and technology, network design, and process flow.

Remanufacturing & Core Managament

Remanufacturing plays a key role in aftersales; its lower price makes it crucial to combatting the aftermarket. To run a successful remanufacturing program, however, requires significant effort and attention, especially to core management. This focus day will discuss the many aspects of remanufacturing from product development, sales & marketing and new technology. We will also dedicate a portion of the Focus Day to the important topic of core management. Exact scope of the Focus Day will be driven by participating OEMs, though we expect it to include items such as:

Service Lane Technology

The Service Lane Technology (SLT) market never slows down. New providers, new dominant technology (or maybe just new, hot technology), and lots of new dealers on the tech have all driven the market’s growth. With BDCs now expected to interact with SLT, the space continues to grow more complicated. As we learned preparing for and during the NASB 2024 session SLT: Strategy Development & Management session, there are many topics to address under SLT. We propose a separate day to discuss SLT in all its intricacies. We will focus on the overall strategy each OEM is employing when it comes to managing their SLT program, with some potential topics for discussion including: