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KPIs for Heavy Equipment Dealership's Sales Department

Søren Block Olsen

Director of Marketing & Sales Operations

KPIs for Heavy Equipment Dealership's Sales Department
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Heavy equipment dealers today operate in complex business environments and rely on data from a variety of internal data sources (ERP, DMS, finance tools, etc.) and external data (EDA, OEM data, market insights). To grow sales and outpace competition, dealerships must move beyond gut feelings or what’s worked well in the past. Instead, they should embrace measurable performance indicators that link data to business outcomes. 

In this post, you’ll learn which sales KPIs matter most for heavy equipment dealers, why they matter, and how monitoring them through an all-in-one business intelligence (BI) solution can help teams work smarter, not harder. 

Why Tracking Sales KPIs Matters for Heavy Equipment Dealers 

Sales teams generate more value when they have visibility into performance trends and can act on insights quickly. Monitoring the right KPIs helps you: 

  • Understand how efficiently your assets and sales processes drive revenue 
  • Benchmark performance against internal goals and industry standards 
  • Reveal opportunities for cross-sell, add-on sales, and improved customer engagement 
  • Support forecasting, planning, and proactive decision-making 

BI and analytics tools consolidate data from multiple systems and present meaningful metrics at the right time and in the right context.  

 

Best KPIs for Heavy Equipment Sales

Below are key performance indicators that directly impact sales performance and dealer profitability: 

Return on Average Assets (ROAA)

What it measures: Net income relative to average total assets. 

How to use it: ROAA shows you how efficiently your dealership turns equipment and inventory into profit. Dealers with large asset bases, including rental fleets, consistently monitor this metric to evaluate financial return on investments.  

 

Percentage of Industry Sales

What it measures: Dealer sales as a percentage of overall industry sales. 

How to use it: This benchmark helps dealerships measure their competitive position in the market. It reveals where your sales performance stands relative to competitors and manufacturer expectations, making it easier to allocate resources strategically.  

 

Market Basket Analysis

What it measures: Products and services most commonly purchased together. 

How to use it: Understanding product affinities allows sales teams to bundle relevant equipment and accessories, increasing average sale value and enhancing customer experience. Market basket analysis is a staple in modern retail analytics and can be adapted effectively for heavy equipment sales. 

 

How to Make KPI Tracking Work for Your Dealership 

Tracking KPIs in isolation limits their potential and makes it hard to keep everyone on the same page across your dealership. Instead, start developing a KPI reporting structure that:  

  • Combines internal sales data with external benchmarks where available 
  • Standardizes definitions and calculations across locations 
  • Provides regularly updated dashboards and alerts for action-oriented visibility 
  • Aligns performance measures with strategic business goals

business intelligence solution built for heavy equipment dealerships helps unify data from systems like DMS, ERP, and CRM to support these practices. 

Heavy equipment dealers have more data available than ever before, but insight comes from knowing what to track and why it matters. Sales KPIs like ROAA, percentage of industry sales, and market basket analysis provide meaningful indicators of performance while offering clear levers for improvement. 

By defining a consistent reporting strategy and enabling access to trusted data via a specialized BI and analytics platform, your dealership can make better decisions, optimize sales processes, and support long-term growth. 

For a complete list of critical KPIs across your dealership, including sample dashboards and best practices, download your copy of our guide, How to Measure the Top KPIs for Your Heavy Equipment Dealership 

Published January 25, 2020. Updated January 15, 2026

Written by

Søren Block Olsen

Director of Marketing & Sales Operations