Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for boat dealers.
A checklist built from how boat dealers work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Boat, engine and trailer stock
- Enquiries and sales pipeline
- Quotations, deposits and trade-ins
- Delivery and commissioning
- Brokerage listings and owner settlements
- Service, storage and haul-out jobs
- Parts and manufacturer warranty
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For the dealer principal
- For salespeople
- For brokers
- For yard managers and technicians
- For the accounts desk
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Stock by model, status, location and days in stock
- Enquiries and deals by portal, show and salesperson
- Deposits held and balances due at delivery
- Brokerage listings, offers and owner settlements
- Yard jobs by technician, lift and cradle
- Parts used, anodes and filters below reorder level
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- Listing portals
- Website stock feed
- SMS or messaging
- Accounting software export
- Manufacturer warranty portals
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Does it separate our boats from brokerage boats?
- Can it record a hull identification number and engine serials?
- How are sea trials and viewings handled?
- Can a trade-in be valued inside a deal?
- Does it plan the yard?
- Can staff claim warranty from the manufacturer?
- Can owners get a statement after a brokerage sale?
- How does our current stock sheet come across?
- Who owns our buyer and boat data?
- What would it cost?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Stock records miss options and status
- Enquiries are lost between seasons
- Deposits and trade-ins are tracked apart
- Yard work is planned on a whiteboard
- Brokerage funds are handled by hand
Prefer to talk it through? See the boat dealers page.