John Deere Performance Groups

Helping Dealers Achieve Optimum Success

Mission

The mission of the Dealer Performance Group (DPG) is to accelerate the professional development of the members through peer to peer learning and accountability, leading to improved dealer performance.

Interested in joining a John Deere Performance Group?

Finding the right group is essential to your organization’s success. Groups are formed based on size, AOR, product mix, brand, management style, and more. Contact us to learn more about joining a group.

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HISTORY

For over 30 years, the Friend Management System has been improving the performance of agricultural, consumer, and golf equipment dealerships in Canada, the United States, and Australia. The Friend Management System and performance groups are also John Deere’s recommended provider of Leadership Dealer Performance Groups and provide aftermarket and golf distributor, specific leadership groups. The Friend Management System was developed by Doug Friend and purchased by the Western Equipment Dealers Association in 2018.

PROGRAM
  • A “Performance ” Peer Group Program
  • All groups operate like a Board of Advisors providing advice, direction, and guidance to each other.
  • Specific focus is directed toward learning about each member’s best practices and achieving better performance in all areas of dealership operations through idea exchange and goal-setting.

Groups

Leadership Team Groups

  • Made up of like-minded, similar size equipment dealerships and their owners/key managers.

Aftermarket “Sub Groups”

  • Made up of Aftermarket Management Teams from the Main Leadership Team Groups
  • Could be only Service or, Parts and Service

Sales Management “Sub Groups”

  • Made up of Sales Managers from the Leadership Team Groups

Individual Dealer Program

  • Made up of Managers – Branch, Parts, Service, Sales of 1 Dealer Organization
  • Benchmarking…90+ Benchmarks Provides a Financial “Road Map” to help Managers make Decisions
  • Provide the Discipline and Structure to achieve improved results
DEALER MANAGEMENT/LEADERSHIP GROUP

These groups are made up of like-minded, similar size John Deere equipment dealerships and their owners/key managers. The first Dealer Management Group (Leadership Group) was established in 1989. Currently, the owner-groups involved represent over 300 locations throughout North America and Australia with total combined sales that exceeded $6.5 Billion in 2012.

 

What are they

  • 5 to 6 Dealer Organizations…3 to 5 principal/key manager participants from each dealership – CEO/GM, CFO, Corp. Sales Mgr.(s), Corp. Parts, Corp. Service
  • Operate like a Board of Directors providing policy direction, guidance, and accountability
  • Focus on discovering solutions and achieving better performance in all areas of dealership operations through idea exchange and goal-setting
  • Friend Management provides data, comparisons and benchmarks© that motivate participating dealers to strive for and achieve improved performance
  • A forum to develop long term relationships
  • A continuing education process that develops leadership and management skills
AFTERMARKET MANAGEMENT GROUP

Our Aftermarket Management Group program is a powerful management tool that enables parts and service managers to meet, share ideas, learn, and understand parts and service as it relates to financial performance and increased profitability.

 

What are they

  • Each Service Management group consists of service managers, aftermarket managers and general managers from the Dealership Management Groups.
  • Focus is placed on developing objectives geared toward maximizing customer experience and inventory management.
  • Gain insight into how other parts departments operate
  • A forum to develop long term relationships
  • A continuing education process

Benefits

  • Parts, Service and Aftermarket managers become motivated and take ownership of their financial responsibilities
  • Managers develop a mindset that is both goal and action-oriented
  • Gain insight into how other parts and service departments operate, allowing them to expand the vision and potential of their own operations
  • Friend Management provides data, comparisons and benchmarks© that motivate parts and service managers to strive for and achieve greater results

Successes

Parts and Service Departments that have participated in an Aftermarket Management Group have enjoyed

  • Increased profitability
  • Improved margins
  • Reduced work order closing times
  • Reduced WIP
  • Improved efficiencies
FACILITATORS

 

Doug FriendDoug Friend

Doug Friend is the owner of Friend Management Inc., a Canadian-based management consulting firm. As a strategic partner to leading agricultural, consumer, commercial, and golf equipment dealerships across Canada, United States and Australia, Friend Management Inc., has an in-depth understanding of the business and organizational processes that are required for John Deere equipment dealerships.

 

 

Western Sales
John Deere agricultural equipment dealership, Rosetown, Sask; grew the dealership to be the largest JD Dealership in Canada.

NAFTA Trade Consultants Inc.
A Canadian based International Professional Services firm that provided access to private and public decision-makers worldwide in the areas of trade and investment, international marketing and government relations.

Okanagan Tractor & Equipment Ltd.
John Deere agricultural equipment dealership, Kelowna, BC.

Greenline Golf & Turf
John Deere golf course equipment dealership, Chilliwack, BC.


Brett Barriage

For nearly a decade Brett Barriage was CEO of Premier Equipment, a 300 plus employee, 10-store John Deere dealership in Ontario, Canada where he brought coaching and leadership to the organization during a complex merger.

Premier Equipment was created when Brett successfully led the merger of two separate John Deere dealerships, including Elmira Farm Service where he held the position of General Manager for six years.

During his tenures as GM and CEO, Elmira Farm Service and Premier experienced incredible revenue growth both pre-merger and post-merger in addition to a significant reduction in expenses. Brett led the committee that constructed a brand-new corporate office and largest store location. A big reason for the company’s success was Brett’s focus on leadership development and culture.

Under his leadership, the company developed its own internal leadership assessment based on their unique culture, launched Premier Leadership University to prioritize development, and revitalized their performance management system through a focus on coaching leadership. Not only was Brett a client of Building Champions for years, but he also brought the company’s coaching and tools to his people through one-on-one coaching and customized leadership experiences.

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