Dealer and OEM relationships are shaped in part by who holds the market data and how openly it flows between the two sides. Real cases show the pattern: data asymmetry - one party gatekeeping the numbers - breeds mistrust, frozen negotiations and one-sided conversations, while OEMs that give dealers filtered dashboard access report better-prepared meetings, stronger engagement and a single shared source of truth. Data symmetry only delivers that value when trust and mutual respect underpin it.
What happens when a dealer deliberately withholds market data from their factory? Or when an OEM threatens to walk away from a data program if their dealers are allowed to see the same numbers?
These are not hypothetical questions. They are situations PowerStats has witnessed firsthand across multiple industries and geographies. Every dealer and OEM relationship is in part shaped by information - who holds it, who shares it and who controls the story it tells - and it is the foundation on which fair dealer performance benchmarking is built.
Through years of facilitating industry data programs, we have observed a clear pattern: the way data flows between dealers and OEMs reveals far more about the health of that relationship than any contract or KPI ever could. This article examines real (anonymised) examples of tension and trust, and sets out what a healthy, data-informed partnership looks like in practice.
Trust, power and the data between them
In any equipment industry - whether construction, outdoor power, engines or marine - the relationship between an OEM and its appointed dealer network is the backbone of commercial success. Factories rely on dealers to convert product into revenue on the ground. Dealers rely on factories for supply, pricing support and brand strength. When both sides are aligned, the partnership is powerful.
Yet beneath the surface, a quieter tension often exists. It is not about product quality or pricing disputes. It is about something more fundamental: who controls the market data, and what story does that data tell?
This tension rarely shows up in formal agreements or dealer reviews. Instead, it surfaces in the conversations that happen around the data - or in the conversations that do not happen at all. A dealer who selectively curates which market share figures reach the factory. An OEM that restricts market visibility to keep dealers dependent. A request for data access that is met with strategic silence.
These are patterns that recur across industries, cultures and continents. At the centre of each one sits a question of trust: is data being used to collaborate, or to control?
When dealers hold the cards
The reverse of what many assume is surprisingly common. In markets where the OEM is based overseas and may not participate directly in a local data program, the dealer can become the sole gatekeeper of market intelligence. The following examples use pseudonyms to protect confidentiality.
Strategic silence
Consider Mark - a dealer principal in New Zealand whose OEM, based in Asia, requested direct access to the local industry dataset through PowerStats. As a neutral data-sharing service provider, PowerStats redirected the request to Mark, since only the subscribing participant could authorise additional access. If the relationship had been healthy, a simple one-line approval would have been enough.
Instead, no response came.
When contacted directly, Mark explained that controlling the flow of industry data was a deliberate commercial decision. He selectively created reports for the OEM - choosing which product categories to include, which metrics to highlight and which stories to tell. This was not about submitting false information. It was about curating which truths reached the factory.
Mark's reasoning was straightforward. By retaining control of the data, he preserved negotiating levers - the ability to request pricing support, better warranty terms or marketing investment from the OEM. If the factory had the full dataset, some of those levers would lose their power. The situation remained frozen, and Mark told PowerStats to stay in their lane.
Two datasets, one argument
A second dealer, James - also based in New Zealand but representing a US-based OEM - blocked factory access for a different reason. His OEM already held a separate internal data source that told a different story from the PowerStats data. James feared that if the OEM gained access to both datasets, they would simply cherry-pick whichever version supported their position in any given argument. Whoever holds access to both sources holds all the cards.
Unlike Mark's situation, this one eventually resolved - though it took years. The dealer and OEM gradually came to an understanding, recognising that no single data source is ever the full picture and that reconciling multiple sources leads to better decisions than arguing about which one is correct. The relationship moved to what we call the happy path. However, it is worth noting that the catalyst may have been commercial pressure rather than goodwill alone.
When OEMs hold the cards
The mirror image is equally instructive. In some cases, the OEM participates in an industry data program but the dealer does not have direct access. The OEM can see the full market - competitor positioning, category trends and regional performance - while the dealer relies on whatever the OEM chooses to share.
This creates an inherent imbalance. The OEM may not intend to misuse this position, but the asymmetry itself changes the dynamic. The dealer enters meetings with less context, less preparation and less ability to challenge the OEM's interpretation of the market. Consciously or not, the OEM controls the narrative.
In one case, an OEM based in Indonesia - represented here as Luke - explicitly told PowerStats that if their dealers were granted access to the same industry data, the OEM would withdraw from the program entirely. The message was clear: information was to flow in one direction only. The dealers were informed of their eligibility but ultimately chose not to pursue entry.
This is an extreme example, but the underlying instinct is not uncommon. Some OEMs view market data as a competitive advantage to be protected - even from their own dealer network.
The framework: data asymmetry versus data symmetry
Across all three examples - Mark, James and Luke - the common thread is not the data itself. It is what the data represents in the relationship.
When one party holds information the other does not have, a power dynamic forms. This is data asymmetry. It does not matter whether the gatekeeper is the dealer or the OEM - the effect is the same. The party without visibility enters every conversation at a disadvantage. They cannot verify claims, challenge assumptions or prepare independently. The relationship becomes transactional rather than collaborative.
Data symmetry is the opposite condition. When both parties can see the same market share, segmentation and competitive landscape, the conversation changes fundamentally. Meetings become about interpreting the data together rather than debating whose numbers are right. The focus shifts from defending positions to solving problems.
But here is the critical insight: data symmetry on its own is not enough. James's story illustrates this clearly. Even when both parties have access to the same information, the relationship only works if it is underpinned by trust and mutual respect. Without those foundations, shared data simply becomes another source of conflict - a new weapon rather than a shared tool. With trust, however, transparency becomes a competitive advantage for both parties.
What healthy dealer and OEM relationships look like
The tension examples above are instructive, but they are not the whole story. Several OEMs have taken a deliberately open approach to data sharing with their dealer networks - and the results speak for themselves.
Regional dashboards filtered by postcode
One outdoor power equipment OEM in Australia approached PowerStats with a specific request: grant one of their appointed dealers direct access to market data, but only for the postcodes that make up that dealer's primary marketing area. PowerStats filtered the dataset accordingly, creating a custom dashboard view showing unit sales and market share for that region alone.
The result was immediate and practical. The OEM no longer needed to prepare manual reports for the dealer. The dealer could self-serve their own data at any time. And when the two parties met, they were looking at the same source of truth - which made every conversation more efficient and more productive.
Global dealer dashboards across dozens of countries
A Korean OEM operating in the engine industry took this approach to its logical conclusion. They asked PowerStats to create dealer dashboards for nearly every country where they participate in a data-sharing program. Each appointed dealer in each country received their own interactive dashboard, giving them direct visibility into their local market.
The impact was significant. At dealer conferences, everyone arrived prepared. There was a single shared reference point, which removed friction from conversations about performance, market dynamics and competitive positioning. Dealers could operate more effectively in their domestic markets because they had real-time visibility into market share and trends. When dealers perform better, the OEM benefits directly - creating a virtuous cycle of shared success. This is best practice.
National benchmarking across an entire dealer network
An Australian OEM went one step further. They assigned every postcode in the country to one of approximately twenty dealers, then asked PowerStats to create individual dashboards for each dealer covering their region. On top of that, they requested a national summary dashboard showing the brand's overall market share performance across all of Australia.
This created two layers of visibility. Each dealer could see how they were performing in their own territory. But they could also see how the brand was performing nationally - and by extension, how their own region compared to every other dealership in the network. This benchmarking dimension gives dealers a powerful self-improvement feedback loop and gives the OEM a transparent view of where to focus support.
Key takeaways
- Dealer and OEM relationships are in part shaped by who holds the market data and how openly it flows between the two parties.
- Data asymmetry - where one side holds information the other cannot access - creates power imbalances that erode trust over time.
- Data symmetry only delivers value when underpinned by mutual trust and respect; without those foundations, shared data becomes another source of conflict.
- OEMs that grant dealers filtered dashboard access report more efficient meetings, better preparation and stronger dealer engagement.
- The most effective multi-country OEMs create dealer dashboards across their entire network, establishing a single global source of truth.
- Data access should be treated as a strategic investment in the relationship, not a concession that weakens either side's position.
Frequently asked questions
What is data asymmetry in a dealer and OEM relationship?
Data asymmetry is when one party holds market information the other cannot access - and it does not matter whether the gatekeeper is the dealer or the OEM. The party without visibility enters every conversation at a disadvantage: they cannot verify claims, challenge assumptions or prepare independently, and the relationship drifts from collaborative to transactional.
Does giving dealers access to market data work in practice?
The OEMs that have done it report clear gains. Dashboards filtered to each dealer's own marketing area removed the need for manual reports, meetings became conversations about a shared source of truth and dealer conferences ran with everyone equally prepared. When dealers perform better in their territories, the OEM benefits directly.
Is sharing the same data enough to fix a strained relationship?
No - data symmetry on its own is not enough. Shared data only delivers value when the relationship is underpinned by trust and mutual respect; without those foundations it simply becomes another source of conflict. With them, transparency works as a competitive advantage for both parties.
How does a dealer get access to the data their OEM sees?
In a PowerStats programme, access is authorised by the subscribing participant - PowerStats is a neutral facilitator and cannot grant it unilaterally. In the healthiest arrangements the OEM requests a dashboard filtered to the dealer's own marketing area, so both parties work from the same numbers for that territory.
Start the conversation
PowerStats is a neutral data-sharing service provider. We do not advise on dealer and OEM relationships, but we do provide the platform and tools that make data symmetry possible.
If you are an OEM considering how to structure data access for your dealer network - or a dealer looking to understand what is available - get in touch to explore what a shared view of the market could look like for your organisation.
