WHITE PAPER · ISSUE 01The New Operating Reality for OEM Networks.
The biggest risk to OEM growth in 2026 isn't the competition. It's the distance between your brand promise and what actually happens when a customer calls a dealer for service.
FREE · 2-PAGE PDF · 4-MIN READ
WHAT’S INSIDE
Four shifts reshaping how OEMs lead their networks in 2026.
Drawn from direct conversations with more than 60 OEM, dealer, and distributor leaders across the Americas — from training 55+ parts, service, and sales leaders in person, from executive sessions with OEM leadership teams, and from customer experience programs delivered to 20+ distributors across the continent.
60+
LEADER CONVERSATIONS
55+
IN-PERSON TRAINING SESSIONS
Why people define the network, not the tech stack
The strongest networks aren't defined by their tools. They're defined by cultures of transparency between OEM and dealer — and that culture determines whether field signal ever reaches leadership.
20+
DISTRIBUTOR PROGRAMS
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The cost of false confidence
Growth plans built on untested field assumptions are the most dangerous place an OEM can operate from. Discovering misalignment after a major investment costs far more than finding it before.
02
Where technology actually creates value
Deloitte projects 81% of task hours remain human-driven through 2026. Remote diagnostics only matter when the people using them can translate data into customer outcomes. The gap isn't technical — it's organizational.
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Why one network model fails non-uniform networks
A multi-location regional operator and a family-run single-point dealer face fundamentally different challenges. Effective OEM support is calibrated, not standardized.
WHO WROTE ITJonathon McKay, PATH Partner
McKay leads OEM network research at PATH, a second-generation, family-owned research and strategy firm with 41 years helping equipment manufacturers turn field-level signal into executive-level clarity.
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