Return to OFDA Awards/Research

OFDA Dealer Choice Award (formerly Dealer Manufacturer Satisfaction Index) Survey

2011 DMSI full report is available for download.  

The 2012 survey will open June 1, 2012

How Satisfied Are You?

The office furniture industry has changed dramatically over the past few years and during this time of low margins and commoditization among products, the level of service and support that dealers receive from a particular manufacturer is key to maintaining good relations.

After much OFDA Board discussion, OFDA decided to revamp its Dealer Manufacturer Satisfaction Survey-DMSI and introduce a new, more comprehensive survey aimed at providing broad dealer feedback on the product and service support they receive from non-aligned suppliers, including more specialized furniture manufacturers.

The new Dealers’ Choice Award (DCA) Survey is open to contract furniture dealers of all sizes – whether aligned or non-aligned. Asked to rate their top-volume unaligned suppliers in each of six recognized product categories on which the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Associate (BIFMA) reports industry sales and consumption statistics, dealers can spotlight one manufacturer in each of the following categories: 

Casegoods; Filing; Storage; Seating; Workstations/Systems;  and Tables.

As the U.S. and Canadian contract furniture dealers’ trade association, OFDA established this annual dealer poll as a constructive tool to help improve dealer/manufacturer communications and relations. Survey results provide the basis for OFDA to recognize manufacturer excellence in their products, policies and procedures that impact dealers. OFDA will present these awards to manufacturers at its Dealer Strategies Conference being held this year from October 28-30 at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas.

The value of the DCA survey results is clear.

Manufacturers can use the information contained in the report to target areas for improvement as well as highlight areas of strength to dealers. By responding to dealer issues and building dealer loyalty, manufacturers will ultimately help their own sales initiatives. In addition, all manufacturers who have been rated by at least 25 dealers in the survey will have the opportunity to receive detailed customized results in a special report for a modest fee.

For dealers, the survey offers a high-level perspective of the comparative performance of industry manufacturers in areas that dealers typically consider to be most important. This allows dealers to consider the potential benefits of forming new relationships or strengthening them with the industry’s highest performing manufacturers as a means to further elevate their marketplace success.

Questions should be directed to Billie Zidek or via telephone at 703.549.9040, ext 121.