Ideal Computer Systems review: DMS for outdoor power dealers

What it is

Ideal Computer Systems makes dealer software for outdoor power equipment, or OPE: mowers, chainsaws, blowers, and similar gear. Its outdoor power product lists inventory, service, invoicing, accounting, reports, rental, and a CRM called TargetCRM. One vendor for the whole store.

What the vendor says

Ideal's OPE page lists the core store departments. Its TargetCRM page says TargetCRM synchronizes customer, transaction, and inventory records with the DMS, and offers SMS, email, and Facebook Messenger communication. Synchronize means the CRM and the DMS share the same records. In the demo, ask which records actually sync and which still need typing.

Who uses it

Ideal's TargetCRM page cites 3B Outdoor Equipment, Ebling's Service Plus, and ATS Outdoors. These are vendor-published customer stories, not our own checks. Ask Ideal for a reference dealer near your size and call them.

Where to be careful

• No public price was found on the pages we checked on 2026-11-05. Ask for a written quote.
• targetcrm.cloud is a different company in a different country. Never use its prices or features for Ideal's TargetCRM.
• Confirm which features are in the base system and which cost extra.
• We did not test a private account. This guide is from public documents only.

Questions for your demo

• Which modules are in the base price, and which cost extra?
• Show TargetCRM pulling a real customer with their units and history.
• How does texting a customer work, and what does it cost?
• Which OEM connections cover our brands?
• Can we call two OPE dealers our size who use it?

Which dealers it fits

Ideal is built for outdoor power equipment dealers: mowers, handhelds, compact machines, and the service work that comes with them. If that is your store, the focus is a strength — the screens and reports are built around your kind of inventory. If you sell heavy construction iron or run a big rental fleet, ask hard questions about fit, because the public materials lean OPE. Single-store dealers are squarely in the picture here.

A realistic demo scenario

Suggested script: a homeowner calls about a zero-turn mower they bought two years ago. Have them pull the customer in TargetCRM, show the unit, its service history, and a text sent to the customer about a ready pickup — with the reply landing on the same record. Then sell a part over the counter and watch stock update. Finally, ask how a sales lead from your website would land in the CRM. That last answer matters more than most dealers expect.

Cost questions to bring

No public price was found on the pages we checked on 2026-11-05. Ask for a line-item quote: base DMS, TargetCRM, texting and email volumes and their costs, each OEM connection, migration, training, and monthly support. Ask whether TargetCRM is bundled or separate, and what happens to your texting cost as your customer list grows. One more caution: targetcrm.cloud is a different company in another country — never use its pricing for Ideal's product.

Our honest take

Ideal's OPE focus is real, and the TargetCRM sync story — customer, transaction, and inventory records shared with the DMS — is the right idea for a dealer whose follow-up lives in notebooks. The named customer stories are vendor-published, so verify with your own reference calls. If you run an OPE store with a busy service counter, Ideal belongs on the demo list. Confirm texting costs and which records truly sync, and you will know most of what you need. Also ask how website leads land in TargetCRM, because that is where many stores lose follow-up: the lead arrives by email, nobody types it in, and the buyer never hears back. A CRM that catches the lead on its own is worth real money to a busy store.