How to streamline your dealership's IT management

In all companies, streamlining the management of the IT equipment is a real benefit for operational reasons, but also for the purposes of strengthening the security of the information system and the data. For car dealerships, this aspect is particularly important when they have several vehicle sales sites that operate as a network. Here are five tips for streamlining the management of their IT equipment.

1. Standardize the Workstations

An overly diverse IT infrastructure limits the possibilities of it functioning as a network, multiplies the amount of equipment, and generates much more work for the IT expert who has to manage the fleet of machines. All these reasons justify the standardization of the management and the fleet itself. Wherever possible, a dealership should:

Opt for uniform equipment when it outfits itself with a full fleet, invests in additional equipment, or replaces an obsolete or out-of-service machine
Install the same operating system and the same software on all machines.

2. Implement client/server architecture

It’s possible for a dealership with overly diverse equipment to streamline the management of its fleet without having to replace their hardware. It can do this by adopting client/server architecture: when their dealership operates as a network, all the machines just need to be connected to the network. This eliminates:

Compatibility issues
The need to apply operating system and software updates on each workstation, since these are carried out directly on the server

3. Opt for the Managed Workspace solution

These days, IT managers who manage a diverse fleet often turn to the Managed Workspace solution, which involves managing all the terminals via the same remote, centralized administration console. Conversion software turns the various workstations into thin clients, which is possible for most computers.=

4. Manage the Networked Devices

By installing a print server on the network, one or more printers can be shared by the entire company: all the client workstations that are connected to the network can use the same equipment. By pooling the equipment in this way, the organization saves money, because it can get rid of individual printers, which are costly and often little used.

5. Privilege Cloud Solutions

When a company’s software is deployed in Software as a Service mode, it’s not installed on the company’s computer workstations and servers. The applications are hosted directly by the provider, who handles the maintenance and updating of the various software. Users connect to applications via their web browser, which can be done from any computer on the network that has internet access. That way, the dealership can manage its appointments, its staff schedules, and its new and used vehicle inventories from any workstation. Good management of the IT equipment helps prevent breakdowns and attacks; it also helps ensure the continuity of the information system and reduce operating costs. That’s why, even if the fleet is made up of diverse machines, it’s necessary to streamline its management and, when replacing the machines, to purchase equipment identical to that already used.

How to streamline your dealership's IT management

1. Standardize the Workstations

2. Implement client/server architecture

3. Opt for the Managed Workspace solution

4. Manage the Networked Devices

5. Privilege Cloud Solutions

You would also like

The latest technology trends

SOLULAN Achieves SOC 2 Type 2 Certification

Webinaire Loi 25

Pax8 and Solulan partner to fuel Canadian businesses and tech growth