Automotive dealerships across the country have adopted technology in one way or another. It has become a part of day-to-day operations, from processing payments to communicating with clients, to advertising on television or the internet. Consumers are using technology now more than ever to search for and purchase vehicles, research dealerships, post on social media, etc. It is clear that technology use is at an all-time high, which means that dealerships must keep up with managing and updating their technology.
Dealerships manage technology internally, when something breaks they fix it, and the cost to being reactive to these problems could be devastating to your dealership. Finding the right product and necessary experts to fix the problem could come at a substantial unexpected cost. Auto dealerships have begun to switch to a managed services model in order to mitigate risk and reduce costs. The benefits of a Managed Services Provider allows companies to have peace of mind knowing that their technology is completely taken care of. Below are some key benefits of managed services for dealerships:
1. Reduced Costs
Not only will your technology be taken care of for you, but you will also notice a reduction in overall expenses. An experienced managed services provider will identify wasteful spending on technology you don’t need. You no longer need to worry about surprise bills or added costs if something goes wrong. You always know your monthly fee in advance and can budget accordingly without any surprises.
2. Certified IT Engineers and Technicians
Working with a managed services provider gives you access to their full staff of qualified and certified professionals. You don’t have to hire 50 experts to manage your dealership’s systems, but you can access 50 experts by leveraging the resources and talent that a managed services provider can bring.
3. Faster Response Times
One of the benefits of managed services for your dealership is quick response times. Because most of your technology can be monitored and managed remotely, problems can be detected and resolved almost immediately. If a remote technician cannot solve the problem, someone will be on-site in a timely manner.
4. Around the Clock Monitoring and Availability
You don’t have to worry about a network outage after business hours or when your IT guy will go vacation. Managed service providers are available around the clock and are monitoring your systems 24/7/365. Even on holidays, your technology is still being completely taken care of.
5. Proactive Model & Improved User Experience
In order to provide the best experience for your customers, your technology needs to run smoothly. Managed IT services providers can help by taking a pro-active approach towards your IT by fixing problems before they occur rather than waiting until something breaks. This allows for smoother sales transactions, easier communication, and an overall better experience for anyone and everyone interacting with your dealership.
It is clear that dealerships need to keep up with demand and increased usage of technology. The logical solution for your dealership could be to outsource IT to a MSP that specializes in dealership IT management. If you are interested in partnering with a managed services provider or want to speak about your dealerships IT options, reach out to us here for a free consultation.