How Managed IT services can transform your dealership operations

Businesses of all sizes and across all industries know the benefits of IT support. But sometimes, behind the scenes operations can rank low on the list of priorities when you have one, or multiple, dealerships to manage.

If you’ve been tackling IT challenges on your own up to now, you’ll understand the work that goes into ensuring things run smoothly in this increasingly digital business environment. The burden of shouldering the responsibility and keeping up to date on the latest technology can impact efficiency and productivity.

MNP’s Managed IT services create a solid foundation for dealership clients to get the most out of the technology they have and ensure investing in and implementing new initiatives goes as smoothly as possible. Managed IT services cater to each dealership’s needs – from full-scale, in-house technicians to on call support teams, there’s a solution for every situation.

Common IT challenges among dealerships

While each dealership will face its own set of unique challenges when it comes to IT support, here are a few common concerns among dealerships:

• Unified plans between dealerships
  • Without having a set of standards or a standard set of programs across dealerships, getting the information you need at the speed you need it, can be a difficult task.
• Real-time support
  • When your salespeople are in the middle of an appointment and their technology fails them, getting put on hold for IT support while your customers wait, isn’t ideal.
• Cyber security
  • Dealerships are full of highly sensitive customer information that facilitates a strong and robust cyber security plan. Without it, dealerships open themselves up to hackers, putting added pressure on owners to make reactive choices instead of proactive ones.

Your focus should be on selling cars, not on worrying about how you’ll manage to ensure your dealership’s tech systems are hiccup free. With the help of an expert, MNP’s Managed IT service takes the guess work out of the behind-the-scenes operations so you can get back to work.

Services offered with Managed IT

Depending on the size and scale of your operations, an MNP advisor will work closely with you to determine how to keep your business safe, efficient, and profitable.

Here are a few of the many services MNP provides with Managed IT:

• On-site help desk
  • At your busiest times, eliminating unwanted stress might mean having a technician at your dealership to keep things running smoothly. Working with your MNP advisor, you can decide if that level of real-time support is needed and when.
• Implementation support
  • If you’re changing systems and working to get everyone up to speed, MNP’s implementation support can help you through the process to streamline the transition, make a plan to stay on track, and measure your project’s success down the road.
• Hardware and software
  • Depending on your needs, MNP’s procurement team can take care of all the hardware and software that your dealership might need. With extensive experience in hardware and software purchasing, our team can get the product to you at the best possible price with advisor support throughout the process.
• Long-term planning
  • Like most business owners, you likely spend a lot of time thinking about the future. When it comes to your dealership’s technology, it can be difficult to plan for what you might need when your needs, and advances in tech, can change so quickly. MNP’s team will ensure you’re prepared for anything and can look towards your goals with the confidence and support to reach them.

Above and beyond

Outside of the traditional IT needs, MNP’s team can assist dealerships with challenges in all aspects of the business.

If you’ve been thinking about technological transformation for some time, consider how grants and funding can help secure your spot ahead of your competition. With the Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP), successful applicants can receive a $15,000 grant and an interest free loan of up to $100,000 to transform their operations.

For help with challenges outside of IT, MNP’s team can help you assess you needs and refer you to other teams, like tax, corporate finance, or succession, who will listen to your needs and help you identify opportunities for sustainability and growth.