Are You Using The Right Computer Systems For Your Dealership?

Finding The Right Computer Systems For Your Dealership

If you’re currently using hardware at your dealership that’s meant for consumers, it’s probably for one, very good reason – it’s cheap.

There’s no shame in that. Managing to keep your IT cost-effective and under budget is no small feat. That’s why many dealership owners opt for less expensive, consumer-grade options in their IT.

However, if you’re one of them, do you know what disadvantages this inadequate technology might be bringing to you?

Why Isn’t Consumer Technology Enough For Your Dealership?

Consumer technology doesn’t have the capabilities that its enterprise-grade counterparts do. The fact is that consumer-level hardware and software are designed for personal use – they’re only meant to be capable of handling the workload that, at most, a small household would bring to it.

Compare that to your single, or multi-location dealership, and you’ll start to see the problems:

• You need your hardware to run intensive software for tasks such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Consumer alternatives are made for document processing and surfing the web.
• You need enough disk space to store years of data on thousands of customers. Consumer-grade hardware only comes with enough space for one or two persons’ data, and quickly runs out when they start storing photos and videos.

As you can see, if you opt for consumer-grade technology in order to save money, it won’t be long before you’ll have to buy replacements that can handle your workload or external hard drives to store your vast amounts of data.

Instead of trying to cut corners now, it’s recommended that you get technology in line with industry recommendations; below we’ll discuss GM’s.

What Enterprise-Grade Technology Does Your Dealership Need?

GM recommends the following hardware and software for professional dealerships:

Hardware

• Processor: Intel Core I7 5th generation or higher
• Memory: 16 GB
• Hard Disk Drive: 1 TB+
• USB Ports: 4+
• Operating System: Windows 10 Professional, 64-bit

Software

• Microsoft Office 365 Pro Plus for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations.
• Internet Explorer (version IE11) with the most recent service pack installed and “compatibility mode” enabled.
• Java Runtime Environment 32-bit (or the version recommended by each application).
• Adobe Reader (current version).
• Full operating system recovery software in the case of a major software failure.
• An enterprise antivirus solution that can be updated automatically and managed centrally.

Need Expert Assistance Upgrading Your Dealership IT?

With so many complexities within the GM guidelines, your dealership needs a partner who knows the technology and the auto industry. Don’t try to figure it all out on your own – work with the TNN team to plan, execute and maintain your new enterprise-grade IT environment.

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