Del Grande Dealer Group Blog | Auto Dealer

ITS Brings Unparalleled Auto Industry IT Experience to SF Dealership

Burdened by outdated technology and the overwhelming demands on a single IT staff member, Del Grande Dealer Group (DGDG) faced significant challenges in managing their growing auto dealership. They partnered with Intelligent Technical Solutions (ITS). ITS introduced comprehensive solutions, including migration to Office 365, integration of Azure cloud services, and robust network security enhancements. This pivotal partnership not only revitalized DGDG's IT operations but also set a solid foundation for future growth, ensuring their technology kept pace with their ambitions in the competitive auto industry.

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Industry Company Type Type of Service
Automotive B2C Managed IT
 

Del Grande Dealer Group (DGDG) is the largest family-owned Automotive Group in the Bay Area. Since technology has taken over the automotive industry, the Del Grande Dealer Group team has taken pride in using innovative technologies to streamline their operations, grow their business, stay on top of equipment, stay ahead of their competition and provide customers the best service possible. 

Del Grande Dealer Group initially had one person to handle technology and handle difficult situations as needed, but it became too much of a responsibility for one person to handle effectively. When they needed to switch out some old technologies and get optimized, they needed an IT partner they could trust to handle the job. They quickly began a search for the most dynamic and experienced managed IT specialists they could find.

“Initially, we had 300-400 knowledge workers and our staff has grown consistently,” says Ralph Yamasaki of Del Grande Dealer Group. “Just trying to be status quo was no longer sufficient; we needed a more managed and more structured, proactive approach. We needed to determine what we should do to grow as an organization in a way that drives efficiency and to promote scalability.”

“It was also critical to us that our IT partner had working knowledge and experience in the auto industry. Some aspects of our organization are incredibly unique and we wanted the team we worked with to have a deep knowledge of the needs and challenges specific to our industry.”

After doing due diligence with various IT providers in the area, Del Grande Dealer Group was connected to Intelligent Technical Solutions (ITS). ITS came highly recommended by another well-respected dealership and was the perfect partner for the large Del Grande Dealer Group team.

The Situation: Determining a More Strategic Approach

As soon as ITS San Francisco came on the scene, they knew the dealership would benefit from a more focused and managed approach. The Del Grande Dealer Group network was growing rapidly but needed a better governance structure, more security protections, and centralized PC and server management solutions to manage its expansion. ITS San Francisco recognized that DGDG would also realize strategic gains from unifying its email system to a single brand, dgdg.com.

Additionally, PC management would benefit from a centralized approach. PCs had been patched intermittently with some PCs that hadn’t been updated in some time. The Antivirus was out of date, third-party applications weren’t being updated, and there were no central patching strategies.

File security could also be improved to leverage modern authentication protections with better use of user and group file and folder permissions. DGDG would further benefit from locking down PCs to prevent end-user application installs, which were slowing down PCs and hampering productivity.

“When we initially partnered, the big heavy lifting we needed from ITS was updating and converting our platform,” says Yamasaki. “We had a combination of old computers and old technology, and we needed to get everyone on the latest platform. We had a lot of users on XP and a lot of users on outdated versions of Microsoft Office. These team members were no longer able to operate because the software was so out of date, and they couldn’t open attachments correctly.”

The Solution: Stabilization and Modernization of Dealer Group's Technology Infrastructure

The ITS team worked quickly to implement a more managed and strategic IT approach, including:

  • Migration to Office 365 to take advantage of its many services, including email, license compliance with Microsoft, Office Online, and OneDrive sharing functions.
  • Implementation of a file-server infrastructure and a working Windows domain, assigned individual user accounts and migrated data, and joined PCs to a new network.
  • Integration into the Microsoft Azure cloud, using AD Connect.
  • Implementation of Azure Backup and Site Recovery technologies for business continuity and disaster recovery.
  • Improved network security with DNS filtering technologies to reduce web browsing abuse, and category filtering.
  • Foundational projects in flight, which include Cisco switching upgrades, moving to Gigabit switching, and deploying a company-wide Meraki wireless solution.
  • Implementation of near-term plans including Single Sign-On and two-factor authentication technologies.
  • Tighter computer security to prevent infections, viruses, emergencies, etc.

"We would absolutely recommend ITS – especially to other auto dealerships looking for a strategic and experienced partner. The team at ITS has been incredible from the moment we started working with them. We knew they were the right partners for us. Everyone from the leadership team on down is dedicated to making sure DGDG runs smoothly, efficiently, and securely."

Ralph Yamasaki, DPO | Del Grande Dealer Group

Business Internet

The Outcome: Peace of Mind and a Continually Strategic IT Partnership

The team at Del Grande Dealer Group now have the peace of mind that their IT system will be reliable, secure and capable of supporting their growth. ITS played a critical role in helping the dealership mature from a technology and process perspective. Now, their technology infrastructure has a strong foundation for their continued success.

“Before ITS came on, there wasn’t any kind of central management or central security features,” says Yamasaki.

“ITS was instrumental in getting the network on a more proactive and managed platform. We centralized our branding and domain and migrated our disparate email systems to a central repository in Office 365. We now have a robust management platform which has provided us the foundation to capably scale our operations.

While Partnering with ITS, Del Grande Dealer Group now has:

  • A secure network
  • A unified email brand presence
  • A reduced risk from viruses and security issues
  • A scalable infrastructure to help with growth initiatives
  • An improved network performance reducing end user frustration.

“Lines of communication between our teams are strong, and we can always reach them if we need them,” continues Yamasaki. “Not to mention the onsite engineers who are hands-on with all of our day-to-day operations. Their whole team has a great handle on determining what issues will come up and they’re excellent at working to prevent them from happening.

Today ITS provides Del Grande Dealer Group with:

  • Strategic managed IT services and consistently responsive support
  • Proactive management of network, server, wireless, and desktops/laptops
  • Ticket management, reporting, tracking & accountability solutions
  • Premium security solutions
  • Licensing and compliance strategy
  • Project management and implementation services.

“They’re truly always available by email, phone or text,” says Yamasaki. “Someone on their staff will always step in if there’s a job that is larger than one guy can handle. No matter the task, they always have the resources we need.”

According to Jeremy Beaver, Chief Operating Officer for DGDG, “We’ve now grown to a team of 1,200+, and with our scalable infrastructure, we will continue to grow as a company,” says Beaver.

We would absolutely recommend ITS – especially to other auto dealerships looking for a strategic and experienced partner. The team at ITS has been incredible from the moment we started working with them. We knew they were the right partners for us. Everyone from the leadership team on down is dedicated to making sure DGDG runs smoothly, efficiently, and securely. Everyone is extremely knowledgeable and eager to help at any moment. ITS is truly invested with their clients with a strategic mindset.”

President, Shaun Del Grande continues, “ITS is a strategic partner for us that lays the foundation for our growth initiatives. Both of our company values are well aligned, recognizing that our team is the most valuable asset and making sure they have leading technology helps drive our business forward.”

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