SmartOffice® The Next Generation Office-in-a-Box for Car Dealerships

Summary: Businesses that need instant connectivity to their data storage centres and applications from any location can opt for a plug & play solution to set up their network cost-effectively. As an office-in-a-box with fully managed services, SmartOffice® helps enterprises to improve their collaboration and productivity through a zero CapEx model.

For decades, ‘on-premises’ has been the standard method of deploying business for efficient daily operations and communications. Organisations now realise the benefits of adopting an ‘office-in-a-box’. It keeps the costs low for startups and allows them space to scale later.

Startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), in particular, stand to benefit from these setups. Their ease of scalability also suits organisations that plan to increase their scale of operation in the near future.The SmartOffice® designed by Tata Tele Business Services (TTBS) is a customised office-in-a-box used by SMEs across industries. One of the many businesses that can use this network deployment solution profitably in India is a car dealership – an agency that earns its revenue from car sales and service.

By delivering dedicated bandwidth, SmartOffice® offers high-speed Internet connectivity to car dealers. It also integrates advanced voice and data solutions for their business on a common platform. These are powered by the industry-first SLA-backed Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

A panacea for workers handling multiple roles

In their daily operations, employees at a car agency often correspond with distributors and the automotive brand whose sales network they belong to. Updates on delivery of models booked by customers, orders placed for new cars, parts and accessories, and participation in auto industry events are regular reasons for communication. Then there are various internal departments like car servicing centre and the finance team that accepts payments for services. To coordinate their activities, the agency may need to create a common ‘ring group’ – this implies a group of phone numbers, extensions and telephone devices that ring together when one extension number is dialled. It is an effective way of improving call routing and workload distribution between different departments in the agency.

These dealerships also collaborate with road transport offices (RTOs), motor insurance companies and the banks that issue loans to car buyers. The timely transfer of data pertaining to vehicle registration, insurance premiums/renewals, hypothecation, removal of hypothecation and other services for vehicle ownership is vital for their work – it eventually concerns their customers.

An on-premise setup for voice calls and data exchange makes such collaboration within and outside a car dealership more agile. In addition to on-premise voice and data, SmartOffice® packs cloud applications like audio conferencing, CRM and document management. Whether an employee is in the office or on the field, SmartOffice® gives them the ability to send and receive all critical information necessary for business. As long as they have access to the Internet – on their laptop, mobile, or tablet – via any mode, they can use their custom apps and work productively like any other employee inside a brick-and-mortar office.

Benefits with dedicated bandwidth – flexibility to use advanced tech

With support from their parent companies, car dealerships can now add immersive abilities in their showrooms. They can use artificial and virtual reality (AR-VR) technologies to give their customers richer insights into the architecture of a car and even offer them a simulated experience of driving the vehicle. AR-VR tech was also used at the recent Auto Expo in February 2020.²

Some car dealerships that provide driver training programmes also use AR-VR simulators to teach the enrolled candidates before they try their hands at an actual vehicle.

The successful use of such technologies calls for high-speed connectivity. With its dedicated bandwidth, SmartOffice® offers an efficient solution to car dealerships. It distributes bandwidth between different applications, and the usage of other online tools does not impact the performance of one app. Seamless connectivity is always ensured in this managed service.

Ease of scaling and customisation

It is easy to add more users, devices, storage space and upgraded applications on the SmartOffice ® infrastructure. Car dealerships need not fret over deploying new wires, bigger server closets and the visit fee for different vendors setting up their equipment. The TTBS team scales and tailors their virtual SmartOffice® as per the changed requirements.

Operating new showrooms and involving more employees in extended services becomes easier with this compact office package.

Network security round-the-clock

Like other businesses, car dealerships need to keep their data secure when it traverses through channels between authorised users.

TTBS SmartOffice® uses advanced security features to control data access and protect business operations against cyber threats. The office-in-a-box is supported by fully managed service and is monitored 24*7 by experienced cloud platform technicians.

Seamless business continuity without experienced IT teams

A car agency needs professionals who have in-depth knowledge of automotive products. It typically hires car service personnel, sales reps, showroom managers and automotive engineers. Over and above such recruitment, hiring experienced IT staff for the upkeep of servers and a wired network of computers would only increase its costs of operations.

By opting for SmartOffice®, such companies can avoid additional HR expenses while also ensuring efficient business continuity. The mechanical disruptions that can impact physical IT infrastructure do not disrupt the virtual provisions of this cloud-based service.

Pay-as-you-go model

By signing up for SmartOffice®, car dealerships pay only a subscription fee through their terms of service. A specialist TTBS team configures the virtual infrastructure, and there are no upfront investments in physical equipment. The business, therefore, also saves upon the upkeep costs.

Automobile dealers who need responsive tools to enhance business communication and worker productivity can adopt this compact package of applications as an affordable OpEx model.

TTBS SmartOffice® also provides car dealership owners with a web-based GUI to monitor and manage their business operations. Furthermore, the service comes with last-mile connectivity for both PSTN voice and Internet bandwidth.

This office-in-a-box works flawlessly with opensource smartphone applications and desktop clients, bringing down IP phone expenses. It is a future-ready solution equipped to imbibe newer technologies to improve collaboration and networking experiences continually.

If you need to know more about the TTBS SmartOffice®, connect with us on 18002661515.

Sources

https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/widespread-adoption-of-cloud-office-is-now-well-underway/
https://www.fortuneindia.com/venture/auto-expo-taps-technology-to-woo-millennials/104065