Case Study: iVision Management Extensions
The Company
As the second largest private automotive mega-dealer in the United States, Hendrick Automotive Group strives to offer premier quality to their customers as well as the manufacturers they represent. With 60 franchises spanning 11 states, the company averages over 100,000 retail vehicle sales and 1,000,000 repair orders annually.
The Challenge
From 2001 to 2008 Hendrick Automotive Group’s desktop computer usage across all dealerships grew almost 1500%. However, the company’s IT resources increased by only 33%. With multiple systems, aging hardware and critical software upgrades, Hendrick Automotive Group was in need of a cohesive enterprise solution to facilitate system and asset management, distribution, installation and reporting companywide.
After two failed attempts to find a scalable solution, Hedrick Automotive Group entered into an enterprise agreement with Microsoft to implement System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). However, Microsoft needed a partner they could stand behind to successfully plan and deploy SCCM within a condensed timeframe.
The Solution
Microsoft turned to iVision to lead Hendrick Automotive Group’s SCCM initiative. iVision consultants worked closely with the IT organization to:
- Create an installation plan for Hendrick’s SCCM technology
- Train staff for long term systems management and support needs
- Package and deploy core applications throughout the company
- Centrally managed solution and iVision custom created reports
Aligning with Hendrick Automotive Group’s key priorities, iVision consultants provided a comprehensive systems inventory for asset transparency as well as a two-stage desktop patching schedule to facilitate deployment. Finally, iVision fostered the necessary upgrade of the industry critical application ERAlink within the company.
The Result
Hendrick Automotive Group now boasts a fully deployed SCCM platform. Additionally, simplified desktop patching and easy installation of critical client application upgrades allow for an improved IT process moving forward.
The company has seen immediate value in inventory management, custom asset reports, and software distribution. Hendrick Automotive Group highlights iVision’s consulting assistance as decisive in harvesting SCCM’s full potential while allowing the company to maintain operations throughout the process.