A large automotive retail organization with hundreds of dealership locations across the United States needed a more reliable and manageable approach to internet connectivity. Since vehicle inventory management, outbound sales software, financing systems and transactions all rely on internet access, connectivity is considered mission-critical to daily operations.
Challenge
Historically, the Fortune 500 automotive retailer relied on multiple regional carriers to provide connectivity for different dealerships. As the organization continued acquiring and selling locations, this fragmented approach became increasingly difficult to manage. Each carrier required separate contracts, billing processes and support channels, creating operational complexity for the IT team responsible for supporting all dealerships nationwide.
The company sought a way to standardize connectivity, improve service quality and simplify vendor management, while also supporting rapid deployment as new dealerships were acquired.
Situation
All technology decisions for the organization’s dealerships are made by the corporate IT team, which manages infrastructure and billing for every location. With frequent acquisitions and divestitures, the IT team needed a connectivity strategy that could scale both up and down easily while minimizing contractual limitations.
Key requirements included:
- Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) circuits capable of supporting mission-critical dealership operations
- A single point of contact to manage installs and support across multiple locations
- Faster installation timelines for newly acquired dealerships
- Billing consolidation to reduce administrative overhead
- U.S.-based customer support capable of resolving issues quickly
Prior to engaging APX Net, meeting these requirements meant coordinating with as many as 10 to 15 different carriers, each with different processes and service standards. The company’s technology partner recognized that a more centralized approach could streamline operations and reduce complexity.
Solution
Through a trusted channel partner relationship, APX Net was selected to provide DIA connectivity for dealership locations across the country.
APX Net simplified deployment by acting as a single source for fiber connectivity, even when circuits were delivered through multiple underlying carriers. This approach allowed the automotive retailer’s IT team to manage connectivity through one provider rather than coordinating with numerous vendors.
Key elements of the solution included:
- Nationwide DIA connectivity for dealership locations
- A dedicated project manager overseeing all installations regardless of underlying carrier
- Consolidated billing for simplified financial management
- Rapid order processing and responsive support to keep deployments moving forward
- U.S.-based customer service to ensure faster resolution of service or billing issues
Since many dealership locations already had connectivity in place, APX Net was able to accelerate deployments by upgrading or transitioning circuits quickly. In cases where dealerships needed fiber construction, APX Net was able to leverage existing relationships with nearby carrier fiber infrastructure to complete new builds faster than anticipated.
Results
By consolidating connectivity through APX Net, the automotive retailer and its technology partner achieved a few key operational benefits:
- Simplified Vendor Management – Instead of managing relationships with numerous carriers, the IT team for the dealership and the partner now works with a single provider to coordinate installations, billing and support.
- Faster Deployment Timelines – Several circuits were installed significantly faster than expected, allowing newly acquired dealerships to integrate into the company’s network without delay.
- Improved Support Experience – U.S.-based support and responsive project management helped resolve service and billing questions more quickly than the retailer had experienced with previous providers.
- Greater Operational Flexibility – As the organization continues acquiring and selling dealership locations, the APX Net model makes it easier to deploy new circuits or transition connectivity without complex contract constraints.
- Stronger Partner Collaboration – The combination of proactive project management, responsive service and ease of doing business has made future DIA installations with APX Net quickly became the preferred choice for both the partner and the customer.