Report: Complete IT operation for a car dealership with workshop operations
A medium-sized car dealership with an attached workshop and around 20 employees faced the challenge of operating its hybrid IT infrastructure securely and efficiently in the long term. The internal IT department consisted of one administrator who took care of day-to-day operations, but there was a lack of time, expertise, and resources for strategic issues such as cloud architecture, IT security, and compliance.
The IT landscape was dominated by Microsoft 365, a cloud-based DMS/CRM system, and local servers for the workshop software, which is actively used by over 10 employees every day. In addition, there was a historically grown network with Wi-Fi and VPN access for the field service, as well as basic IT security measures.
Standardized IT operations and increased security
The aim of the project was to centralize all IT operations within a managed service model, completely replace end-of-life systems, and close security gaps—including over 20 outdated user accounts and two undocumented VPN access points. At the same time, a sustainable basis for further growth was to be created. Both cloud services and local components were to be transferred to a standardized operating model and permanently maintained. With an experienced partner for managed services, the secure, high-performance, and GDPR-compliant operation of the infrastructure was to be ensured – while maximally reducing the burden on internal IT.
Our solution: structure, relief, and genuine hands-on support through managed services
PROTOS took over all IT operations as part of a tailor-made managed services concept – with a focus on clear processes, high transparency, and immediate relief for the internal team.
Our approach:
- Operation and maintenance of the entire IT landscape (Microsoft 365, local systems, VPN, Wi-Fi, firewall)
- Introduction of central endpoint management via Intune
- Basic monitoring for system availability, backups, and early warning in case of failures
- Implementation of IT security measures such as virus protection, MFA, central policies, and regular awareness training
- Support for GDPR-compliant data use and manufacturer requirements for IT security
Architecture diagram for IT operations and IT security at the customer’s site:
The focus has always been on the principle of a reliable managed service provider that not only reacts but also takes a proactive approach – even for smaller companies without their own cloud or security specialists.
Transparent costs, high security, fast processes
Within the first three months after the PROTOS Managed Services team came on board, noticeable successes were achieved—both technically and organizationally. Management receives regular structured reports on system availability and security status. New employees are onboarded at the customer’s site within a few hours. MFA coverage has been increased to 100% through technical measures and mandatory guidelines, and participation in security training courses is over 90%.
Thanks to centralized license management and the replacement of outdated tools, running costs have also been reduced by 18% and IT has become more transparent and easier to manage. The chosen managed service model offers the company full cost control at all times – without compromising on quality or security. Support requests are processed within two hours on average, with a monthly ticket volume of 35 requests on average. Critical incidents are handled by PROTOS within 60 minutes. The fast response time contributes significantly to employee satisfaction and operational stability.
On course for growth with IT
Just a few months after successfully launching its comprehensive IT operations, the car dealership decided to take over a smaller business with eight employees as an additional location and further expand its business model. Thanks to standardized, scalable IT structures, technical integration was not an obstacle – it was a driver for smooth growth.
PROTOS closely accompanied the entire process: from rapid user integration via Azure Entra ID to the selection and integration of modern cloud services such as Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online to optimize collaboration and replace decentralized file server solutions. Even sensitive issues such as network security, MFA rollouts, and license consolidation could be efficiently implemented thanks to the existing structure.
Security standards and IT processes were easily transferred to the new location, and the entire team benefits directly from joint awareness training and a centralized support model.
The result: The standardized and scalable IT structure contributes significantly to the efficient implementation of corporate growth – supported by the strong PROTOS Managed Services team in the background.
„Growing companies in particular need IT that thinks for itself and doesn’t hold them back. Our goal is to create structures that not only make change possible, but also make it easy“, Jan Reimers, Head of Managed Services at PROTOS.
Get an overview of our managed services offerings on our focus page.
