Great advice for dealers on improving their IT infrastructure to futureproof their business for the next five years is on offer at the AM Digitech conference on April 17.

Presenter Gary Smith, who runs Optimising IT, will present to AM Digitech 2018 delegates about determining a return on investment from their IT spend, rather than simply viewing it as a cost centre.

“Dealers tend to view IT in terms of a necessary cost when, in fact, it should be seen in terms of its benefits and the return on investment cutting edge infrastructure can deliver,” he said.

His session will also touch on the implications of GDPR, the new general data protection regulation, as dealers need to protect data and implement robust cyber security measures, following on from Optimising IT's session at the recent AM GDPR conference.

Smith said dealers should be looking at how investment in technology can deliver results for the business not just in the short term but in the years to come.

“Our most forward thinking dealers and dealer groups are implementing infrastructure and cloud-based systems which are scalable and will be able to cope as the business grows and as technology moves on for at least the next five years and quite likely beyond.

“Getting it right first time is key and dealers need to make sure they are asking the right questions of their IT team and suppliers. For example, dealers need to ensure customers using the guest wifi are isolated from each other and back-end dealer systems to protect both customers and the business. Does the dealership have enough broadband to cope with the number of systems running and the right infrastructure to cope with receiving information from the connected car?”

A limited number of tickets are still available for AM Digitech 2018, held on April 17 at the Hilton Doubletree Hotel in Milton Keynes, which includes masterclass sessions covering digital marketing, digital retailing and website developments.