Case Study: An Ohio Collision Group Updates Legacy Network Infrastructure & IT Systems

The Client

An Ohio Collision Group

An Ohio Collision Group operates a chain of Auto Collision and Auto Glass Repair facilities in the Greater Cleveland area with 50 employees specializing comprehensive auto body repair, with state-of-the-art facilities and is an industry leader for customer satisfaction ratings.

The Challenge

Growing Business With Growing Cyber Security and IT Needs with Limited Upfront Capital Available

As a growing business with strong relationships with Auto Insurance carriers Ohio Collision Group is faced with the need to continually drive process efficiencies through the adoption of new technologies while increasing Cyber Security and Resilience at the same time; without having to make large capital investments or having to employ an in house I.T. staff member.
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Aging Disparate Systems

Chief Operations Officer Theresa Orsky’s initial needs were to replace aging, disparate IT systems across multiple locations with a modern Network Infrastructure that could link all of their locations together to centralize and standardize access to Applications, Data, and Printing.

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Old End-Of-Life Hardware

The majority of Ohio Collision Group’s Desktop Fleet had reached End of Life as a result of running End of Life versions of Windows and Legacy Hardware.

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Limited Networking Capability

A robust reliable wired and wireless network was needed to provide connectivity to desktops and the shared storage along with wireless to cover a total of 50,000 square feet of Office, Shop, and Warehouse space to support wireless devices for estimating and parts ordering and fulfillment. Power over Ethernet capabilities were also missing from the existing network making it difficult to support Voice over IP phones and video surveillance cameras.

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Security & Compliance Concerns

Cyber Security is a principal concern at Ohio Collision Group due to potential for increased risk and liability due to the potential exposure of Personally Identifiable Customer Data, Accounting, and Credit Card Data; along with lost profits as a result of declined productivity due to malicious software impacting computer operations for both Office and production repair systems.

The Solution

A Fully Managed SkinnyOffice WorkSpace & SmartPort System

After reviewing the client’s needs and facilities, we developed a solution that would include the equipment, hardware, and software that gave them the capabilities they needed across all Ohio Collision group locations.
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SmartPort Networking

SkinnyOffice SmartPort Wired and Wireless networks across all Ohio Collision group locations using new Power over Ethernet enabled switches and 802.11AC access points to provide a “blanket” of wireless coverage throughout the Offices, Shops, and Warehouse areas.

A SmartPort Network Controller was installed at each site to provide network management and Cyber Security capabilities at the edge of the network and in the DNS Layer to protect against a range of network-based security threats.

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SmartPort SmartRack

To secure the network from Physical and Environmental threats such as power and heat issues; a SmartPort SmartRack system was deployed at each site to provide redundant power, air filtration, integrated cooling, environmental monitoring and locking security doors.
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SkinnyOffice WorkSpace

With connectivity and infrastructure issues addressed we were then able to implement a SkinnyOffice WorkSpace for Ohio Collision Group’s Front Office and Administrative staff which allowed them to consolidate all of the applications that they need to automate and process work and integrate their Insurance Partners in a secure Cloud Environment. WorkSpace allowed all locations to have access to standardized applications, shared data, and printers across all shops allowing staff members the ability to seamlessly “roam” across Ohio Collision Group and remote locations.
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Communications & Collaboration

Ohio Collision Group utilized the communications and collaboration capabilities of their SkinnyOffice WorkSpace subscription to utilize Voice over IP voice calling across each of their locations along with the Instant Messaging, Audio, Video and Web Conferencing, Electronic Fax, and Email capabilities included as standard feature of their subscription.
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A Managed Service

The entire WorkSpace Cloud solution was delivered fully managed with the SkinnyOffice team responsible for implementation, hosting, support, and ongoing maintenance and management such as application and OS patching, application upgrades, and security, and backups.

The Results

Fixed Problems While Controlling IT Expenses

The Skinny Office platform immediately controlled IT expenses as both the solution and the ongoing support are delivered on a monthly basis for a fixed price allowing the owners to accurately budget and understand I.T. expenses.

Security concerns were addressed using a multifaceted approach utilizing SmartPort network security capabilities for secure connectivity to SkinnyOffice WorkSpace which includes Firewall, VPN, Geographic IP address network blocking, Intrusion Prevention, and DNS layer security. Standard WorkSpace security capabilities we then employed inside the WorkSpace cloud for Enterprise class Anti-Spam and Message Encryption, Endpoint Detection and Response, and Multi Factor Authentication with all SmartPort and WorkSpace Security capabilities delivered as fully managed solutions.

End of Life desktops were replaced with low cost dedicated terminals for securely accessing WorkSpace from Ohio Collision Group offices with roaming users using laptops to easily access the WorkSpace Cloud from any location utilizing the same process and capabilities regardless of location.

Productivity was increased by having faxes and voicemails all delivered to the same Email Inbox allowing easy retrieval of messages by employees both in and out of the office. Staff located across multiple sites and working remotely are now able to securely and seamlessly access and share files with each other.

The Benefit

Robust IT Infrastructure At A Low Cost

Solution Value Proposition

The SkinnyOffice team was able to phase in the new elements of Ohio Collision Groups’ SmartPort and WorkSpace solution to minimize the disruption to their operations, and insure that their staff was fully trained and all the components worked to each stakeholder’s satisfaction prior to moving onto additional project stages.

By partnering with SkinnyOffice Ohio Collision Group acquired a “best of breed” technology solution to increase productivity and reduce risk a while avoiding an approximately $60,000 upfront technology investment and ongoing hourly support fees.

Return on Investment

Ohio Collision Group was able to increase their productivity and lower the effort needed to onboard new employees by allowing staff members to be able to easily work across multiple company locations and from offsite using SkinnyOffice Workspace which centralized all Desktops and Data in our Cloud Platform.

By partnering with SkinnyOffice Operational Costs have been reduced and controlled by allowing the organization to not have to incur new capital expenses to replace and update their aging desktops and network infrastructure.

The SkinnyOffice team will work with Ohio Collision group to adopt additional WorkSpace capabilities for managing file and content collaboration processes, password management, and continuing to work with to help support their operations, onboard new staff, and defend against security threats.

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About SkinnyOffice

The SkinnyOffice WorkSpace and Smart Port platforms are fully managed, and cost controlled I.T. Digital Workspace platforms designed and supported for Small and Medium Businesses of the size of scale that leaves the Enterprise IT solutions enjoyed by the larger competitors out of reach. Our solutions offer a secure, scalable, holistic solution to address the I.T. needs of growing organizations competing in an ever-changing marketplace. To accomplish these goals all SkinnyOffice solutions are built on these pillars:
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Digital Work Envroment.
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Network as a Service.
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Voice over IP.
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Endpoint Support.
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Protection Everywhere. End to End professionally managed Cyber security.

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Total Management. Health and Security monitoring for your entire device fleet.

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Complete Logistics. We handle order placement, provisioning, and direct delivery.

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