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Established in 1951 by Robert James, Fox & James is a family-owned business
that has grown into one of the leading truck dealers in western Pennsylvania,
with two FreightLiner dealership locations in Latrobe, PA and Duncansville, PA.
In addition, Fox & James pioneered the concept of full-service leasing in western
Pennsylvania. Today Fox & James offers full-service leasing and services for
over 300 units from its four lease locations in western Pennsylvania.
The Challenge
Prior to 2003, Fox & James’ infrastructure was running
via a direct connection to FreightLiner servers. Updates
and changes were made by manual CD uploads, causing
the servers to be unavailable for significant portions of time. By the time we
received the CDs containing the updates, much of the data was outdated,” said
Linda James, Fox & James Controller.
However, changes to the truck sales industry mandated that Fox and James’
direct connection to FreightLiner servers be terminated. With no budget with
which to hire full-time technical support, and a need for strict IT security, Fox
and James not only needed support service to keep its inventory and data
secure, but also a maintenance program that would fall within its static budget. “FreightLiner placed the responsibility of upgrading our server, as well as IT
security, onto the dealerships. Since Freightliner and many of our other business
partners were becoming internet-based, we needed a network that would
be fast and secure. Security was our primary concern, yet we couldn’t justify
hiring a full-time IT specialist,” said James. Nortec advised us on the proper
steps to acheive the best result.”
Fox & James contracted with VAI/Computerland to assist with the initial server
upgrade, virus protection, and to provide robust IT security. “We had limited
resources and a limited understanding of technology. VAI/Computerland grew
into being our IT support, but we began to feel that we needed to become
more proactive with our technology,” said James. When Nortec purchased
VAI/Computerland in 2005, Fox & James was ready to advance its technology
capabilities, and was interested in how Nortec could help.
Fox & James had built an industry-leading business over 50 years by offering its
customers quality products and services, and because of its industry expertise
and local ownership, was also able to offer custom solutions. In order to maintain
its position, Fox & James knew it needed to grow its IT capabilities as well.
“We had a great relationship with VAI/Computerland, but we were looking for a
company that could provide more capabilities on a regular, structured basis.
We wanted a very proactive approach to maintenance and upgrades, and
previously, it had been mostly reactive,” said James.
The Solution
Fox & James considered a number of local IT support services, with its priorities
being expertise, reliability, and price competitiveness. Choosing a vendor that
could be a “one-stop-shop” was also appealing to Fox & James, but Fox & James
was also concerned that a vendor might take advantage of its lack of IT knowledge.
After researching the market, interviewing Nortec’s expert staff and
checking references, Fox & James chose Nortec.“Nortec had more capabilities than VAI/Computerland. We liked that Nortec
could handle it all. Our satellite staff members are often presented with unique
problems, and we liked that Nortec could handle all of the questions, big or
small,” said James.
Nortec began by meeting with Fox & James ownership, management, and staff
to learn the company’s goals, challenges, and priorities. Nortec assessed current
IT capabilities and determined, in light of the firm’s goals and challenges, the
best course of action for upgrades, maintenance, IT security, and emergency
service. “Nortec suggested maintenance on a monthly basis, as well as a plan to
provide emergency service. This gave us tremendous peace of mind,” said
James.
Nortec’s institution of a schedule for regular maintenance and upgrades has
allowed Fox & James to minimize downtime. Previous service upgrades had
been disjointed and often unexpected. “Because we have 7 locations, having
maintenance done on a methodical, regular basis is much more efficient and
planned. We have little interruption in service. In addition, we are given a
checklist of service that’s been performed at each maintenance visit, so it’s a
point of reference that we often refer back to,” said James.
The Benefits
It’s been nearly a year since the transition to Nortec, and Fox & James has
experienced none of the downtime from computer viruses that it had in the
past. As a result, the network upgrades and improvements have been transparent
to its customers.
In the past, satellite service centers would mail paper-based records of service
repairs, as they didn’t have computers on site. Nortec consulted with Fox &
James to bring the satellite service centers online, and now service reporting is
more timely, accurate and complete, and Fox & James’ staff couldn’t be happier.
“To maintain our leading position in truck sales and leasing, Fox & James is
counting on Nortec to continually consult with us, constantly alerting us to the
latest and greatest IT solutions. Nortec understands our business and our
needs and they know where we can improve. I don’t need to be an IT person – I
rely on Nortec,” said James.
Fox & James’ commitment to better technology has brought Fox & James closer
to its customers, given them better customer service, and furthered the
company’s mission. Our main goal was to have IT support that was reliable, and
Nortec’s given us that – and much more,” said James.
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