Selecting the Right Managed Print Services Solution - Part Eleven

This series discusses some of the key factors in selecting the right MPS solution for your organization.  As an independent, time is precious.  Having fewer resources than national service organizations and the OEM's, you need to quickly assess your options, make your selection and implement it.  Hopefully, the questions we are posing help you in this process.

The goal of this series is to present a list of potential requirements you would have for a complete MPS solution.  Some of the items on this list may not pertain to you at the start, but you should still consider them when evaluating and selecting the right solution.  Our next item on the list is:


Will you need to leverage third party service companies?


A complete Managed Print Services solution must deal with service issues that arise in a customer's print environment.  If your organization employs service technicians, you can manage most needs in-house.  But what if you do not have the staff?  What if your customer has needs outside your geographic area?  Are there models in their fleet that you are not authorized to service?

All of these situations can and probably will crop up.  Obviously, you do not want to turn down additional revenue if possible.  However, there are several factors you have to consider in dealing with third party vendors.

How will you find these service organizations?  How will you communicate service needs to them?  Conversely, how will they update you on the status of these needs?   Does the solution you use help you manage the process, track costs and evaluate the performance of work done?

Odds are, sooner or later you will encounter the need to reach out to another servicing organization to provide service for one or more of your customers.  A good MPS solution will give you tools you need to manage the process.

The ideal MPS solution should provide you with a list of third party providers without restricting you to specific vendors, setting pricing or any other limitations.  It should allow you to bring companies you already have a working relationship with into the solution. It must give you the ability to notify these vendors of service needs and allow you to track their progress in real time.  It should also combine all this history and costs with those associated with your internal organization to give you a complete picture in one interface.

Do you currently use third party service providers for part or all of your service needs?  How do you manage the process now?  Does your current MPS solution give you all the tools you need?  In the next few posts, we'll talk about this issue in more detail.  Please give us your feedback on other factors that are important in dealing with third party relationships.