Questions to ensure that you’re choosing the right supplier
Understanding the supplier’s capability and credentials
An RFP will usually list the minimum requirements expected from a supplier; this pertains to the level of experience that the supplier has in your sector or scale. It is a good way to determine if your supplier has relevant experience and is capable of catering to your business needs.
As there can be inherent risk involved in implementing a managed print solution particularly with IT changes, it’s important to get an understanding of what kind of MPS the supplier delivers. Consider asking the following:
- Can they give an example of previous work they have carried out where a similar solution has been implemented at a similar scale? Can they provide any references?
- What policies and processes do they have in place? Are their attitudes to risk in line with your businesses? For example, do they meet your accreditation standards? Do they have a high standard of sustainability credentials?
- Do they have sufficient financial standing?
Understanding the supplier’s values
It is likely that you will enter a long-term relationship with your chosen supplier, so, it’s valuable to ensure that the supplier shares your corporate values. For example, if sustainability is high on your company agenda, you may want to choose a supplier who will assist you on your mission – who disposes of waste responsibly or recycles and reuses materials.
- Ask the supplier to provide some statistics in relation to your own corporate values to ensure they are like-minded.
Understanding your needs
Most MPS service providers will carry out a range of assessments and audits before designing a solution. Getting an understanding of the type of audits and assessments offered by the supplier is valuable as it provides a glimpse of the service you’re likely to expect.
Example questions might include:
- What assessments do you carry out and how do they work to design a solution? For example, internal interviews, site-maps, software audits, user analysis?
- How will you support me during the implementation and change stage? Who will be my point of contact?
- What solution might you put in place to help me meet my cost reduction goals?
- We would like to increase productivity by 20% in the next year, how will you help me to reach these goals?
- What products and solutions do you think will help me meet my sustainability targets?
- How can you help us to tighten our current security protocol?
Post-sales
Here you should list or highlight any expectations you have of the post-sales and after-care service.
Suggested questions are as follows:
- What is your post-sales protocol?
- What are my options for call-out/support service?
- How will my printing consumables be managed, for example, do you offer automatic despatch services?
- How will you assist with the selling-in process to influence key decision makers in the business?
- How do you support us in change management?
- How will you respond to ongoing change in the business?
- How will progress be monitored?
Finance and cost
Make sure that all billing and costs are transparent before you’re in agreeance with a new supplier. This is important at this initial stage in order to present accurate information to internal stakeholders.
Things to ask:
- How is billing and invoicing managed?
- Will add-ons and extra services be included in the initial solution price?
Knowing how to write an accurate and insightful RFP is incredibly important to solidifying the right solution and the most valuable supplier for your business.
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