At Betasoft, we understand the future of secure print management is all about the service and support, but support can be defined in many ways. With over a decade of experience, we have witnessed how our sector has evolved in various market conditions. Having deployed and provided support for an abundance of SafeCom installations as experts in the technology, we can say that we have learned a few things over the years. As the UK’s only SafeCom Master Partner, having a robust piece of technology like SafeCom can only be as effective as the team that will provide ongoing support for it.  

So, what should you consider when planning to deploy SafeCom, and more importantly what support should you be hoping for? 

Neutrality and Innovation 

Receiving transparent and impartial advice is the first step to ensuring that your print management aftercare support is going to be efficient. Rather than being project-led by a consultant whose sole purpose is single-product focus, it is essential to engage a print management advisor with whom the emphasis is placed on the wider business benefits of a solution. The objectivity of such print management consultants also means greater access and understanding to more multiple products or solutions. While the secure print management industry has embraced change and upgrades in business environments, there is a major difference in product enhancements from one print management vendor to another. As business requirements can differ between two companies within the same industry, two print management solutions can also differ in their functionality, user experience, workflow, new technologies and much more. Hence, the importance of a support team knowing the full spectrum of what solution is ideal for an organisation is paramount.  

Risk Reduction 

The purpose of a print management support team is to deliver an exceptional support service, that ought to be built on the objective of forming a long-lasting and trustworthy relationship. By utilising the expertise of a print management support team, you are reducing risk in a few ways:  

• Consolidation of client processes through outsourcing entire print functions, whilst maintaining control in the overarching print management strategy and decisions. 
• Minimising the cost of hiring full-time staff on-premise 
• Full transparency via ongoing audits of allocation of costs related to print and where those costs primarily sit. 

Access to Knowledge and Innovation 

Innovation is vital in providing support to the client through a variety of measures that are constantly evolving to market demands. These can be based on key variables that include:  

• Flexibility in the provision of technical assistance via remote and/or on-premise support, to improve client service delivery. 
• Continually adapting to differentiate the client support compared to the competition
  
• How is the support system and process contributing to the client’s own digital upgrade initiatives 
• Are the deliverables aligned to client objectives, and are they being met. 
• Is the support team continually advising and making recommendations to benefit the client. 

Conclusion 

While regularly updating a support team’s skill set is good, industry and product knowledge is just as significant. Ultimately, the decision rests with the client as to what they feel is important for their organisation, which goes beyond the cost saving of paper. Cost savings and efficiency can be spread across various mediums within an organisation’s print network.  

To find out more how Betasoft’s Support Team can assist your print management operations, contact one of our specialists.