Getting the best deal on equipment can be a complex process - which is why it’s best to work with specialists
"Many of our employees have a background in procurement and so have experienced the same problems"
Procuring technology through a third-party multi-vendor partner has its advantages. Third-party experts are specialists in identifying business customers’ IT pain points and developing best-of-breed solutions. They can also offer pre-configuration and testing services to ensure that when equipment arrives, it will work as soon as it’s switched on.
Adrian Foxall, operations director in Computacenter’s corporate hardware business unit, comments: “The manufacturers aren’t set up to cater for multiple sites and multiple users, nor are they able to bundle different products.”
By contrast, third-party suppliers such as Computacenter often have vast warehousing and pre-configuration facilities and can guarantee continuity of supply – crucial when any delay to delivery or operation can cost valuable time and money. The sway they have over manufacturers means they are able to offer discounts on products according to how far along their lifecycle they are, and feed back common customer concerns to manufacturers, helping ensure they invest in ongoing product improvements.
Pete Groushko, commercial specialist in Computacenter’s corporate hardware business unit, explains: “Using a third party is like an insurance policy for the customer. We can help achieve greater responsiveness from manufacturers, because we can be very specific about any problems our customers have with their products.”
High-quality products
One big hidden cost associated with technology is downtime. Not only does it add to support expenditure, but it can also have serious consequences for profitability. “Sectors such as banking and finance are prepared to pay a premium for high-quality products because they understand the potentially catastrophic impact on their revenue if products fail to perform,” states Groushko.
Most manufacturers quote failure or intervention rates for products, but it’s another matter getting them to underwrite those rates with guarantees of compensation should products not meet the quoted standard. That’s why working with a partner like Computacenter, which has the power to secure such guarantees, can significantly add to your peace of mind.
Groushko says: “We’ve already agreed with manufacturers such as HP, Fujitsu-Siemens and Toshiba that if their products over a three-month or six-month period fail at a higher level than they’ve stated, they will give cash back to certain customers to compensate for downtime costs. And the fact they’re prepared to do this means all customers can be confident the products they’re buying are built to a very high standard.”
Foxall adds: “Manufacturers bandy statistics around, but if they’re confident then they back-up those claims with actions. Certain manufacturers don’t invest enough back into driving the quality of their products and processes, and they’re invariably the ones that are loathe to commit to the intervention rates they’re quoting, which should give you a truer indication of how high those rates really are.”
But there are other, less obvious, solutions to common procurement problems that experts like Computacenter can offer. Foxall says: “Many of our employees have a background in procurement and so have experienced the same problems and pains as many customers. But because they’ve also been exposed to manufacturers and partners, they have a balanced and objective view and are able to work with customers to streamline their processes.”
For example, Computacenter can help re-engineer a customer’s supply chain to make it more efficient. “If a customer wants to order one product a day, every day, and deliver to a different location, we can do that – but there’s obviously a cost attached to it. We can advise customers on smart buying and more efficient delivery patterns that will help them reduce costs for their business,” says Foxall.
Computacenter also offers a free comprehensive online tendering service to customers. “Our e-tendering service can really help reduce a customer’s procurement costs,” asserts Groushko. “It can go all the way from a request for information (RFI) to the award of a contract without the need for any engagement with suppliers apart from via the website. We start by sitting down with customers to assess their requirements, write an RFI, and then put that up on a website we host.
We’ll only invite selected suppliers to respond. We can advise which ones we think are most appropriate based on our market experience, but the choice always resides with the customer. At the end of this stage, we’ll be able to exclude many manufacturers who don’t meet the requirements.”
Computacenter has already streamlined the processes, including the development of standard response templates. This means that the requirements from both the manufacturer and the customer sides are locked down and clearly understood. The customer – with Computacenter’s help – can carry out a truly vendor-neutral assessment of the choices. It helps reduce time-to-purchase and ensure the best price while guaranteeing the quality and suitability of the products.
“It’s been a highly successful service and we’ve run it for many customers,” says Foxall, “including banks, the NHS and the Government.”
e-Tendering - where vendors vie to provide you with the best deal under the expert scrutiny of Computacenter’s experts.
Portfolio management - streamline the range of products
and configuration options you deploy and manage them via an online catalogue.
Computacenter Connect - where customers can access the company’s systems directly to place
an order, check stock, view a price or track an order on-line.
Computacenter Recommends - a portfolio of flagship products with proven availability, quality, performance, innovation and value.
Valuable service
Another valuable service the company offers is portfolio management, helping customers streamline the range of configured options for users down to a manageable set of product configurations. Computacenter manages the supply of these options via a hosted website catalogue.
Foxall says: “We’ll assess the products in the market for them, ensuring they’re fit for purpose and the price is right. Then we’ll go through a testing phase until they’re happy with the product configurations. We can then manage a full online catalogue for them so users can go onto a secure website, see a picture of what it is they’re getting and go through the relevant permissions process to order it. In addition, we’ll manage any changes through the lifecycle of the product so there are no surprises.”
Computacenter is also giving customers the option to bypass the product assessment phase entirely by introducing its own portfolio of ‘best-in-class’ products, based on its extensive experience of the market. Called ‘Computacenter Recommends’, experts have road-tested products and awarded top-performing products with the endorsement based on the products’ technical specifications, lifecycle, performance, innovation and other commercial considerations, as well as cost. Choosing from the portfolio is therefore a low-risk option as Computacenter’s vendor-agnostic experts base the recommendations on the same kind of broad-ranging criteria that we have outlined in these articles.
Companies such as Computacenter have a long track history of selecting, purchasing, testing, implementing and renewing systems. This is allied with long-term relationships with a broad range of vendors that provide insights into product roadmaps and an understanding of lifecycle issues. And that depth of experience is an invaluable asset when it comes to making a smart purchase.
