Choosing the right vendor for your IT assets

The role of a vendor, along with the IT assets they provide, has a strong impact on a company's day-to-day operations. Any business needs a solid IT infrastructure in place to function well.

Let's look at the tale of two companies to understand this better:

Two companies, ABC Co. and DEF Inc., go through two very contrasting experiences in their journey of IT procurement.

Although they had no budget worries, ABC Co. decided to go with the seemingly attractive option – low-cost devices from a poorly-rated vendor.

For the first week, things seemed promising. Everything was running smooth; ABC Corp. were satisfied with their choice of vendor.

Five months pass, and all of a sudden, a snag has developed in a few of the company’s systems. Following that, frequent issues arose every week, with almost all of the newly purchased devices requiring a repair or service. ABC Co. turned to the vendor in hopes of support, but they received no support or communication whatsoever. The company’s optimising quickly faded.

From boot failures and random freezes to unresponsive keyboards and overheating issues, a variety of technical problems plagued ABC Co.’s operations. This technological meltdown in turn led to a loss of productivity and revenue. Employees were left helpless and couldn’t even complete basic tasks. Customer dissatisfaction shot up sky-high due to frequent disruptions in their services.

Desperate for a solution, ABC Co. reached out to their vendor, hoping for technical support or some form of financial compensation. However, their attempts at reaching a solution or compensation were ineffective. The vendor offered no response, leaving the company to navigate through its nightmare alone.Although ABCCo. might have saved on some initial investment by cutting corners and opting for a ‘cheaper alternative’,the true cost of choosing a poor vendorbecame evident soon enough.

DEF Inc. on the other hand, took a different approach. They did not want to cut corners, as they knew the true value and importance of employee productivity. Thus, they chose to opt for the more expensive, but much more reliable, solution from a reputable vendor. DEF Inc. experienced consistent good performance from their IT assets, along with the sense of security that comes with working with a trusted vendor.

It goes to show that choosing a valid, trusted, and reliable IT vendor is a very important decision that companies need to make. High-quality and reliable devices are of utmost importance to all businesses. Giving your employees the right (and trusted) tools to work with has a massive impact on your business’ overall productivity. Growth and scaling of businesses are often hindered when employee productivity is limited by their devices.

After all, it is your company’s work that is being carried out on these IT assets. If you don’t invest in these tools that will drive growth and success, what will you invest in?

For small and mid-sized businesses, the largest chunk of the IT budget spent is allocated to purchasing hardware - Spiceworks State of IT Report 2024

When your company is already spending so much on its IT devices, why throw it all away because of one poor-choice vendor? That's why choosing the right IT vendor is a crucial investment and decision that a company needs to make.

Thoroughly vetting or analysing a vendor can help reach the best cost-to-effectiveness ratio, ensure the smooth operation of your company's core services, and reduce risks related to quality or improper communication and logistics from the vendor.

Let's look into a few guidelines for choosing the right IT vendor for your organisation.

Vendor warranties and standards:

What kind of warranties does the vendor provide, and how long do they last? Do they apply to each device? What are the terms of the warranty, and does it mean you will be provided a replacement in case the devices are not up to standards?

These are important questions to keep in mind when choosing a vendor. You wouldn't want to realise later on that the warranty for your procured devices lasted for only a month.

It's also necessary to consider what standards the vendor guarantees. If the devices being procured are brand-new, are there ways to confirm that? Illicit vendors often disguise used devices and sell them as new ones. (Verify that the vendor your company is negotiating with is an authorised business entity!)

If a vendor is offering used or refurbished assets, what level of performance can your company expect from them?

Vendor expertise and consultation:

A good vendor will take the time and effort to understand your business and its specific needs. They will provide consultation – give you recommendations for the devices and assets that best suit different roles and departments within your company, ensuring optimal performance and user satisfaction.

All-round team involvement:

When making decisions on vendor preference, device choices, and anything else regarding the procurement of IT assets, companies tend to leave it to the IT department and finance team. The IT team knows what tech the company needs, and the finance team knows how much the company can afford to spend on the tech. Sounds fine, right?

While this sounds fine on the surface, on diving deeper it's not as sensible as it seems. Different businesses deal in different fields and sectors, so the end-users of the IT assets of each business will have vastly varying needs and daily operations.

Simply leaving it to the IT and finance teams might result in them being blinded, either by tech biases or by budget constraints. Instead, having a more all-round team that satisfies the needs of end-users especially, will lead to a more positive, smooth, and successful procurement process. Involve members from training, human resources, development, and even legal or security departments.

Stay focused on company goals:

In general, it is advantageous for organisations to plan procurement for the long term. This way, they will procure the necessary devices from the right vendor, after expressing their need for long-term reliability and expectations. This transparency of expectations and goals from the start allows vendors to better understand the needs of your company, and overall deliver a better experience. Planning for the long term will also help reduce costs that would otherwise be incurred in a short-term approach. This is because a short-term approach is likely to sacrifice quality to save on spending due to the flexibility and nature of short-term projects.

Speaking of short-term approaches, that's another option available to companies. Short-term projects that need IT assets for just a few months, or client-based contracts which demand the same. These are some situations where it can be justified for companies to focus on a short-term approach to procuring their devices. IT asset rentals can be something to consider in these cases.

The right IT asset vendor will be able to adapt to your needs, whether your company needs a long list of long-lasting robust devices or a handful of rental laptops for just a couple of months.

Product quality and customer satisfaction:

The quality of devices supplied by vendors can be gauged from the vendor's claims and guarantees or, more importantly, from their previous clientele. Find vendors with a proven track record of satisfied business clients, and look for themes of high-quality IT assets, punctual deliveries, and good customer service.

Wide service coverage:

Vendors that offer other services within the IT asset management process can be much more appealing than those that don't. Repair and maintenance services, IT asset disposal services, or even ITAM services - having all these services offered by a single vendor would help companies avoid the whole ordeal of having to deal with numerous other vendors. Saving your company valuable time and giving you peace of mind.

While it may seem difficult to choose from hundreds of different IT asset vendors, with a proper selection process to follow and rigid criteria to keep in mind, the decision-making process becomes easier and more practical.

Assetze can help make your decision even easier. Trusted by many businesses across India, we cater to all your IT asset procurement needs and support your ITAM process. For new or refurbished devices, we provide the most reasonable and attractive rates. Check out our website or contact us to find out more.