Do’s and Dont’s of Finding an IT Supplier
There are many factors to consider in choosing your IT supplier. Before you do, have a look at some do’s and dont’s of finding an appropiate supplier.
Explore in more detail some of the top tips and strategies for finding an IT supplier to take care of your IT hardware needs.
Do’s
- Do thorough research:
Your relationship with the wrong supplier can result in your business suffering significantly. Be cautious when selecting IT Suppliers in Ireland. In due course, your diligence could spare you considerable waste of effort and money. First off, visit the IT vendor’s website. Read the policies and get an idea about what they are and what they offer in case of damages or returns. But a professional website alone is not sufficient proof of a supplier’s eligibility. Check the public records to ensure that no manufacturer or retailer has had a bad experience with the supplier.
- Ensure the supplier is well-established and financially sound.
You don’t want to be in a situation where you place orders and they cannot be fulfilled due to poor credit terms with distributors. This could be detrimental to your business and have an impact on the implementation of key projects.
- Do verify the references:
Ask around in your professional circles and you might be surprised by how much you can learn through just a phone call.
- Do ensure your supplier has the appropriate certifications and accreditations:
A well-established supplier will almost certainly have certifications with major vendors, such as HP, Cisco, Lenovo and Dell. Having strong relationships with the main vendors will ensure that you are dealing with a supplier has invested the time and resources into building these relationships. Any supplier will have vendor relationships but what you should look for is a supplier that has them all and to the highest levels if possible. This will ensure you are dealing with someone who understands the technology of all the main vendors and will be able to offer competent and sounds advice on the technology platforms.
- Do try to contact the manufacturer first:
Get to the source, the product manufacturers. This will provide the opportunity to establish better relationships between both parties. They can be quite helpful in providing you with a list of reliable distributors.
- Do get a clear understanding of the contract before signing it:
You can avoid quite a few headaches if the bulk of discrepancies and misunderstandings are resolved beforehand. Once you sign that contract, it can be held against you in the court of law. So be cautious and get it looked over by an expert if you have difficulty comprehending the elements.
Don’ts
- Don’t get stuck with the same supplier:
Your first ever supplier might have helped you loads and might be the most reliable one too. But there’s no harm in looking for alternative suppliers. Switch your supplier if the conditions are more favorable. The change might become a profitable venture for you. Most important is to get the best pricing on your purchase. Competitive pricing is the key factor in selecting a supplier. So select the right supplier on the basis of the prices they offer you. - Don’t purchase wholesaler/supplier lists.
You’ll find these lists are of no real use. The details of local IT provider’s are outdated and it’s likely that no verification was done before putting the companies on those lists. Steer clear of them; they’re just a waste of time.
- Don’t go for the first option unless you survey the market:
The first supplier you encounter might be the most efficient one, but don’t stop there. Deciding on a business partner that can make or break your business is far from child’s play. Survey the market and maybe the next one would turn out to be a better option than the first one. It certainly doesn’t mean that you just keep on searching. A simple advice; survey the market thoroughly before you decide on your key supplier.
- Don’t get disheartened when negotiations don’t go your way:
There’s plenty of fish in the sea, so don’t get discouraged if you can’t find a good supplier right away. These things take time, after all, a reliable and compatible partner is always difficult to find. Just keep on your search and with time you’ll get the best IT provider in Dublin.
Trust is really important if you want to conduct business without too many worries. All of this may seem simple on the surface, but will require a fair amount of time and effort. Once you do find the best IT provider in Dublin, work on building the relationship, making it stronger. And tone up your negotiation skills. Best of luck!
For a competitve quote, at an unbeatable price on all your IT Hardware needs contact us today.
Codec-dss supply more IT hardware than any other Irish reseller for over 10 years. This is achieved through a relentless focus on buying at the lowest cost possible. Uniquely, we hold the highest levels of accreditation with the 4 leading brands in the technology business: HP, Dell, Lenovo and Cisco. We also supply 25,000+ products from all the other well know and less well known brands. Great customer references and a number of awards will give you confidence in our ability to deliver what we say.