12. Delivery and Installation Process

There are many steps in any print provider’s delivery and installation procedure. Each of these steps is a necessary element for making the installation process as smooth and as easy as possible for the customer.

Any process will begin with the customer having found a product online or being sold a machine or service by a sales advisor. This is where the customer will talk through which machines are best for them and the benefits certain services can provide. Make sure to ask all of your questions and not to be roped into taking devices that would not benefit you or your organisation.

The salesperson will then typically fill out a form once the customer has agreed on a product; this form will detail delivery information and the customer’s personal information. Once the print provider’s administration department receives the form it should be processed and stored on the company’s system where the print provider’s logistics team will take over.

The logistics team will then contact the customer (this timeframe can vary from company to company, so be sure to check reviews before selecting your print provider). When the logistics team make contact they will talk to the customer in length about the install. Many things will be discussed here, from delivery timescale expectations, to any special considerations or circumstances that need to be taken into account during delivery. The sales person will not normally finalise delivery dates, this is for the logistics and administration teams to talk through with the customer. Any good print provider should also keep the customer in the loop with any issues, such as back order delays. If required any special installation issues will be passed to the logistics team who should complete a site survey so that issues are not encountered on the day of delivery. The number of delivery people will also be determined here, considering things like machine size and accessibility of the delivery site.

At roughly the same time as the logistics team are determining the size of their task, the IT team will typically try to find out information for themselves. In order to connect the machine to the customers’ networks and computers, the IT and network team will require a certain amount of IT information. A pre-delivery check or survey will be conducted either online or via telephone to find out things like IP address and ask network related questions, all to ensure a smooth installation process. If possible a machine will be remotely configured and connected to a network to limit the amount of IT work required on a customer’s site. This can usually be done in situations where an old machine is being replaced with a new machine by the same manufacturer, customer information can then be easily cloned from old to new.

Once the machine or product is in stock or refurbished and ready for delivery the customer will be contacted to confirm dates for delivery and installation. If photos of the delivery site or IT information cannot be obtained from the customer then no delivery will be arranged, the salesman will usually get in touch and try to obtain the required information. If all is well then the machine will be delivered and configured, delivery teams may use machinery in order to get devices up the stairs if there are any, so having offices with stairs should not be an issue for a good print provider. Device training will then be given to end users of the
machine.


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