DEAR DIARY: I HATE MY VENDOR

​Imagine you walk into the office one day and are greeted with chaos- coworkers running around frantically, the phones ringing incessantly. You ask what all the commotion is about, and a colleague turns to you and says: “Our document services provider has sent two members’ personal statements to our ENTIRE LIST OF CUSTOMERS!” As you take a moment to let that sink in, you call your vendor and demand they get to the bottom of this irreversible mistake. The vendor representative on the other end of the phone apologizes profusely, promises LifeLock for the two affected members and swears that this mistake will never happen again.
 
Fast forward a couple of months. You experience déjà vu as you enter a scene much like the one you did not too long ago. Again, you ask what all the commotion is about, and a colleague turns to you and says: “Our document services provider has sent a business’ statement to OUR ENTIRE LIST OF CUSTOMERS!”

Unfortunately, we have heard this exact horror story, along with many others, about other document services providers’ lack of quality control and standard security checkpoints, resulting in unforeseen costs incurred through data breaches and customer dissatisfaction.
 
Outsourcing document production and delivery should allow your business to reach the correct customer at the right time, achieve cost savings and streamline processes - all while managing risk.
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If you are looking to change document services providers, beware of the fact that many vendors may tell you they offer the whole package, but then end up falling short on their promises after implementation. Here are five questions to ask in the vetting processes that will help you uncover the truth in a vendor's offerings and capabilities:

1. What security certifications/qualifications do they uphold?  In order to avoid data breaches, document services providers should be SSAE 16 and SOC II, Type 2 Certified. For the healthcare industry, HIPAA Compliance is also required.

2. Do they offer a comprehensive solution? Utilizing a single partner for the design, composition and multi-channel delivery of all your documents and communications benefits your organization by ensuring consistency throughout all document channels and formats. A comprehensive, single-vendor solution can help you save time and money by increasing eAdoption rates, reducing call center costs, offering solutions to identify new revenue opportunities, and providing you with large volume discounts.
 
3. Do they have high standards of quality control?  Quality control is of utmost importance in the design, processing and delivery of business-critical documents. A vendor that has multiple checkpoints throughout the document lifecycle including mail scanning, 2D barcodes on each page of every document and unique Intelligent Mail Barcodes (IMB) will ensure each document is sent to the correct recipient at the right time.
 
4. What kind of support will they provide? The most successful document services providers are consultative in their approach and identify ways to solve complex business problems. Look for a vendor that employs only PMP Certified project managers, as well as seasoned client services managers who can lend industry expertise and best practices.
 
5. Do they continually invest in the most updated software and equipment? A good document services vendor will not only have the latest print equipment, but will also heavily invest in ongoing technological applications in an effort to strategically align with your business objectives.
 
Choose the right strategic partner, and you have found the keys to success in business-critical communications!
 
Interested in learning how Lanvera can help you achieve best-in-class customer communications that streamline processes, increase your bottom line and mitigate risk? Click here to contact us.