tec toc

Is Standardization the Best Way to Go?

The “Pros” have been heard many times:

Ease in training
Reduced parts inventory = cost savings
Volume discounts from manufacturer
No barriers to networking/sharing information
No finger-pointing

So… do the “Cons” outweigh the “Pros”?

Locked into a single solution – what happens when the technology/manufacturer no longer keeps up with the trends in technology?  And, of course, have you given up your negotiating power by locking yourself into a single manufacturer?

At Allied, we believe in standardization for both economic reasons and the time-savings in training and maintenance.  This is even truer in these slow economic times.  Although our technicians are trained to service most major manufacturers, we are urging customers to stick with a winner in difficult times, which we believe is Hewlett Packard.  They not only have easily maintained a 59% market share in printers, but are increasing market share in PC’s while Dell’s PC market share is remaining flat.  What’s their secret?  We believe service.  HP is one of the few companies that you can call for service these days and actually reach a live person - right here in the USA!

So, the answer to the question is, “Yes – standardize but make sure you standardize with a leader in the industry that can weather a weak economy!

fixin da interwebz

Hey – Sean here, your Tec Toc Blogger. Actually, I’m the IT Director at Allied Computer Systems (ACS) and was told by the “big boss” (who is also my brother) that I needed to learn the art of blogging or find another place to throw down my mouse pad! So, I thought for my very first blog, I would give you all an inside look at the people and things that make ACS the best computer and printer sales and service company in the world! Yes – my brother did tell me to say that, but we really are a great little company!

Mike, aka big boss, brother, and other less mentionable names,

is Veep of Sales and Service. He started this business in his basement after learning all of the ins and outs of the printing world from another, well known competitor, who will remain nameless. He has taken this company from a basement project, selling remanufactured cartridges, to a multi-million dollar business selling and fixing everything from PC’s to Mac’s to printers from all of the major manufacturers. He bought this huge warehouse in Canton to stock OEM and compatible toner cartridges from well-known and not so well-known manufacturers and sells them really cheap – even cheaper than your local, famous-name office supply stores, that will also remain unnamed. Mike’s a wheeler dealer and just put together Allied’s Bailout Plan – our very own economic recovery program for our best clients. If you want the details, you can email Mike at sales@alliedsos.com .

how can I help you?

This is Adrien – our Customer Service Manager. She’s a real looker but stop gawking – she’s married with children! Adrien’s the real “big boss” but she’s smart enough to let Mike think he runs the show. She is the voice you will hear when you call to place your first order and she’ll make sure that you get your delivery pronto or get a tech out to fix your printer within 4 hours from your call. Her title really isn’t big enough to cover all of the stuff that she does, including making sure that the kitchen is stocked with our favorite snacks. She is also a tough negotiator and keeps our suppliers on their toes - demanding that they give us their best deals on printers, toner, ink and pc’s so we can keep our prices low. If you see a better price somewhere, call Adrien and I’m sure she’ll beat it!

Orrin is our Service Manager and our customers think he walks on water.

i can fix anything you can break

Of course, Adrien makes sure that his vans are well stocked with parts, the techs get to the customer locations ahead of schedule and get service orders signed off before anyone is allowed to head home for the day. ACS really does provide great service – with Orrin heading up our successful printer repair business and me heading up our PC repairs, we keep the “big boss” (I’m talking about Adrien) pretty happy and off our backs.

What d'ya need?

Finally, here’s our super sales team – David, Michael and John! These aren’t just order takers – they’ll work hard for your business (and their commissions). They’ll bring donuts to the office, send flowers to your Administrator, play “Let’s Make a Deal” and even polish your car (ok – they won’t polish your car), but they’ll make sure that you get the best toner cartridges that don’t dump ink all over your printer for less $$$ than you’ll find anywhere else! They know HP printers, toner and ink cartridges inside and out so give them a call at 770-516-3799.

That’s it for this week’s blog!

- sean