MPS Software - Finding The Right Piece To The Puzzle MPS has been growing rapidly over the last few years, and with it, the software market has been quickly releasing new offerings. Up to this point, MPS software has been developed to meet specific requirements, and there are not really any offerings that act as a "one-stop shop" so to speak. This has left dealers and resellers with a challenge in how to integrate several tools to meet their business needs. Let's look at an example. To meet the full gambit of needs for a dealer, they must combine discovery tools, assessment tools, monitoring tools, reporting tools, billing systems, service management systems and ERP systems (for larger dealers/resellers). A dealer wanting to fill all of these areas could use Asset DB from NewField IT for their assessments; PrintFleet, MWAi, FMAudit or Print Audit for discovery, monitoring and reporting, MWAi for service management and finally e-automate from Digital Gateway for billing and ERP. This of course is not an extensive list; there are many tools and combinations of options to choose from. The question arises, what tool combination is best for me? The answer is not simple, and it depends entirely on your dealership. There are some key points that must be considered when making this decision. The first key point is functionality. Functionality must be mapped along with business needs. For instance, a company that focuses on monitoring devices, replenishing supplies, and servicing devices may or may not need a document management system. Functionalities must be ranked according to importance with the type of MPS engagement in mind. Some of the key functionalities are multi-vendor support, ability to manage local devices and electronic discovery over multiple subnets. These functionalities are a few points of differentiation for many of the tools. The second key point is scalability. This will vary infinitely according to the size of a dealer's customer base and the size of engagements. One should focus on whether the tool can scale up as well as down. Ideally, the tool will have the ability to upgrade in "modules" allowing the dealer to add functionality based on customer requirements. Licensing fees are a key component to look at when determining scalability. The tool should be scalable to handle a large number of devices but not be restricted by licensing. The third key point is the tool's architecture. Several new tools are being designed with a SaaS based architecture allowing for easier deployment and central management. However, this type of tool can raise security concerns from the customer, and the dealer must be prepared for these types of conversations. Other types of architectures such as server based, client based, etc. have their pros and cons. One must look to see how a tool fits within their as well as their client's infrastructure. Be mindful of vertical sensitivity. Industries such as finance, legal and healthcare have specific requirements especially regarding data security. The fourth key point is branding capability. Some of the tools available today allow one to customize logos, templates, etc. This allows the dealer to keep a universal branding message in front of their customers. It can also add a level of credibility. The fifth key point is price. Price matters, but these tools are an investment and should be treated as such. This is not a one-off purchase; it is a crucial part of a dealer's infrastructure. One should compare prices and be aggressive during negotiations, but bargain shopping is not the best course of action. When evaluating tools, look at the long-term value add. Price must be balanced against functionality, technical support, reputation, ease of use and ability to integrate with other infrastructure systems. Underpaying for the wrong option can cost a dealer a great deal long term, as switching tools is not easy and is costly due to the fact that these tools become deeply ingrained in the infrastructure. Additionally, switching requires employees to be retrained. The sixth and final key point is deployment and integration. How easy is the tool to deploy and maintain? Can your current team manage it? Does the tool have an authorized connector for your back office, billing systems, ERP? These are the key questions that must be answered before making a decision. Dealers with a large customer base, or ones involved in large MPS implementations must be able to scale and streamline their operations in order to maximize profitability. Having a group of tools that integrate into a single solution set creates greater efficiency. Once these points are addressed, tools have been researched, and demos have been reviewed, the dealer is now on a clear path without any bumps in the road, correct? Dealers with past experience will tell you this is not always the case. You will still run into some problems that the software tools will not necessarily fix. A perfect example of this is in toner replenishment. These tools can alert the dealer when toner is low. Some are even advanced enough to not just report on the percentage of toner remaining; they look at usage over time to report when a device needs to have toner shipped to arrive just in time, such as MWAi. However, what happens when a user removes a toner cartridge, shakes it, and places it back in the machine. Many of the tools will send another alert telling the dealer that toner needs to be sent. This of course is an example of one of the capabilities that can set apart one tool from another. In many cases dealers set up filters to handle these types of alert issues so that the alerts become more than just "noise" and act as actionable pieces of information. In summary, there are several factors to deciding on what tool is best for your dealership. Your customer's needs are key in deciding what functionality is necessary. The ability to integrate multiple tools into a single autonomous system creates efficiency and better profitability. These tools are evolving and the market is consolidating. Today, there is not a single offering that meets all needs, and finding the best-of-breed in each of these areas is key to making an efficient system. Scott Hornbuckle is a market analyst at Photizo Group that offers timely and actionable insights on the latest developments for OEM and independent MPS software tools and technology. Answers the need for independent, third-party evaluation and comparison of competing tools.