{"id":40920,"date":"2020-07-16T12:00:15","date_gmt":"2020-07-16T19:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=40920"},"modified":"2020-07-16T12:00:18","modified_gmt":"2020-07-16T19:00:18","slug":"no-day-at-the-beach-the-art-of-delivering-it-during-a-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/feature-articles\/2020\/07\/no-day-at-the-beach-the-art-of-delivering-it-during-a-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"No Day at the Beach: The Art of Delivering IT During a Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Anyone who has visited the beach with a young family in tow\nknows the experience can be taxing. It\u2019s not a gas-and-go proposition; the\nlevel of preparation involved in delivering more than one child to the shore\nfor a day of fun can be time-consuming.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sunscreen is only the beginning. There are beach toys, snacks, beverages, plastic utensils, baggies for storing the food, hats, umbrellas, storage for wallets\/keys, cooler, transport wagon, etc. And when you\u2019re sure that you\u2019ve forgotten something, there\u2019s a 100% chance you\u2019ve forgotten something. Ah, beach blankets and towels! One could certainly add to this list, depending on neediness of said children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the era of COVID-19, visiting a client can be equated\nwith a day at the beach. Under normal circumstances, making deliveries or\nservice calls carries its own weight of due diligence. Throw in facemasks, hand\nsanitizer, equipment sanitizer, temperature checks and other variables common\nor specific to certain customers, and you\u2019ve got the makings of a level one\nheadache.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The world of IT has its blessings in that there is much that can be delivered in a remote fashion. But dealers are old pros by now, and know that in-person client visits can be unique challenges offering their own set of hazards. As part of July\u2019s State of the Industry report on delivering IT solutions in a pandemic, we\u2019ve asked our dealer panel to provide insight into how they\u2019ve been able to skirt around the various obstacles to doing business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fully Prepared<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Stephanie Keating Phillps, \nAdvanced Imaging Solutions<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Stephanie Keating Phillips, director of solutions for\nAdvanced Imaging Solutions of Minnetonka, Minnesota, notes it has been\n\u201cbusiness as usual\u201d for the dealer\u2019s technical team for break\/fix as well as\nsolution and on-site IT support. \u201cWe have worked\nwith our clients to ensure the safety of their staff as well as when coming\ninto buildings to work with their teams or fix devices,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have\nmade sure that our team is fully equipped with alcohol to wipe down devices\nprior to and after fixing a device as well as wearing masks, gloves, etc. Anything\nthat can be installed or supported remotely, we offer as first option or give\nthe client the choice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phillips added\nthat Advanced Imaging Solutions has had numerous installations during the last\nfew months, and takes all necessary precautions recommended by the CDC. And\nwhile training sessions and face-to-face meetings are not currently taking\nplace, web conferencing tools have enabled the dealer to offer a more personal\ntouch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Brad Cates, Prosource<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Doing business in\na COVID-19 environment entailed investing much time and energy understanding\nall of the requirements, regulations and best practices emerging from the\nsituation, notes Brad Cates, president and CEO of Cincinnati-based Prosource. Cates\nequated the rapidly-changing circumstances to \u201cdrinking from a fire hose,\u201d thus\nthe dealer mobilized teams to ensure it was adjusting and adapting as the\npandemic unfolded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\nfundamentally knew that we needed to do everything we could to keep our people\nand customers safe, and that so many of our customers were still in business and\nneeded us. Those were our two guiding principles,\u201d Cates said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor customer needs that required on-site service, we deferred to the needs of both our service technicians and our customers. We offered our techs flexibility based on their comfort levels in different environments. We also over-complied with PPE such as gloves, sanitizing solutions, and masks to keep our team and our customers safe during that process. And ultimately, we deferred to our customers \u2013 what did they want and not want us to do while we were on-site? Ultimately, as an essential business, we knew we would continue to provide service to our customers, but we wanted to do it the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reliable Factor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Jeff Loeb, Prosource<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Jeff Loeb, senior vice\npresident of technologies at Prosource, points out that a lion\u2019s share of\nmanaged IT work was already done remotely. Pre-pandemic, the dealer would be\non-site to further build and strengthen its relationship with the client. Now,\nperhaps as much as ever, Prosource aims to maintain that reliability factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThroughout this process, we\u2019ve proven\nto ourselves and to our customers that we really can handle most of their IT\nneeds remotely, except for the few things that require us to be on-site such as\ninstalling new equipment and repairing hardware,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have continued to\ndo that, following all social distancing and PPE guidelines.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
John Lowery, Applied Imaging<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

For Applied Imaging of Grand Rapids,\nMichigan, it was simply a matter of converting as many functions to a remote\ndelivery method as possible, such as connectivity and training. In instances where\nphysical goods required delivery, drivers and techs were geared to the hilt\nwith PPE (including coveralls that let through only one micron).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe communicated with customers ahead\nof time to ensure they do not have any active cases, and if they did, we would\ncoordinate a different delivery time so that our staff was not impacted,\u201d\naccording to President John Lowery. \u201cWe rescheduled deliveries to areas that\nwere hit the hardest, and the customers there were very accommodating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Chas Arnold, Novatech<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Chas Arnold, the\nvice president of IT services for Novatech, based in Nashville, Tennessee,\nnotes that doing business in the pandemic is harder on the IT side in some\nregards, in comparison to the copier business. This is primarily in regards to\nsecuring net-new business as opposed to delivery. Ordinarily, the dealer could\ncount on procuring, at a minimum, two or three new accounts in which the client\nwas dissatisfied with the incumbent provider. Meanwhile, the copier side had no\ntrouble getting installations or break\/fix calls fulfilled; techs and delivery\npeople (particularly early on) were able to come and go without any interaction\nwith the client, beyond being let in to do work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IT sales success has been a mixed bag,\nhighly dependent on geography. Arnold notes the dealer\u2019s offices in Chattanooga\nand Knoxville, Tennessee, have been abuzz with in-person conference room\nmeetings (following PPE protocol, as \u201cpeople are being smart about it\u201d). But\nfor its Texas salesforces in Dallas\/Fort Worth and Irving, in-person meetings\nare not happening.\n\n\u201cIt\nwill be interesting to see how things shake out over the next couple of months,\nwhether customers will let our salespeople come in,\u201d Arnold said. \u201cAnd when\nthere are more people in the office, will it become more difficult to install\ncopiers? Only time will tell.\u201d\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Anyone who has visited the beach with a young family in tow knows the experience can be taxing. It\u2019s not a gas-and-go proposition; the level of preparation involved in delivering more than one child to the shore for a day of fun can be time-consuming.  Sunscreen is only the beginning. There are beach toys, snacks, beverages, plastic utensils, baggies for storing the food, hats, umbrellas, storage for wallets\/keys, cooler, transport wagon, etc. And when you\u2019re sure that you\u2019ve forgotten something, there\u2019s a 100% chance you\u2019ve forgotten something. Ah, beach blankets and towels! One could certainly add to this list, depending on neediness of said children. In the era of COVID-19, visiting a client can be equated with a day at the beach. Under normal circumstances, making deliveries or service calls carries its own weight of due diligence. Throw in facemasks, hand sanitizer, equipment sanitizer, temperature checks and other variables common or specific to certain customers, and you\u2019ve got the makings of a level one headache. The world of IT has its blessings in that there is much that can be delivered in a remote fashion. But dealers are old pros by now, and know that in-person client visits can be unique challenges offering their own set of hazards. As part of July\u2019s State of the Industry report on delivering IT solutions in a pandemic, we\u2019ve asked our dealer panel to provide insight into how they\u2019ve been able to skirt around the various obstacles to doing business. Fully Prepared Stephanie Keating Phillips, director of solutions for Advanced Imaging Solutions of Minnetonka, Minnesota, notes it has been \u201cbusiness as usual\u201d for the dealer\u2019s technical team for break\/fix as well as solution and on-site IT support. \u201cWe have worked with our clients to ensure the safety of their staff as well as when coming into buildings to work with their teams or fix devices,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have made sure that our team is fully equipped with alcohol to wipe down devices prior to and after fixing a device as well as wearing masks, gloves, etc. Anything that can be installed or supported remotely, we offer as first option or give the client the choice.\u201d Phillips added that Advanced Imaging Solutions has had numerous installations during the last few months, and takes all necessary precautions recommended by the CDC. And while training sessions and face-to-face meetings are not currently taking place, web conferencing tools have enabled the dealer to offer a more personal touch. Doing business in a COVID-19 environment entailed investing much time and energy understanding all of the requirements, regulations and best practices emerging from the situation, notes Brad Cates, president and CEO of Cincinnati-based Prosource. Cates equated the rapidly-changing circumstances to \u201cdrinking from a fire hose,\u201d thus the dealer mobilized teams to ensure it was adjusting and adapting as the pandemic unfolded. \u201cWe fundamentally knew that we needed to do everything we could to keep our people and customers safe, and that so many of our customers were still in business and needed us. Those were our two guiding principles,\u201d Cates said. \u201cFor customer needs that required on-site service, we deferred to the needs of both our service technicians and our customers. We offered our techs flexibility based on their comfort levels in different environments. We also over-complied with PPE such as gloves, sanitizing solutions, and masks to keep our team and our customers safe during that process. And ultimately, we deferred to our customers \u2013 what did they want and not want us to do while we were on-site? Ultimately, as an essential business, we knew we would continue to provide service to our customers, but we wanted to do it the right way.\u201d Reliable Factor Jeff Loeb, senior vice president of technologies at Prosource, points out that a lion\u2019s share of managed IT work was already done remotely. Pre-pandemic, the dealer would be on-site to further build and strengthen its relationship with the client. Now, perhaps as much as ever, Prosource aims to maintain that reliability factor. \u201cThroughout this process, we\u2019ve proven to ourselves and to our customers that we really can handle most of their IT needs remotely, except for the few things that require us to be on-site such as installing new equipment and repairing hardware,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have continued to do that, following all social distancing and PPE guidelines.\u201d For Applied Imaging of Grand Rapids, Michigan, it was simply a matter of converting as many functions to a remote delivery method as possible, such as connectivity and training. In instances where physical goods required delivery, drivers and techs were geared to the hilt with PPE (including coveralls that let through only one micron). \u201cWe communicated with customers ahead of time to ensure they do not have any active cases, and if they did, we would coordinate a different delivery time so that our staff was not impacted,\u201d according to President John Lowery. \u201cWe rescheduled deliveries to areas that were hit the hardest, and the customers there were very accommodating.\u201d Chas Arnold, the vice president of IT services for Novatech, based in Nashville, Tennessee, notes that doing business in the pandemic is harder on the IT side in some regards, in comparison to the copier business. This is primarily in regards to securing net-new business as opposed to delivery. Ordinarily, the dealer could count on procuring, at a minimum, two or three new accounts in which the client was dissatisfied with the incumbent provider. Meanwhile, the copier side had no trouble getting installations or break\/fix calls fulfilled; techs and delivery people (particularly early on) were able to come and go without any interaction with the client, beyond being let in to do work. IT sales success has been a mixed bag, highly dependent on geography. Arnold notes the dealer\u2019s offices in Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tennessee, have been abuzz with in-person conference room meetings (following PPE protocol, as \u201cpeople are being smart about it\u201d). But for its Texas salesforces in Dallas\/Fort Worth and Irving, in-person meetings […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":40921,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1650,82,87,1638],"tags":[98,368,3410,2265],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40920"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40920"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40920\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40922,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40920\/revisions\/40922"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40921"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40920"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40920"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40920"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}