Choosing a Laserfiche® Reseller
Factors to consider when selecting your Solution Provider
Like most software companies, Laserfiche distributes their award-winning software through resellers authorized to purchase and resell the licensing. Sometimes referenced as Value Added Resellers (VARs), Laserfiche refers to Solution Providers. In the US, Laserfiche has a smaller group of Solution Providers that have qualified as Premier Providers because of their capabilities and approach to serve the customer.
Although the software is the same, a customer’s experience depends on how the reseller approaches their work.
In this article we look at key factors to consider when choosing a reseller.
FreeDoc® sees the purpose of software as a tool to serve the operations of an organization.
The operative word being ‘serve’.
Since the motivation of a Laserfiche Solution Provider / Reseller is primarily financial, see if their approach to serve themselves aligns with your needs to ‘serve you’.
To do this, the reseller must first provision their staff, who, in turn, serve you. After all, your goal is to serve your organization and its customers. The reseller is uniquely positioned to empower you for this, to be at your best.
Think of a Solution Provider as a ‘personal trainer’. If they focus on delivering your goals, your needs, that is a good match. You are going to progress nicely.
You’ve very likely found someone who is personally invested in helping your digital transformation!
Beginning with ‘approach’ can go a long way to create the foundation for all that is to follow.
In their sales presentation, most Solution Providers focus on their years of experience with the Laserfiche platform.
Properly configuring your Laserfiche system to the business case is necessary for adaptability and use.
Simple to use once configured, the strength of the platform depends the nuances of your various business processes. This includes Records Management, Retention and Disposition of outdated information. It’s important the Solution Provider is familiar with ALL of these to ensure operation of your system.
High on the list of must-haves is experience with the principles of Records Management.
Laserfiche is compliant with Records Management practices and is certified compliant with DOD 5015.2. It offers vast flexibility ranging from folder structure to digital forms to records retention.
A Solution Provider with Records Management expertise can help you with this. They will know how to use the technology to support your compliance and audit needs. For example, the Federal retention for records can be lengthy, and may exceed individual state requirements. You may start using Laserfiche ECM for Accounts Payable, or HR On-Boarding. Over time it will grow to include retirement, payroll and HazMat records. Being knowledgeable in Records Management tasks, like applying retention schedules and preparing disposition logs, etc. will allow your system to perform as needed when the time comes.
Additionally, you’ll probably benefit Records Management consulting services up-front just to ‘clean-up’ the old history of files, file cabinets, storage units and shared drives.
Closely related to these points, a good reseller has a proven success record with ECM systems such as Laserfiche. Its best when this growth is organic. Organic growth is preferred over growth by acquisition. Acquisitions bring a host of issues that distract the Solution Provider’s focus away from serving you.
A consistent record of success helps show a reseller is ready, willing and able to adapt with and create systems for all different types of organizations.
Before going too far in the selection process, ask for testimonials from current and past customers. Speak with their references by live telephone call. If possible, meet with them in person.
An often-overlooked consideration is a reseller’s commitment to support you after initial setup and configuration.
Laserfiche is very self-sustaining after setup. However, changing customer needs and improvements in software functionality often call for adjustments over time.
Even more important is User Adoption. Rolling a business process into a new work area is new for you. Does the Solution Provider demonstrate consistent ability to support, teach, train, lead and monitor the development of your ECM across the enterprise?
Do they maintain a stable workforce who are familiar with your culture and process?
A big clue for selecting a Laserfiche Solution Provider is their ‘average staff tenure’. It takes 2 – 4 years to become good at knowing how software works to manage a business process. If the Solution Provider has low tenure it will affect the success of your project?
Do you feel like a valued customer from the start of your relationship? Do they treat their staff well? What do their peers say about doing business with them?
Finally, it’s a good idea to look beyond the initial scope of software. Evaluate what other services the Solution Provider is able to provide.
For any ECM system, it is quite common these services are needed:
1) Records Management consulting services.
2) Records scanning services.
3) Physical records storage services.
Does the Solution Provider provide these services, or are these outsourced to another company?
How does this affect your security concerns?
Is single point accountability important to you?
Is the Solution Provider able to handle Project Management of all the services with the software implementation?
Choosing a reseller who is able to provide these services is valuable. It means they are professionally aware of all aspects that can affect you. If your relationship is a good one, they will tell you what you need to know ahead of time.
This can save countless resources from additional contracting, additional expense and cross-communication that would be otherwise needed.
Getting past the ‘marketing information’ and sales approach can be challenging. Some resellers make it easy for you to only look at pricing.
It’s a good idea to look at the full operating economics beyond the initial expense for software.
With license expense comes the operating expense for deployment, integration (if needed), user adoption, and exception resolution.
For any ECM system, these items are needed:
1) Technical (hardware) operating environment.
2) SQL database licensing.
3) Security – site security, as well as managing user rights.
4) Back-up.
What does your business requirement call for?
Does it need deep integration with dbase applications?
How do you manage security concerns?
Having a crucial conversation about these questions can save you countless hours of frustration for what would could have been a rough deployment.
The team at FreeDoc® has 7+ years of average tenure across the team.
They are good at what they do.
There are hundreds of Laserfiche Solutions Providers in the US today.
Of the 100’s of Laserfiche Solutions Providers only 19 are certified US Premier Partners.
FreeDoc® is one.
Our FreeDoc® Records Consulting team, has over 130 years of combined experience. We help organizations meet their Records Management needs in an efficient and integrated manner. Records Management Consulting services can prepare for installation of Laserfiche ECM or be done separately. We are here to serve you.
Our Records Center Storage and guaranteed perfect scanning services work together. Helping organizations transition from paper-based documents in file cabinets in offices to digital foundations is our greatest passion.
We have a twenty-six year history of successful clients.
Ask us how we can help you.
Our company works with organizations in all industries and fields, public and private. With over 26 years in business, FreeDoc has a deep understanding of records management principles and how to implement these in your Laserfiche system.
This experience is demonstrated by our 92% five-year customer retention rate as well as numerous testimonials from customers praising us for our partnerships. We have served some customers for over two decades, numerous customers for over ten years. We treat each client as a valued relationship.
FreeDoc