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Billerica, MA |
Tips for Going Out to BidTip #8, National Integrators vs. Local Independent IntegratorsThis is the 8th in a series of "ten tips" discussing going out to bid on electronic security systems brought to you by the AVS Educational Academy. We would love to receive some feedback to see if you find the tips beneficial. Please e-mail us if you get a chance. You are selecting an integrator and decide that you want a National Integrator with multiple offices and one that manufactures their own systems. You might want to do this because your company has multiple offices or you just want a well-known large company. So you partner with this large electronic integrator and start to have problems with the local office in Houston, TX. You contact your representative and ask them for the name of another integrator in the Houston area that can service your system. The response is there aren't any others; you have to deal with our office there. Also, you are having problems in Boston and contact the manufacturer because the Boston office is terrible and you ask for another integrator that can service your system. Because it is the same company that manufactures, sells, installs and services, you get the same answer; you have to use our office. It is clear you have painted yourself in a corner, with no way out. Short of replacing the entire system you are stuck with them for life. Suggestion: If you select an Access Control or CCTV manufacturer that sells their products through independent integrators, you provide yourself with options. If you have a problem with the integrator in Houston or Boston, you can simply call the manufacturer and ask for a list of the authorized integrators in that area. Having the option of multiple dealers not only provides you with that choice, but it also stimulates competition in the marketplace including pricing, which you certainly don't have with the national dealer. If you wanted to go out to bid with a few different integrators, you cannot. So how do you address the challenge of servicing multiple offices across the country or around the world? Many of the independent integrators have their own network of certified dealers across the country to provide their customers with one point of contact, and volume discount pricing. So when you are selecting an integrator, you want to ask them who else in the area can service this equipment and what type of national program they offer. You may not need a national program, but if they say they are the only company that can sell, install and service their system in your area, a "Danger" flag should go up. Do your homework up front and prepare for your options in the future. You will be glad you did! The Team AVS Educational Academy was created seven years ago to provide information to end users on designing systems and selecting integrators. We currently offer a wide selection of courses including Introduction to CCTV, Introduction to Access Control, Extreme Customer Service and Selecting an Integrator. Email our Sales Team for more information
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