90 Days To Word Processing

Tweet

Don't leave anything to doubt at this point. If you except the word processor to communicate with a computer you already have in-house, make sure it will. The salesperson can demonstrate this capability by hooking up the word processor in the showroom to your computer. You'll need a modem and external communications software to do so, but it's very important that you make this test. Be sure you see with your own eyes that the word processor will actually do everything you expect it to do.

By now, you should be down to three finalists. You are ready to ask them for bids and sample contracts, which should include rental, lease, and purchase options. Make sure they know specifically what you want in the system -- for example, a certain printer, a minimum amount of disk storage, and training for so many operators. And it doesn't hurt to let them know that they're competing with other vendors.

Days 61 to 90: How do you decide which one you want? You've come a long way in two months. Now you're casually using terms like "bi-directional printing," "global search," and "systems diskettes." You're even giving others advice on word processing.

By now you've received proposals and sample contracts. Go over them carefully with each vendor and make sure you know exactly what they contain. Sometimes, because competition is fierce, manufacturers will omit a critical item to keep the price down. (One of the most commonly omitted "extras" is a sheet feeder for the printer.) As you go over the proposals, make sure you're comparing apples with apples, and that the lowest-priced system actually contains as many of the essentials as the higher bids.

Now there are five factors that will influence your final decision:

* Your company's requirements.

* The cost of each system.

* The vendor's reputation for service and support.

* Your feelings about each system and the people selling it.

* The feelings of your secretary (or the primary users) and the others involved in the decision.

Don't discount the last two -- the feelings you and the other members of the search committee have about the systems. The decision should be based on reason and fact, but you should also feel comfortable with the system. At least, having gone through the steps we've outlined, you have some logic to balance against the emotions. The decision will be easy if everyone on your committee wants the same system. But suppose you want one system because it's easily expandable, while your secretary wants another because it's the easiest to use. What do you do?

"The rule of thumb is to let the user cast the decising vote," says Seybold, "unless there are overriding concerns about long-term growth. In this case, that would tip the scales toward the more expandable system." You'll have to decide how much risk you take if you override your secretary's vote.

Another decision may also face you: the choice of buying, leasing, or renting. If this is your first try at word processing, you may want to rent for a year to make sure the system is the one you want. This is practical only if the dollars make sense, and new depreciation rules make it less attractive than ever. There is a large resale market for well-known systems by large manufacturers, which could influence your decision in the direction of buying, but selling used computers has always been risky.

Once you make the choice, don't let your guard down when you sign the contract.Because the market is so competitive, you have more leverage than you realize. Because they understand contracts, lawyers who buy word processors are notorious for writing clauses in the agreement that say, for example, if their system is not repaired within 48 hours, they will be reimbursed by the vendor at an hourly rate. If you buy any new, unproven system, you should make sure the contract includes safeguards, guaranteeing that the word processor will perform all the functions the vendor says it will.

Service contracts are one of the most misunderstood elements of a word-processor sale. Vendors don't price these contracts, which amount to a kind of insurance policy, to lose money. If you have done your homework and bought a system with a reputation for being reliable, you may not want to sign a service contract, under which you will be asked to put up about $1,000 a year to cover repairs and maintenance. It's probably best not to take the service agreement until you see some pattern of repairs developing, so check to see if the service agreement can be started after the system is delivered.

As soon as you've signed the contract and placed the order, the primary user should begin training on the machine, and at least one backup user should have been trained by the time the system arrives. Make sure, too, that the office is physically ready for the machine. Electrical connections are critical here. If you put the system on the same circuit as your copier, you may find that every time the copier is used it creates a power drain on the word processor, which can create all kinds of problems. A dedicated electrical line is the best way to go, but voltage regulators and isolators are cheaper and sometimes just as effective.

Once the machine arrives, don't expect an instant surge in productivity. Mark Nigberg's secretary spent four hours typing a two-page letter. And while she was wrestling with the keyboard, all the other people in the office put down their work to marvel at the high-speed printer. Two weeks after the system was installed, Nigberg called the manufacturer and told him he thought he had made a mistake. The manufacturer said to give it time.

He did, any by the second month, the system was so effective that Nigberg had two more installed. Suddenly, the company's clerical workload dropped so remarkably that Nigberg found he had to reduce the size of his staff. The system was well on its way toward paying for itself.

 PREV  1 | 2 | 3 | 4