Finding integrators that are truly experienced in multi-country and multi-partner deployment and service can be a challenge, which is where PSNI’s Global Deployment certification can come in useful, according to executive director Chris Miller.
Over the past five years, PSNI Global Alliance staff and members have conducted thousands of post-integration service and satisfaction end-user experience surveys. This feedback, combined with the expertise of our members, global consultants and customer experience experts led our alliance to develop a set of precedents for our network, referred to as the PSNI Global Alliance Client Bill of Rights, that our members must adhere to. The first and most important statement being, “We are in alliance with each other. All end-users of all PSNI Global Alliance Members are important to all members.”
Today’s end users have more knowledge at their fingertips than ever before. They have certain expectations in quality and service as well as the speed of process and delivery. When you are an end user with multiple offices around the world, your expectations for audiovisual solutions include versatility, simplicity of use, and must be standardised and supportable across the entire enterprise.
Selecting a technology partner can be part art form, part science. Relationships, references, interviews, manufacturer accessibility – all are important and verifiable by end users or consultants. However, if the project requires engaging multi-country integration and service support, it can be difficult to determine who is capable and can deliver on that promise.
Integrators can suggest that they can deliver technology across countries and continents, however, many remain uncertain of the possible risks, product accessibility, pricing variables, and co-ordination with currencies, laws, tariffs and languages that can hinder them. They will start asking for references to find partners – likely going with the first or lowest cost partner in the market who is available without doing the diligence necessary when selecting a partner for a project.
It’s not enough to find someone who can simply sell or install technology; these clients are looking for a partner who can drive outcomes and standardise on an approach across multiple locations.
PSNI Global Alliance has recognised that in order to keep up with the demands of today’s modern end user and provide them with the best possible experience when handling multi-site, multi-location projects, it is important that we standardise on our approach to service and integration across the network.
In order to do so, we developed our own PSNI Global Alliance Certification for Global Deployment credential to demonstrate to end-users that they are working with companies who have training and skills related to multi-country and multi-partner deployment and service and tested to a specific achievement level.
The PSNI certification demonstrates proficiency on communication, process, accountability, deployment, deliverables, service and support. Equally important, the certification demonstrates to each member that their project partners can be trusted and are equally accountable for the end user’s outcomes.
It’s an ongoing process. We continue to build on it by having members meet throughout the year to discuss economic, political, technical, regulations, and other factors that can and will influence doing business in certain parts of the world. Global experts are brought in to consult with members to help them better prepare and understand local, regional and global business concerns.
For us, the PSNI Certification for Global Deployment is a badge of professionalism and commitment within the PSNI network and to our respective member offices in over 175 locations across six continents. For our clients, it’s ease of mind that when you are working with a PSNI Global Alliance integrator member, you are working with a heavily vetted integrator who is educated on Global Deployment and has an entire network backing them in order to deliver that experience.
