You should measure a business document service in large part by how convenient it is. The capabilities of the company and the reliability of the company are also major considerations. Even if the company satisfactorily meets this part of your critique, consider the products that it has available and the equipment that your projects will be produced with. If you are not personally familiar with any of the service providers that you are considering, it is best to get recommendations from peer professionals.
Convenience should be a major consideration when choosing a business document service. To measure the options, consider how the company accepts documents and files. Look for one that allows you to transmit projects and work orders online. Also check to see if the company offers a pick-up and drop-off service. If you are comparing several companies, remember to compare the rates for such a service.
Hours of operation are also important. Some document services operate only during standard office business hours and are closed on weekends. You may not realize how much of a strain this limited accessibility can be until you have a last-minute project that needs to be completed. For the best results, you should choose a business document service that is open 24 hours a day and most, if not all, days of the year.
Think of all of the projects that you have had in the past and any that you may have in the future. Think of the most obscure specifications that any of those projects involve. Make sure that the business document service that you choose can meet the full spectrum of requests that you are likely to have. You want to avoid dealing with a company that only does certain types of basic work, which will require you to go find another service for more specialized jobs. Even if the company offers to outsource what it cannot do, realize that this requires you to rely on a third party that you are not familiar with.
Furthermore, you want to make sure that the business document service cannot only complete your projects, but that it has up-to-date materials and equipment for doing so. For example, consider the types of stationary and binding that are offered to ensure that they have a range of products that will make the impression that you are looking for. It is best to choose a company that keeps a wide range of items in stock as opposed to having to special order what you need. Also make sure that the company has machines that produce high-quality documents.
Reliability is a factor that you should definitely avoid forgetting to assess. A business document service that you cannot depend on to deliver what it promises and when can create serious problems for you. It may be difficult to assess reliability merely from the claims that the company makes. One way to increase your chances of making a good choice is by selecting a company that imposes some type of penalty upon itself for failure to meet the agreement, such as giving you the project for free. It is also a good idea to get recommendations from other professionals who rely on these types of services.
