What is a QBR and Why Should I Be Getting One?
A QBR or “Quarterly Business Review” is a recap of any vendor’s relationship and performance for your business. It typically covers an overview of the activities balanced with metrics that you and your vendor have set forth to measure.
QBRs are a great tool to help you and everyone in the C-Suite understand the successes that your efforts may have realized.
What should you expect from a Quarterly Business Review from your Print Management and MSP Provider?
You should expect solutions, objective review of efficiencies, and security.
When an account representative from our team sits down for a Quarterly Business Review with your company you can expect to:
- Review the performance of your devices, your solutions and integrations, and potential gaps that may have been realized during the quarter or areas of opportunity.
- Set goals and objectives to be measured for the next quarter to ensure you get the most out of your Managed Services Provider (MSP) program, your devices, or your Managed Print Solutions.
- Confirm that you can receive automatic supply, maintenance, and service alerts.
- Recommendations to retire, replace, or rotate older or heavy use machines (based upon service history and metrics, rather than just guessing and opinions).
- Discuss corporate sustainability targets and develop appropriate recycling programs. If desired recommendations to opt in to participate in environmental initiatives such as PrintReleaf, which offsets corporate consumption with certified reforestation and carbon efforts.
When Should I Expect a QBR?
Upon install your company should receive a timeline for periodic assessments from your account manager, which can be done to evaluate usage across all fleet devices to monitor tends and changes. Your rep should help you analyze history of machine and with data being recorded to track and analyze and measure key performance indicators for efficiency and costs.
Cost creep and efficiency challenges can be identified quickly, allowing fleet managers to address pro-actively instead of reactively to pain. By using DCA (DCA definition below) analytics we can adjust the fleet program for optimization in process and efficiency related savings.
Usage trends across users and departments help Account Representatives to make appropriate recommendations for right sizing the fleet and an effective plan (MSP or MPS) that addresses your ROI goals.
Regardless of whether you print a little, or you are a full-scale printing operation utilizing wide format and multiple finishing accessories, an account representative can present you options to keep your people and fleet running with optimal uptime and cost optimization.
You should expect a comprehensive look at your complete communication (network) plan, compatibility, and redundancy. You should consider working with a full solutions company and have the evaluate your unified communication plan and security. Today more than ever your company needs to be able to effectively communicate anywhere, on any machine. Having all machines linked, and maintained by one company can make a vital difference. (Not to mention, one provider means far fewer vendor meetings so that your team can focus on your business).
Reviewing your Network Security Plan
Security is always a concern. Cybercriminals often target small and medium-sized businesses (because they are the easier target) to access critical data. Using a Managed Services Provider can reduce risks of these attacks through technology. We can review your back up health, and make sure your devices are regularly updated with the latest security upgrades. We can also make sure your remote printing is secure.
What are the Benefits of Quarterly Business Reviews by Managed IT Service Providers.
In today’s digital age, technology plays a critical role in the success of businesses of all sizes. With the increasing complexity of technology and the growing number of cyber threats, businesses like yours are relying on certified IT professionals to keep their systems running smoothly and securely.
Managed IT Service Providers (MSPs) offer businesses a range of services, from comprehensive desktop troubleshooting and remediation to sophisticated network and server support, infrastructure management to cybersecurity and disaster recovery solutions. To ensure that these services are meeting your business’s needs, regular communication and evaluation are essential. One of the most effective ways to do this is through quarterly business reviews (QBRs).
A QBR is a meeting between a business and their managed IT service provider. The primary purpose of the meeting is to review the performance of the IT services provided, assess any ongoing projects, and discuss future plans. The meeting is usually held once every quarter and is an opportunity for both parties to evaluate their partnership and make any necessary adjustments.
Performance Assessment:
Your company should expect a detailed report on the managed service provider’s performance during the quarter. This report should cover the services provided, response time for support requests, and the status of any ongoing projects. The managed service provider should identify areas that require improvement and provide recommendations for addressing any issues.
Goal Setting:
Your team (or you) should expect to discuss goals with your managed service provider during the quarterly review. The goals could be short-term or long-term, depending on your company’s needs. The managed service provider should provide recommendations for achieving these goals and help the company develop a plan to achieve them. The goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound), and the service provider should assess whether your company’s IT strategy aligns with their overall business strategy.
IT Security Discussion:
Your company should expect a discussion on your IT security posture during the quarterly business review. Your managed service provider should assess your company’s security measures, identify any gaps, and provide recommendations for improvement. They should discuss any compliance requirements for your company, provide an overview of any emerging security threats, and provide recommendations for mitigating these threats.
IT Budget Review:
Your company should expect a review of your IT budget during the quarterly business review. The managed service provider should present a report detailing the IT expenses for the quarter, covering all IT expenses, including hardware, software, and support costs. The service provider should discuss any changes to the IT budget for the next quarter, provide recommendations for cost savings opportunities, and ensure that the company’s IT budget aligns with their overall business strategy.
IT Infrastructure Assessment:
The company should expect an assessment of their IT infrastructure during the quarterly business review. The assessment should cover an overview of the current IT environment, including hardware and software components. The managed service provider should discuss any issues encountered with the IT infrastructure during the quarter and provide recommendations for optimizing the IT infrastructure to meet your company’s needs. The review should also cover any upcoming projects that could impact the IT infrastructure, and the service provider should provide recommendations for optimizing your IT infrastructure to meet the company’s needs, as well.
Vendor Management:
Your company should expect a discussion on vendor management during the quarterly business review. The managed service provider should provide an overview of the vendors used by the company and their performance. They should identify any vendors that are not meeting expectations and provide recommendations for alternative vendors if necessary. This vendor management relationship returns hours of research time back to your team.
Employee Training:
Your company should expect a discussion on employee training during the quarterly business review. Your managed service provider should provide recommendations for employee training on IT security best practices and the proper use of IT systems.
Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning:
Your company should expect a review of your disaster recovery and business continuity plans during the quarterly business review. The managed service provider should provide recommendations for improving these plans to ensure that your company can recover from any potential IT disasters.
Performance Metrics:
Your company should expect the managed service provider to present performance metrics during your quarterly business review. These metrics should measure the effectiveness of the IT services provided, including network uptime, response time, and security incidents.
Communication and Collaboration:
Your company should also expect your managed service provider to discuss communication and collaboration during the quarterly business review. They should provide recommendations for improving communication and collaboration between you and your managed service provider, including regular meetings and reporting.
While each provider is a bit different, there’s tremendous value in combining your printer services (MPS) with your MSP (managed services provider) and finding one near you is invaluable in immediate response to requests, in person performance reviews and ongoing simplification of vendor management.
What is a DCA?
The DCA is the “Data Collector Agent”. It’s a type of software that helps the organization collect information that helps to support printers, copiers, fax machines, and MFP (multi-functional printers) that exist within the network. The data is aggregated and returned to the server.
