20 Questions for Partner Selection

Assess your potential or existing partner on the three C's: Communication Channels, Capabilities and Controls. In each case, make sure that you are satisfied with the answer and that their answer fits with your company's and your client's philosophy for communication, growth and quality.

Communication Channels

Open and clear communication channels facilitate successful relationships. Whether it was from your mother, teacher, boss, friend or lover, we've all heard it before. As stale as it might sound though, you cannot deny it. When choosing a graphic communication partner, establish early on what channels exist for future communication.

Questions you need to ask:
1. Will communication be via a sales representative?
2. Will your company have a single sales representative?
3. If so, what happens when that person is ill?
4. Is there a contingency plan?
5. Are sales reps/account managers knowledgeable in their and your industry or will they need to go back to a senior source before being able to answer questions?
6. How quickly can your liaison preempt and notify you of problems?
7. What about alternative communication such as online ordering?

Capabilities

You might not know right now what projects or clients you will have in the future, but you need to know that no matter what challenges you are set, that your print partner will be able to contribute to the success of that campaign. Find out ahead of time before you develop a relationship with a printer who will not be able to follow through.

Questions you need to ask:
8. What hardware and software does the graphic communication house use?
9. Is it compatible with yours?
10. Do they have back up equipment should you need more capacity or they have a technical problem?
11. Is their plant and equipment flexible enough to keep up with new technologies?
12. How much of their offering is outsourced?
13. Do they have alternative suppliers if one of their suppliers has a problem?
14. What is their total offering i.e. Can they offer you every stage from design to fulfilment or are you going to have to find other suppliers for stages such as plate-making with a repro house and fulfilment with a distribution company?
15. Does the graphic communication house have the geographical reach you require - local, regional, national or international?
16. Is the graphic communication house financially sound? You need to be confident that they are not going to close in a few years once you have built up a valuable relationship.

Controls

No matter who the client may be or what the budget is, the quality of the final product must always be excellent. It is important to review the controls that are currently in place to ensure quality. Don't just accept the well-known certifications such as ISO. These often mean merely that systems are in place that facilitate this level of quality...it doesn't mean that the product will always be delivered to that standard. Controls need to be in place to constantly monitor production. Ask your graphic communication partner or those that you are evaluating to take you through their quality controls.

Questions you need to ask:
17. Who is responsible for quality?
18. How are quality problems dealt with?
19. Can you tour the plant?
20. On the tour, is the environment clean and organized; are staff busy; are management present to oversee activities?

Knowing the answers to these 20 questions cannot exempt you from problems but the knowledge will better equip you to select the most appropriate partner with whom the chance of problems occurring is minimized. Perhaps more importantly, the truth will help you to set realistic expectations for your relationship ahead.