Appropriately named “IT Industry Warranty and Service Abuse: Stealing Profitability!”, this white paper is refreshingly impartial, providing an accurate and thorough analysis of the current state of the warranty and service abuse in the IT industry.
After two years of study and research, group workshops, and multiple in-depth interviews with industry thought-leaders, this is the first study that has succeeded in understanding the warranty abuse problem from both the OEM and service provider point of view of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and service providers.
CompTIA, the non-profit association for the industry, and the Alliance for Gray Market and Counterfeit Abatement (AGMA), have teamed with Zylog to understand the repercussions for businesses of the current warranty abuse issue, and to find new solutions for OEMs and service providers, while being mindful of the future’s emerging threats.
The whitepaper identifies several best practices to help both solution providers and OEMs reduce warranty abuse and thus increase profitability, including:
§ Use
OEM controls for parts identification and implement clear end-user rules.
§ Employ
internal warranty claim administrators who monitor end-user and technician part
usage and procedures.
§ Use
standard file formats to allow service providers and OEMs to communicate in
“real time” during each step of the warranty process.
With a common platform for communication and standard file formats, OEMs and service providers can retain their independence while simultaneously leveraging the benefits of shared, timely information and business intelligence.
“Zylog was entrusted with a plethora of research and extensive access to respected industry subject matter experts representing OEMs and Service Providers to produce an unbiased and unflinching perspective of the rapidly evolving challenges of managing warranty service,” said John Mehrmann, CEO of Zylog. “As a result, we were able to produce a deeply insightful culmination of ideas that serve as the framework for OEMs, Service Providers and Third Parties to develop strategic solutions and immediate gains that can improve profitability.”
The whitepaper suggests that the next steps for the industry include developing standards for communicating the most common and relevant data elements needed for warranty validation, technician certification verification, repair event milestones, exception identification and error handling.
This insightful white paper can now be viewed at no cost at www.Zylog.ca in the White Papers section, and to CompTIA members through the Members Resource Center at www.CompTIA.org.
About Zylog
Providing professional services and solutions with local delivery teams, Zylog proudly represents top talent in IT, Engineering, Health Care, Government, and Retail positions. As an application designer and developer, Zylog has introduced an Enterprise Social Media CRM to empower consultants, contractors, and employers with powerful HRIS supported by highly skilled recruiting and customer care representatives. Brainhunter.com by Zylog provides contractors with unparalleled services, benefits, training and personal development previously reserved for employees of Fortune 500 organizations. Zylog recruiters take a personal interest in independent consultants and the community.
About CompTIA
CompTIA is the voice of the world’s information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy.
About AGMA
AGMA is a non-profit organization comprised of influential companies in the technology sector. Incorporated in 2001, AGMA’s mission is to address gray market fraud, parallel imports, counterfeiting, software piracy, and service abuse of technology products around the globe. The organization’s goals are to protect intellectual property and authorized distribution channels, improve customer satisfaction and preserve brand integrity.
For more information, visit www.Zylog.ca, www.CompTIA.org, or follow Zylog on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ZylogCanada, and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ZylogSystemsCanada
