D-Tech International was founded and built upon the ethos that good customer care starts with the initial enquiry and continues long after an installation is completed. Our service provision is recognised throughout the library sector for its excellent quality. Because we manufacture our own products, we are in the best position to provide spares and carry out repairs in the unlikely event of a breakdown. D-Tech knows how much any period of downtime can affect a library’s operational capability and have a significant and far-reaching impact on already stretched resources.
When budget restraints heavily influence your purchasing decisions, and there is a potential need to justify your choices, it is very easy for price to be the sole influencer when selecting a provider. In the case of technology, I would recommend taking more factors into account to maximise the ROI of your purchases.
Any library security and self-service system is a major investment. Whilst their benefits bring long-term savings and enable better use of resources, we appreciate that our customers need to know that their investment is protected. At D-Tech, we are passionate about finding the best fit for your library incorporating your service offering and your budget. We develop our own technology and understand our bespoke scalable solutions, so we are always in the best position to improve current installations and provide our customers, new and established, with on-going value for money.
Make your budget work hard for you
Technology evolves quickly, and unfortunately, we are contacted by many libraries saddled with relatively new defunct installations, requesting our help, demonstrating the importance of affording the quality of aftercare the same level of priority as price. Purchasing the right library solutions will give a rapid ROI and improve the student experience, but one size doesn’t fit all so make a list of the functions you need (must haves) and would benefit from (nice to haves). When you are speaking to suppliers be mindful of this list; it is very easy to believe you need the top of the range, all-singing and all-dancing solution when the basic model will suffice, leaving you with budget to use elsewhere.
Look at where your library is now, its footfall, its functions, its processes and its viability. Consider where you’d like it to be in, say, three years and work out how you can realistically get to that point. A good example, particularly in secondary schools, is supporting and encouraging reluctant readers. Every subject teacher will thank you for success in this area, but it will mean freeing up more of your time to either manage mentoring schemes, run workshops, publicise the library facilities or offer one-to-one support. Perhaps self-service checkout would support this? Another quick ROI solution is security gates. Estimate the value of the books you lose over a three-year period. How much extra could you achieve if that money was re-directed into your budget? Not to mention the hours spent identifying losses and ordering replacements.
To find out more about D-Tech Library Security Solutions and how we can help your school, college or university please call 01394 420077 or email info@d-techinternational.com
