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For Video Solutions That Work, Leverage Video Solution Providers
Organizations are embracing video more than ever. They have no choice, as everyone is using video to communicate and share information, to be informed, educated and trained, or to be entertained. This presents a number of challenges and questions for enterprise organizations to address, including:
“How well are they managing the transition to digital video platforms?”
“What is, or should be, included in the video ecosystem build-out or upgrades, when and how often?”
“How successful are the system implementations and how well are they managed?”
“Where do they find insight and help?”
This last question may be the most critical as many executives find the need to reach outside the organization for assistance that exceeds the internal knowledge base of functional and technical capabilities of available video solutions.
It is common for internal staff to have extensive knowledge of, and skills with, the organization’s existing systems and infrastructure. Also, it is probable that they have implemented policies, procedures and guidelines to create and manage the increasing volume of video content with existing tools.
However, it’s likely that they are too busy focusing on day-to-day business issues to have time to research the marketplace for next generation capabilities and solutions. With the rapid pace of changing and expanding technologies and applications, as well as the increasing demand for video content, it may not be a wise allocation of resources.
So, where can an executive find this guidance and assistance? The traditional response would be to check out the industry publications and conferences, benchmark against other organizations with similar capabilities, business models and target users, hire a media consultant, or reach out to system integrators, video solution, and managed service providers.
All of these actions are good and can provide measurable results. And, although I am personally partial to engaging consultant services, I believe that organizations often can benefit most by leveraging system integrators and video solution providers. Why? For many reasons, but some of the best are:
· They have the resources to track technology advancements and industry trends;
They have to keep up with the industry to stay competitive/viable.
· They have products and services that are designed to address the video needs specific to enterprise communications and/or learning;
They should be video-centric providers, with a history in the enterprise video space: data and communication networking companies are learning about video and video services.
· They have strategic partnerships and relationships;
They are likely to include solutions from other vendors that complement/support their suite of products and/or services to round-out the needs of an enterprise video ecosystem.
· They understand the needs and issues related to managing an enterprise-wide video communication and learning;
They should understand the need, and what is required, to make content readily available and easily accessible: for content contributors and managers as well as viewers.
· Vendors that provide management services and/or staff resources should have a broad and deep talent pool;
They should understand the difference between a video and/or audiovisual professional and a media professional.
· Existing vendors provide a contract vehicle with an organization, which can significantly simplify the purchasing process of additional products and services.
An existing contract with a trusted vendor should be leveraged to acquire system enhancements expand staffing services.
· They have customers that can be an excellent resource for benchmarking and/or brainstorming.
They should maintain a customer User Group and host user forums and user group meetings.
This approach applies to the acquisition of virtually any product or service, including staffing resources, which is becoming more common as technology continues to change along with the skill sets required to manage it.
Following are a few good examples of organizations that have reached out to vendors for additional or extended services.
A major retailer engaged the vendor that provides its interactive distance learning network to extend its video-based content management system to replace the content management functionality of the company’s learning management system (LMS). The company’s learning organizational training has become so video-centric that it is logical to utilize the tracking and analytic tools built into its video solution.
A leading university relies on its systems integrator to provide staffing resources to create and manage content for, as well as administer, its campus-wide digital signage system. This provides the university qualified resources to manage the system without increasing internal head count. Also, the services are acquired through an existing managed services contract, allowing the company to avoid a time-consuming procurement process.
A financial organization upgraded its video production studio and media capabilities through its existing systems integrator. In addition, it modified the contract to a managed services agreement, covering all hardware and software and extended it to include staffing of skilled media professionals.
Ultimately, industry providers should be leveraged by enterprise organizations to perform as a trusted advisor as well as a vendor. They should provide insight and guidance based on experiences and lessons learned across numerous customer organizations. At the end of the day, good business is based on strong customer relationships. What better way for vendors to maintain a successful business than to ensure their customers a successful implementation and sustaining a high-performance operation?
Summing It All Up
In summary, video vendors understand the intricacies of creating, delivering and managing video content for enterprise systems and networks, including communications and information channels and digital signage systems as well as interactive distance learning solutions. As companies need to make video content readily available and easily accessible and need to move video from anywhere to everywhere, they should look to enterprise video delivery vendors to implement the right solutions, systems, and services.
For those who do, they are likely to get answers to the question: “Where do they find insight and help?”
By doing so, they are likely to find answers to the first questions posed at the outset of the article quicker and better:
“How well are they managing the transition to digital video platforms?”
“What is, or should be, included in the video ecosystem build-out or upgrades, when and how often?”
“How successful are the system implementations and how well are they managed?”
Leverage this experience and knowledge to improve communications, drive sales and increase business results! If you’d like some help with your next project, get a quote with Crews Control today.For Video Solutions That Work, Leverage Video Solution Providers
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