IT Suppliers

Many ICT Suppliers know that they offer an excellent service to their customers. They realise the importance of employing the best staff available. They understand that sound business processes bring increased capabilities. They have a track record of delivering the very highest levels of performance.

Yet how can such a Supplier show that to potential customers? How can they stand out from the crowd of less capable competitors who claim to be top Suppliers?

Accredit UK certification allows the holder to prove in an instant that they are among the best in the business. It is an instant beacon for ICT Purchasers that a holder has been rigorously tested and found to meet high standards in all areas.

Business Improvement

Accredit UK is not just about proving yourself externally. It is centred upon helping ICT Suppliers to improve their business.  Getting certified is not just about ticking a few boxes - the benefits of carrying out the requirements of the Standard reach far deeper.

Any business that can meet the requirements will be a well-run business with:

• Excellent people management

• First-class business processes

• Outstanding performance measures. 

These aspects in themselves should be reward enough for any Supplier, let alone the whole new world of opportunities brought about by being a certified business.

What better way is there to improve your own business than measuring yourself against the Accredit UK Standard, then using our helpful tools to get up to scratch?

The Accredit UK Standard has been designed to meet the needs of both small and large ICT Suppliers:

Small-to-Medium ICT Suppliers

According to Advantage West Midlands research, around 98.5% of ICT companies in the region are classed as SMEs – i.e. having fewer than 250 employees.  This is clearly a significant market with enormous levels of skill and competency. However, it may seem to a small ICT business that contracts keep going to larger, better known companies.

Clearly the reason for this is trust.  Purchasers need to be able to trust whom they are buying from and may fear that if they employ a smaller business that they may end up with a Supplier who can not deliver what they promise.  Naturally Suppliers can not get a well-known name until they have carried out some significant projects for reputable Purchasers.

The answer to this Catch 22 is Accredit UK.  Holders of the standard can demonstrate that they employ appropriately-skilled people, that their business processes are of a high quality and that they have a track record of success and satisfaction.

Larger ICT Suppliers

For larger companies, standing out may not be an issue. Customers may have already heard of the business, but be put off because they believe that large equals expensive.

Many larger companies find themselves undercut by small, unqualified Suppliers. Accredit UK certification proves that a Supplier is among the best – something that Purchasers have asked to see. As a result, larger Suppliers can prove in an instant that they have better capabilities than their competitors.

When subcontracting work, Accredit UK also becomes invaluable. Large IT firms can use Accredit UK as a buying tool to ensure that the sub-contractors they employ meet their own high levels.

Purchasing with Accredit UK

Blame for failed projects is not always on the Suppliers’ side – often customers do not understand what they should be asking for or how to obtain it. 

The Guide to Purchasing ICT helps Suppliers by ensuring that they are briefed correctly and given the right information to deliver the highest levels of performance.

Accredit UK helps Suppliers prove that they are competent and helps them deliver better solutions into the future.