Like many in our industry, I subscribe to InsideARM. I think they publish worthwhile pieces of interest to the debt recovery business.
Last week InsideARM sent an email with the subject: “Do You Know When You’re Being Duped By a Third-Party Vendor? Probably Not…” The email was to introduce and promote a webinar regarding third-party vendors, and related compliance issues. The tag line in the email was “Right now, you’re probably at risk and you don’t even know it”, and other language in the email said “There are vendors out there making claims that, under closer scrutiny, don’t pass muster.”
Here at Vertican Technologies, we have firsthand experience that the statements in this InsideARM email are true!
Vertican Technologies users are regularly approached by third parties, usually “consultants” and third-party vendors, who make representations specifically regarding our software products, Q-Law®, Collection-Master®, YGC and Image-Master. Yet, most of these individuals and vendors have NEVER been formally trained on any of our software. Remarkably, they represent that they can help with configuring and using software on which they’ve never been formally trained! Even “consultants” with prior experience using our software (as former employees of firms who do use our software products) lose touch with our software once they leave their prior employment. So, even those who have seen earlier versions of our software do not have adequate experience with the current version, to say nothing of the new software we’re actively developing.
If you’ve been in touch with a consultant who has never been trained on any of the Vertican Technologies software products, and would have no legal access to official Vertican Technologies software documentation, but represents that he or she can help you with our software, BEWARE!! Think about it. Do you really want to be in a position of explaining to an auditor that your system configuration was done by an individual with no formal training on the software you use? Even worse, if your data is manipulated in any way by an unqualified person, if the integrity of your data is compromised, what are you going to do or say then? Ask yourself if these are risks worth taking, BEFORE you expose yourself to such a big risk.
To be sure, there are very worthwhile consultants, with expertise that can add value to your practice. Qualified experts can offer great guidance regarding your business processes, policies, procedures, staffing and more. But, when it comes to Vertican Technologies software, or any other specialty software, do the SMART thing. Call the author!! No one knows their software better than the company that wrote it and supports it. At Vertican Technologies we offer data manipulation services, performed by the ONLY experts who are available and properly trained to do this detailed work. We offer high-level consulting, designed to help you maximize your use of our software. We will gladly furnish references for the services we offer. AND, if we think an outside consultant can help you, we’ll tell you that too. Vertican Technologies wants you to succeed.
This is certainly not the time to increase your risk profile. Be very suspicious of third-party vendors whose claims don’t pass muster. Don’t be duped. If your question is about Q-Law®, Collection-Master®, YGC or Image-Master, start with Vertican Technologies. If you use other collection software, start with your vendor. You trusted your software vendor when you licensed the software. You can continue to trust your vendor to give you the best service, and advice.