Red Flags to Avoid When Shopping for a File Transfer Solution

If you’re searching for your next file transfer solution, you’ve likely noticed that there are a wide variety of options on the market. While it’s helpful to have choices, it can be a challenge to identify the differences between file transfer solutions that seem similar on the surface. 

Fortunately, narrowing down your options for a new FTP solution is simple when you know what to look for and what to avoid in a provider. Explore four red flags you should be wary of in a potential file transfer solution, and learn why these characteristics could present issues for your company.

Focusing on Price Instead of Value

If you have ever been car shopping, you know that the cheapest car isn’t always the best option. For example, if you have a long commute, you wouldn’t simply buy the car with the lowest price tag; you would buy the one that gets the highest number of miles per gallon to make your commute efficient. The same principle holds true for adopting a file transfer solution, too. Instead of making price the deciding factor, it should just be one of numerous measures you use to evaluate a solution.

The cheapest solution may not adequately meet the needs of your business. While a cheap solution may serve the surface-level purpose of transferring files, it may not do so in a secure manner. To avoid the mistake of investing in the wrong solution, despite it’s appealing price tag, you should make a list of the essential features your company needs in a file transfer solution before ever looking at prices.

Once you have your list outlined, you should narrow down your options to ones that have your required features. So, if you need the highest levels of security and control, only consider the solutions that have a high level of security. In the long run, you will be better off investing a little more upfront on a file transfer solution, instead of facing the potential risks that could come with a solution that’s not up to your standards.

Not Thinking of Future Needs

Your business doesn’t look the same as it did the day you opened, and it probably won’t look the same in a year, five years, or a decade. Your business’ future needs are just as important to consider as its current needs. That’s why it’s essential that you have a scalable file transfer solution, designed to evolve with your business instead of being an impediment to growth.

Do you plan to allow for remote work? Do you foresee massive growth potential that will require additional users? You can avoid the headache of migrating to another file transfer solution later by checking if the options you’re considering now can provide your future requirements, as well. You need a provider that can grow with your business.

Discuss how you see your business expanding when vetting providers, and ensure their file transfer solution can live up to your needs. For example, if your goal is to add a dozen new employees before the end of the next quarter, you would need a file transfer solution that makes adding users both easy and instant. Another scalability consideration could be that you have plans to open another location of your business. To securely transfer files between various locations, you need a file transfer solution with built-in security capabilities.

If the file transfer solutions you’re considering don’t exhibit the flexibility and scalability that you know your business will need in the future, these are not the right file transfer solution for you.

The Absence of References and Reviews

Before you form a long-term partnership with another company, you want to be sure they have an outstanding reputation and their solution actually work. One of the best ways you can make these determinations is by delving into reviews from current and former customers. These references and reviews will give you a better idea about the effectiveness of a file transfer solution and the quality of customer service a company provides.

Keep in mind that a quality file sharing solution will have plenty of happy customers who are willing to share their experience with you. Sometimes, the file transfer companies you’re considering and upfront with their customer references, either displaying them on their websites or providing you a list of references to contact.

That may not always be the case, however. Don’t be shy when asking for reviews and references. If the company is not forthcoming with their references, it could be because their solution hasn’t left customers totally satisfied. When a file transfer company is hesitant to provide you with a list of references, that’s a huge red flag.

Lack of Onboarding Support or Training Materials

Implementation of a file transfer solution in your company doesn’t end when technical setup is complete. There are a number of reasons why thorough training and continuous education are essential. First, you increase the speed with which your employees adapt to a new solution. The faster they’re acclimated to using it, the fewer errors you’ll encounter and the less downtime you’ll experience. The best file transfer solution providers offer onboarding support and training materials to educate your employees on how to effectively use a new solution.

Before you make your final file transfer solution selection, you need to discuss a few onboarding matters with your potential providers. Ask about the kind of onboarding assistance they provide. This support can range from reading materials to live training sessions to personalized workshops for your solution. These training resources can prove to be invaluable when first navigating the initial set-up your FTP site.

You also want to ensure that you and your team remain up to date on any software changes. With each new upgrade, your file transfer solution provider should host training sessions, showing employees what aspects of the solution are new and how these changes improve the operations. Cut each of the file transfer solution providers that don’t provide adequate onboarding from consideration.

As with any new solution adoption in your company, you need to carefully consider your provider options. Selecting the right provider make require a substantial investment of effort upfront, but in the long run, you’ll be paired with a file transfer solution provider you can trust.