The United Kingdom


	The Japan Times WORLD EYE REPORTS THE UNITED KINGDOM

©THE JAPAN TIMES	Saturday, August 30, 2003

Ricoh pioneers total office solutions

Through its innovative vision and strategy, Ricoh is revolutionising the office equipment industry and gaining market share.

Over the past few years, the office equipment market has changed beyond recognition with the introduction of ever more efficient technology and increased product integration. Long a pioneer in the industry, Ricoh is once again at the forefront of these changes and is leading the way in introducing new technological breakthroughs at the start of the 21st century.

Since it began its focus on digital solutions in 1997, Ricoh has seen impressive sales success in the UK, which is one of the world’s largest markets for office equipment.

“Market share for the three brands in the Ricoh group has jumped from twelve to thirty percent between 1997 and 2002,” acknowledges current Ricoh Managing Director Takahisa Yokoo. “This success is based on over twenty years of developing digital products,” he explains, “during which time we have acquired unique experience and developed award-winning technology.”

The next phase of the company’s business strategy is already underway as it works to develop relationships with its corporate customer base as an office consultant to provide advice on how to manage data and paper flows, rather than simply selling machines alone.

As part of this strategy, Ricoh is developing partnerships with document management software companies, both at a global and local level. For example, in the United Kingdom, its alliance with Docosoft lies at the heart of its success in generating sales in the insurance sector, in particular through the dealers working for Lloyd’s of London. Direct selling represents only one facet of Ricoh’s sales plan as it distributes 70 percent of its products through a well-established, successful dealer network. “Our dealers offer extensive face-to-face service to our end-user and represent an essential part of our business,” admits Yokoo.

Takahisa Yokoo, managing director of Ricoh UK

After successfully moving technology from analogue to digital in the late nineties, Ricoh is now focussing its efforts on integrating colour into the office. “The majority of organisations cannot justify the cost of a dedicated colour printer or copier for occasional colour output,” analyses Yokoo. “The latest additions to our Aficio range resolve this issue by offering users the chance to purchase a competitively priced black and white machine, but with the benefit of integrated colour capabilities.” Ricoh has seen considerable market success in recent years and its new strategy indicates that this pioneering focus is unlikely to change.

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