Ricoh 2002 Annual Report Download - page 13

Ricoh seeks to supply systems that provide
users with com plete solutions for their office
operations.
By solutions we m ean generating top cus-
tomer satisfaction on four fronts so we can
ultim ately enhance profitability. The first is
to provide the basic features and reliability
expected. The second is to ensure that our
offerings m eet open standards and can be
modularized for easy expandability. The
comm on architecture mentioned in the pre-
vious section is pivotal to that approach, as is
the Docum ent Highway, which seamlessly
links hardware and applications. The
Highway’s platform covers personal business
devices, PPCs and MFPs, laser printers and
scanners, and applications software, connect-
ing them through intranets and the Internet.
The third component of solutions is to pro-
pose new ways to deploy and harness our sys-
tem s more efficiently. And the fourth is to
directly provide customers with quality sup-
port and services.
Our solutions business has blossomed
from its infancy just a few years ago, espe-
cially in printing and docum ent solutions. In
printing solutions, our goal is to provide an
optim al printing environm ent that satisfies
diverse needs in a digital world. In document
solutions, we package optimal combinations
of input/output equipment with software to
enhance docum ent flow and im prove overall
efficiency.
Of course, one concept that inevitably
accompanies any discussion of solutions is
TCO. It is here that the four solutions facets
mentioned above translate into a single fig-
ure that administrators worldwide can
instantly understand. There is m ore to TCO,
of course, such as providing administrators
with tools to track the usage of all com po-
nents in a system and network. In this way,
they can use statistics to control and optimize
systems usage.
Such control is not only useful in itself,
but is also an increasingly critical factor as
we strive to land larger accounts. We have
been remarkably successful in attracting
maj or corporate customers because we have
matched our technological prowess and
needs-sensitivity with a larger marketing,
support, and service infrastructure around
the globe. For example, Lanier Worldwide,
Inc., which we acquired in early 2001, has
been able to take full advantage of our prod-
uct range to better serve its customers in the
United States and Europe. As a result, that
subsidiary scooped the No. 1 spot in a recent
J.D. Power and Associates survey of customer
satisfaction in monochrom e copiers and MFP
products.
We will continue to pursue new solutions
for our customers in the years ahead to
enhance efficiency and econom y.
CREATING VALUE THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
PURSUING SOLUTIONS
THE ELEM ENTS OF SUCCESS
Ricoh defines success in pursuing solutions as
the ability to optimize customer satisfaction by
not only delivering top technologies but also iden-
tifying the underlying needs of the people who rely
on its systems to improve efficiency and cut
costs.
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