Ricoh 2012 Annual Report Download - page 40

Ricoh Group Sustainability Report 201239
Research & Development
Many people benefit from conducting intellectual activities using advanced networks. On the other hand, we face imminent environmental issues
such as increasing population and overuse of non-renewable resources and energy.
The Ricoh Group can contribute to the resolution of these issues based on Ricoh Brand Benefits.
We will create new innovation that accelerates changes towards making a better world.
Six trends in the transforming office
environment
In recent years, we have experienced various changes in the social and
economic environment, including progress in globalization, expansion
of emerging economies, evolution of network technologies, changes in
demographics and increased environmental problems. Along with such
changes, workstyles at companies are rapidly being transformed as well.
We consider the totality of the way people work, their business
processes and work environment as the “office.”
At Ricoh, we have projected six transforming trends of the office
environment continuing through the next ten years based on the
transition in the social climate.
(1) Outsourcing non-core business and focusing on core businesses
(2) Strengthening internal and external networks (workflow collaboration)
(3) Greater emphasis on emerging markets
(4) Diversification of workstyle—work anywhere and anytime
(5) Further development of environmental preservation
(6) Individual’s awareness of security and safety
Creating Innovation
Three future office images that Ricoh envisions
Taking into consideration these trends, we have envisioned three images
of the future office: (a) integration of business processes in advanced and
emerging markets, (b) two types of office worker: knowledge worker and
skilled worker*, and (c) individually optimized work environment.
In the future office, it will be essential to establish a workflow that
seamlessly links different locations to which labor has been allocated,
for instance, between offices in advanced nations and emerging nations,
and internal/external organizations. In addition, it will be necessary to
ensure that workers are able to access data via mobile devices, and use
optimized equipment for their home in the same way as workers perform
at the office. It will be also important to provide a secure and comfortable
environment in this regard.
Needless to say, we always need to keep in mind sustainability and
environmental conservation when offering products and services to
respond to this transformation.
The Ricoh Group is examining various possibilities for the future
while it is engaged in a wide range of R&D activities with the main focus
on innovative technologies that will transform customer workstyles while
reducing environmental impact.
* Polarization of workstyle into two distinct forms based on expertise: fixed-based workstyle in terms
of time, place and task, and project-based flexible workstyle.
■ Six trends ■ Three office images Ricoh envisions
(1)
(4)
(2)
(5)
(3)
(6)
non-core business
outsourcing workflow collaboration emerging markets
anytime anywhere environmental
conservation security and safety
(a)
(b) (c)
merging
work processes
divisions
of office labor
adapting
to the workstyle