Ricoh 2012 Annual Report Download - page 49

Ricoh Group Sustainability Report 2012 48
Top Message About us Our Activities
Products and Solutions for a Better Office Environment
Data
Shifting to electronic invoicing is considered an operational
improvement measure that achieves both greater efficiency and
related cost reduction. In Europe, most invoicing is paper-based and
a growing number of companies, particularly large corporations, are
interested in shifting to e-invoicing.
In practice, however, the shift towards the electronic alternative
has made little progress. Existing software and solutions often
require the conversion of all invoices to electronic form, which
is not feasible in many cases, as many business partners are not
necessarily ready to completely digitize their operations.
Ricoh Europe’s i-Invoicing spares customers from such
problems, since the e-invoicing service can handle paper-based
invoices as well. The service also allows customers to complete the
transition from paper to electronic form smoothly and hassle-free.
When preparing and sending invoices, customers initially send
invoice data from their ERP systems to Ricoh’s i-Invoicing Cloud.
Ricoh then issues invoices to customers’ business partners in the
format that each partner designates (e.g., paper, e-mail, fax or
other electronic means). When processing account payables, Ricoh
reads invoice data with MFPs or scanners, which may be in paper
(postal), fax, or e-mail (e.g. PDF) format, and forwards the data
from i-Invoicing Cloud to customers’ ERP systems.
Information security is also guaranteed. Ricoh, an ISO 27001-
certified company, protects customers’ data and uses its cloud
environment in a strict and responsible manner so data is
maintained even in the event of an emergency. In addition, there
is basically no initial investment required from customers for this
service and specific offerings can be customized a case-by-case
based on document volume, business size, etc.
Leveraging its core expertise in printing and scanning as well
as its global network, the Ricoh Group will aggressively expand
this intelligent electronic invoicing system initially in the European
market, where there is huge growth potential, and eventually to
other geographic areas.
i-Invoicing for making transition to electronic
invoicing smooth
Staff expansion and training for excellent
MDS quality
The Ricoh Group designs and offers optimal MDS tailored to each
customer through its worldwide MDS network of more than 30,000
dedicated sales and technical professionals. In addition, for customers
who wish to introduce MDS on a global scale, our Global Competency
Center provides all necessary support, continuous monitoring, and advice
for improvement.
To make the most of these resources, we continue to upgrade
global training programs to further enhance the quality of our sales and
customer service staff.
Furthermore, we have also expanded our MDS teams in the five
regions of the world where we operate. We also provide multifaceted
global training programs designed exclusively for MDS professionals,
which include face-to-face training, a change management trainer
certification program, manager training, TRAC training, MDS tool
training, and more.
Investment for the expansion of our global
MDS network
To expand and strengthen its MDS network and capabilities, the Ricoh
Group has made continual investments, which include the acquisition
of IKON Office Solutions of the U.S. in 2008, Carl Lamm of Sweden in
2009, Georg Kohl of Germany in 2010, and the Print Solutions Group of
Australia in 2011.
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RICOH i-Invoicing
Cloud
PDF
PDF
E-mail
Mobile
Mail MFP
Customer’s
ERP
Fax