PRINT.IT
35
PRINT
On the printer
side, the
challenge
for SMEs is
controlling
their costs
and having an
understanding
of how they
can manage
and audit their
print usage
they use their print devices and the
costs involved. This is where things
like managed print services (MPS)
come in.
What do you think will be some
of the key challenges in print and
document management in 2016?
One of the key things will be
implementing mobile print. Most
business people utilise some form
of mobile phone or tablet. These
technologies have been around for
a while but integration into some
businesses has been quite slow. In
our survey, the majority of people
– 50 or 60% – still didn’t have any
way to print from their devices. So
there are challenges relating to the
implementation of mobile solutions
and things like cloud printing and
compatibility with Google Docs.
Another challenge is how to get
more out of your MFPs. OKI’s smart
MFPs have an open architecture
that allows you to run a number
of different applications from the
device and do a lot in terms of
workflow. Digitisation of documents
is becoming more and more key,
and people will start to implement
that more, coupled with managed
print, which gives more control over
the entire solution.
Is sustainability still a
consideration for customers?
Yes, definitely. We are always being
asked what out corporate social
responsibilities are and, as a global
manufacturer, we have a very high
level of CSR – everything from how
we manufacture our products and
reduce the amount of raw materials
we use to how we recycle our
products. We offer a free recycling
scheme to all of our customers,
which means all the consumables
they use can be put into a box or
bag and sent back. We currently
recycle 97% of the items that get
returned to us in this scheme. The
other way sustainability is key for
us is that we use technology that’s
more energy-efficient. Most people
refer to laser printers when talking
about the toner printer market.
Actually, OKI uses LED technology.
We’re all used to the benefits of
LED light bulbs in daily life; the
same benefits hold true for printers
– they consume less energy, they
don’t get as hot, there are fewer
moving parts. It gives you much
greater flexibility, reduces electricity
consumption and lowers costs.
That same LED technology allows
us to print onto a whole range of
media. Our survey shows that up
to 60% of businesses outsource
certain elements of their print –
business cards, banners, posters,
flyers etc.. But with a standard
OKI desktop printer, you can print
1.2-metre banners, business cards
and pre-cut media, so you can bring
in-house an awful lot of things you
would otherwise have to outsource.
Steven Hastings, channel IT
director, Ricoh UK
What do you see as the main
challenges facing SMEs and
corporates in 2016?
“There’s been a lot of talk from
vendors and the channel about
managed print services (MPS).
On the MFP side of the business
people understand MPS, because
they have been using and sourcing
their products in that way for years.
On the printer side, the challenge
for SMEs is controlling their costs
and having an understanding of
how they can manage and audit
their print usage. As a vendor, we
need to help our reseller partners
help their customers to fully
understand how MPS works and
how it can benefit their business.
How is Ricoh helping businesses
address these issues?
By providing the right tools,
products, services and solutions so
that whether you are an SME/SMB,
a charity, a church or a school, you
have the opportunity to manage
your costs properly, with a very cost-
effective, low running cost product.
Do you provide pre-packaged off-
the-shelf print solutions for end
users?
Yes we do. With our printer range,
we have what we refer to as Ricoh
Click. This is a very straightforward,
very easy to understand, very easy
to use MPS contract. Essentially,
you know what your running costs
will be and you pay for what you
use. You can choose to have a
contract between one year and five
years; there’s no minimum billing;
and nobody’s asked to pay money
up front. You get a quarterly bill
charging you the agreed running
cost for your usage in that quarter.
It’s very, very straightforward.
What incentives do you offer
end users?
We provide a broad range of
offers and incentives, including
trade-in campaigns and cash-back
campaigns. With the trade-in
campaign, if someone wants to
trade-in and take a price for an
existing product, we will go in,
take the product away and recycle
it properly. We will dispose of it
ethically and provide a certificate
guaranteeing that the product has
been disposed of properly and not
just discarded. The other incentive
I’m very pleased to promote is our
30-day guarantee, our confidence
pledge. We’re really proud of the
products we manufacture and we
want as many people to hear about
them as possible, so our pledge to
end users is that if you buy a Ricoh
printer and you don’t like it – if it
doesn’t do the job you want it to
do – then we will collect it from you
and refund the money completely.
See the interviews in full at
