8 Questions You Need To Answer When Selling MPS

By providing managed print services (MPS) you can promise big savings, not simply by cutting down on the number of documents your client’s print but also by reducing the total time their IT departments spends on print-related issues.

Any business large or small, but especially small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), want to get the full value of their investment. This means they are looking for a partner who, along with knowing the ins and outs of MPS, will take the time to understand their business and identify opportunities to streamline their document processes.

1 How do you identify opportunities for saving time and money?

As much as we would like it to be, MPS is not a one-size-fits-all solution. That’s why you need to be able to show how you can size up the needs of your client. The first step is to choose a vendor who can provide easy to use analytical tools so that you can tell your client how much time and money they are spending to print, scan and manage documents.

2 Do you have a proven track record?

Prospects will be looking for you to demonstrate that you have experience delivering MPS solutions. Make sure you build up a selection of client references. Put a process in place to ask for, and collect client feedback that you can use as a reference. Since you’ll need permission to use them, have this in place first.

Be sure that you include before and after numbers so that you can demonstrate efficiencies. Working with a vendor who is a leader in MPS will help.

3 Can you improve document workflow?

Businesses today rely on both hard copy and digital documents. Depending on the workflow, digital documents need to be printed, hard copy documents need to be digitized, and sometimes both. Be sure to share how well you can integrate digital and hard copy processes so that information flows smoothly, predictably and efficiently through your client’s organization.

4 How well can you integrate into existing IT infrastructures?

Be prepared to show exactly how your managed print solution integrates into your client’s current IT infrastructure. How much of their existing investment will it leverage? Can you allow them to connect seamlessly to the cloud applications they use? Will it make mobile printing easy?

5 Can your MPS offering grow with them?

This is a big investment for any business, so be prepared to show how you can meet your client’s needs for the next six months, the next year – and beyond. How easily and quickly can they change or upgrade – and what are the costs for making those changes? You need to be able to demonstrate that their investment is future-proofed.

6 Can you guarantee their data is safe and secure?

According to the Quocirca study – Managed Print Services Landscape, 2015 (Summary Report), 82% of U.S. companies indicated that have had a paper-related data loss. You’ll have to forgive your client for being a little paranoid!

With more than 50,000 new security threats emerging worldwide each day, and a growing number of them targeted at printers and multifunction printers you’ll be expected to show a plan that includes embedded hardware security solutions from best-in-class sources such as Intel Security.

7 Can you provide a sustainable printing solution?

It’s not easy for your client to be green, but MPS can help. According to a Fuji Xerox internal study – In a month, 1,000 users didn’t print 135,000 pages—saving 16 trees and eliminating 1,700 kg of CO2 emissions—by using MPS.

Sustainable printing goes beyond two-sided printing. Get ready to show how you can use cloud services such as Dropbox or Microsoft Office 365 to reduce printing. Have your energy efficiency tables at the ready for all the technology you provide. Make sure to include recycling and waste reduction as part of your service

8 Can you provide meaningful metrics?

You client will look for assurance that their MPS investment is – and continues to be – worthwhile. You need to provide easy-to-use tools for analyzing cost savings and performance and make sure that you point those out in your proposals.

Managed print services can be a game changer – choose the best vendor for your business

Done right, you client will spend less time managing documents and more time on their core business. Being able to answer tough questions up front will help show that you can provide the best ROI down the road.

Learn more about Fuji Xerox Partner Print Services

If you’d like to learn more about adding managed print services to your portfolio, you can find out about becoming authorised business partner HERE 

 

 

 

 

 

 

based on an original Article by Lisa Graham

Ricoh India Chairman Tetsuya Takano resigns

A week after admitting its accounts appear to have been “falsified”, Ricoh India today said its Chairman and Director Tetsuya Takano has resigned from the company. The company has appointed Ian Peter Winham as its Director/Chairman with immediate effect. “Mr Tetsuya Takano has resigned as Director/Chairman of the company with effect from July 25, 2016. The Board of Directors of the company has accepted his resignation with immediate effect,” Ricoh India said in a BSE filing.

Winham joined the Ricoh Group in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) in 2002 as CFO and was appointed Executive Vice President, CIO and CFO of Ricoh Europe in 2007. In 2014, he took on a global role as head of Global Capital Management. In April 2016, he was appointed Corporate Vice President of Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Winham has worked extensively in India over the last six years, the company said. Last week, Ricoh India said its accounts appear to be have been “falsified” and estimated to incur a loss of Rs 1,123 crore for the fiscal ended March 31, 2016.

It had said the disclosure follows an internal investigation it had been carrying out to ascertain its financial position and probable roles of few officials of the company.

In April, the company’s India’s MD and CEO Manoj Kumar had resigned from the board after being asked to go on leave amid an audit in the company by a committee.

However, Ricoh Company Ltd, a promoter entity of the Indian subsidiary of Japanese imaging and electronics major, has proposed to recapitalise the company for the loss.

The disclosure by the Indian unit also prompted the promoter to approach National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) against the BSE-listed firm and its certain officials suspected to have indulged in “mismanagement”.

In its petition, the promoter sought to restrain the statutory authorities from taking any coercing measures against Ricoh India Ltd and restore its share trading, which has been suspended for penal reasons even as a probe is already on by various agencies and regulators including Sebi into its affairs

Japan Managed Print Services Market Shares, 2015: Company Size Analysis

Lexmark shareholders approve merger agreement

• Lexmark International, Inc. today announced that its shareholders have approved the definitive merger agreement under which Lexmark is to be acquired by a consortium of investors led by Apex Technology Co., Ltd. and PAG Asia Capital and including Legend Capital Management Co., Ltd. Upon completion of the transaction, Lexmark shareholders will receive $40.50 per share in cash.
• 70% of the outstanding Lexmark shares were voted at the special shareholder meeting held today. Of the Lexmark shares that were voted, 99% were voted in favor of the merger.
• The transaction remains subject to certain regulatory approvals, including among others the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., and other customary closing conditions.
• The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2016.
• The company plans to announce second quarter 2016 earnings before the opening of the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, July 29, 2016. The earnings release will be available on Lexmark’s investor relations website at http://investor.lexmark.com. Lexmark will not host a conference call with securities analysts and investors in conjunction with its second quarter 2016 earnings release and does not expect to do so in future quarters while this transaction is pending.

Supporting Quotes

“Today our shareholders approved this definitive merger agreement by an overwhelming margin,” said Paul Rooke, Lexmark chairman and chief executive officer. “This transaction is in the best interests of our shareholders, and we are confident it will benefit our customers, provide new opportunities for our employees, and enable Lexmark to continue to grow, innovate and expand our market presence in the Asia Pacific region.”

About Lexmark

Lexmark (NYSE: LXK) creates enterprise software, hardware and services that remove the inefficiencies of information silos and disconnected processes, connecting people to the information they need at the moment they need it. Open the possibilities at www.Lexmark.com.

Lexmark and the Lexmark logo are trademarks of Lexmark International, Inc., registered in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Safe Harbor
Statements about the expected timing, completion and effects of the proposed transaction and all other statements in this communication, other than historical facts, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and any such forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the following cautionary statements.  All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and are based on current expectations and involve a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements.  Lexmark may not be able to complete the proposed transaction on the terms described herein or other acceptable terms or at all because of a number of factors, including without limitation (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement, (2) the failure to satisfy closing conditions, (3) risks related to disruption of management’s attention from Lexmark’s ongoing business operations due to the pending transaction and (4) the effect of the announcement of the pending transaction on the ability of Lexmark to retain and hire key personnel, maintain relationships with its customers and suppliers, and maintain its operating results and business generally.

Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements.  In addition, the forward-looking statements represent Lexmark’s views as of the date on which such statements were made.  Lexmark anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause its views to change.  However, although Lexmark may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so.  These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Lexmark’s views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof.  Additional factors that may affect the business or financial results of Lexmark are described in the risk factors included in Lexmark’s filings with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, which risk factors are incorporated herein by reference.

 

SOURCE Lexmark International, Inc.

Fuji Xerox Singapore gives youth a helping hand

Amid growing concerns about social and environmental change, an increasing number of organisations’ success is being measured not just in terms of profits and providing jobs but also in how they contribute to the community.

Fuji Xerox Singapore, a document services and communications company, is no different. Having been active in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities for over 30 years, it is doing its part for local and regional communities through several social contributions.

Pauline Chua, GM of human capital and CSR, said: “We believe we exist in an ecosystem that supports and relies on one another. So it’s only natural and responsible that if we are doing well, we give back to the economy. CSR is in our DNA.”

Three years ago, Fuji Xerox Singapore started partnering Beyond Social Services (BSS), a local charity group that focuses on youths from disadvantaged families, as part of its “smile pack” campaign, to distribute food packs to the families.

Last year, the company had close to 200 employees distributing 1,000 food packs to 1,000 families.

In its 2014-15 financial year, the company sponsored six graduation ceremonies which saw 378 graduating students and 1,300 attendees. In addition to sponsoring, it introduced the Fuji Xerox Elite Awards to recognise students who have done well in school and contributed to society.

Each year, Fuji Xerox Singapore also organises a football match between its senior management team members and boys from BSS. Ms Chua said such events allow them to engage the beneficiaries and employees, and encourage volunteerism.

Efforts of these employees do not go unrecognised. They receive a reward for every compliment that comes in and the firm concurrently makes a donation to Singapore Children’s Society.

Beyond employees, customers and partners are also included in CSR involvement, said Ms Chua. For example, each year, Fuji Xerox Singapore hosts a charity movie screening in which tickets are purchased by employees, customers and partners. Mailers are sent out to seek support from them to purchase tickets for the families of BSS beneficiaries as well.

Looking into the future of its corporate giving, Fuji Xerox Singapore said that as part of its focus on youths, its upcoming projects will involve working with educational institutions, from pre-schoolers right through to tertiary level.

The company also said it is talking to several educational institutions to see how they can partner them or the CSR committees within them. Internship opportunities for these students are also being explored.

Besides serving BSS and Singapore Children’s Society, the company also reaches out to several other local charity organisations such as Boys’ Town, Children’s Cancer Foundation, Boys’ Brigade, and Food from the Heart.

To sustain a culture of giving and to support the development of society, Fuji Xerox Singapore hopes other well-to-do companies will also contribute in whatever way they can.

Ms Chua concluded: “We believe that community involvement creates greater employee engagement and enablement. Likewise, companies can provide the opportunity for employees to proactively make a difference to the community by sharing in our belief that CSR makes work meaningful – which is pivotal in attracting and retaining talent in today’s business environment.”

Ricoh India admits accounting violations and falsification of books

Ricoh India has admitted that some of its companies violated accounting principles and are responsible for falsification in the books of accounts.

“Ricoh has been carrying out an internal investigation for ascertaining the true and fair accounts of the company for the quarter ended December 31, 2015 and FY16. The acts of omission and commission have caused a grave loss to the company and its shareholder,” Ricoh India, whose shares have been suspended from trading, informed stock exchanges on Tuesday.
The company has reported a significant loss of Rs 1,123 crore (unaudited estimated) for the financial year ended March 31.

Ricoh India said that once the company was able to prepare its financial results for the quarter ending December 31, 2015, and the financial year ended March 31, 2016, it would be in a position to ascertain the exact amount of loss suffered for FY16.

The internal investigation by Ricoh was based on a PwC report, which noted: “Going by the investigation, it appears that the accounts have been falsified and the company’s accounting principles and standards have been violated.”

PwC, which was appointed by the company’s audit committee for forensic view of accounts, indicated “wrongdoing” and unsupported transaction in the books.

Promoter Ricoh has agreed to infuse funds in the company to the extent of loss suffered due to the irregularities. “In order to provide new funds, the existing shares of the promoters in Ricoh India would be cancelled without reduction in capital and simultaneously capitalised to the extent of its cancelled capital with premium to the extent of the losses suffer,” said A T Rajan, managing director and chief executive of Ricoh India.

The recapitalisation does not place any liability on minority shareholders, nor does it change the current shareholding of the two entities in Ricoh India, he added.

Corporate governance experts have welcomed the move. “It is good that they are restoring their financials, but doing so it should ensure that minority shareholders would be benefited. Besides, the law will take its own course of action by punishing the fraudster but it cannot reduce the loss of the minority shareholders,” said J N Gupta, founder and managing director of SES, a proxy advisory firm.

The BSE had suspended trading in the company’s shares with effect from May 26, as the firm has failed to submit its limited review reports to the regulator for two consecutive quarters – September and December 2015. It reported its September 2015 quarter results on May 19 after much delay.

Ricoh India has been in the news for quite some time over the alleged financial irregularities in the accounts.

Xerox Says No Deal to Merger Bid with RR Donnelly

Xerox  XRX 0.73%  privately rejected a bid to merge its document business with financial printing firm RR Donnelley & Sons  RRD 0.56% , the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Norwalk, Connecticut-based Xerox has drawn some interest in potential deals since announcing plans in January to split into two businesses, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter

RR Donnelley, which is also in the process of breaking up, proposed that its executives take control of the combined operations, and sought several hundred million dollars in new cost cuts, the newspaper reported.

Xerox declined to comment while RR Donnelley was not available for comment outside regular U.S. business hours.

Reuters reported Monday, citing sources, that Xerox has been in talks to acquire RR Donnelley, but the companies still had significant issues to negotiate and a deal was not imminent.

Tech distributor cutting 937 Fort Worth jobs amid Chinese buyout

Ingram Micro, a California-based technology products distributor that is being bought by a Chinese conglomerate, is slashing more than 900 jobs at a wireless repair and logistics facility in east Fort Worth.

In a WARN letter filed with the Texas Workforce Commission, Ingram Micro said it plans to lay off 937 people, including 762 contract workers with Elwood Staffing and about 175 Ingram Micro Mobility associates.

“We are working with the Texas Rapid Response Unit to provide human resources assistance to affected workers,” the company said in its statement. “We anticipate employing about 350 people after this action is taken. Ingram Micro Mobility has no further comment on this issue.”

The company said workers were informed about the cutbacks last Tuesday, the same day that Ingram Micro shareholders overwhelmingly approved a $6 billion buyout of the company by Tianjin Tianhai Investment, a subsidiary of the Chinese airline and logistics conglomerate HNA Group.

Thomas Henson, a spokesman for Ingram Micro, said the cutbacks are not related to the pending merger. Rather, he said, they resulted from “changes in business activities conducted in this facility,” which caused the company to evaluate the workforce.

According to Bloomberg News, Ingram Micro distributes technology products made by big names such as Acer, Cisco, HP and Microsoft. Last year, the company reported net income of $215 million on revenue of $43 billion.

The Centreport facility, at 4500 Cambridge Road, was formerly operated by Touchstone Wireless. That company was sold in 2010 to Brightspot, which in turn was acquired by Ingram Micro in 2012.

Ingram Micro Mobility, the unit that operates the Fort Worth facility, provides various “device lifecycle services,” including warehousing, software loading, end-user fulfillment and reverse logistics, which includes repair, refurbishment and recycling.

In its WARN letter, Ingram Micro said the cuts will be permanent. It anticipates the layoffs to begin Aug. 19 and occur in phases until about Sept. 30.

 

 

Original Article by Steve Kaskovich

Sharp Subsidaries Face The Axe Distributor Model Mooted For OZ

 

Foxconn Technology has said that they are set to close “inefficient” Sharp subsidiaries, ChannelNews understands that Australian operation will survive for six months before a decision is made on its future.

According to Foxconn sources Sharp management have been given the job of deciding which subsidiaries will stay and which ones will go.

A Foxconn source said “If a subsidiary is unprofitable it will not survive”.

Joe Constantino the Deputy Managing Director of Sharp Australia has refused to comment. He has become so concerned about his own future that he recently called in lawyers to try and protect his reputation. He has insisted that all requests for comment are made via his lawyer.

ChannelNews has also been told, that a group of current and former management from Sharp Australia. are looking at the concept of pitching to Foxconn and Sharp management in Japan the concept, that Sharp Australia should move to a distributor role.

The group is believed to be costing the setting up of a distribution operation with Sharp as a foundation brand.

Insiders who are close to the group said that they believe that Sharp TV’s and appliances can be successfully sold in Australia.

They claim that a slump in sales of the Sharp appliances business and their exit from the TV market was “solely because of poor management”.

A leading Australian distributor has already met with Foxconn management in Taiwan, regarding the Australian subsidiary, that has seen consumer electronics and appliance sales slump from close to $100M to less than $30M in five years.

They said that the decision regarding the future of Sharp Australia, rests with Sharp regional management who are looking at the concept of one Distributor Company taking over distribution of Sharp products for the entire Asia Pacific region including India, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Vietnam and several other Countries in the region.
Sharp Corp was recently acquired for US$3.5 billion by Foxconn who at this stage is “More interested in getting Sharp’s display business sorted, than having to address sales of TV’s and appliances” said one informed source who has spoken at length to Foxconn.

“All Foxconn are interested in is profitable subsidiaries. “They know and have read about the problems the Australian subsidiary is facing. The move to new offices is all about trying to deliver profits, however Foxconn are smarter than that and what they want is growth and profits from sales not someone rearranging deckchairs”.

Terry Gou, Foxconn’s founder and chairman, said at the Taiwanese company’s annual shareholder meeting last week that he plans to accelerate commercialization of Sharp’s patents to help turn the business profitable.

“Sharp has lots of technology but it isn’t able to market it,” he said. “Turning patents to technology, then turning technology to products, that’s what we are good at.”

Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, is the world’s largest electronics contract manufacturer and a key supplier for Apple and other major brands.

Mr. Gou said Foxconn has completed legal aspects of the takeover and new management will oversee Sharp starting next month.

He said that Foxconn plans to close some of Sharp’s redundant and inefficient overseas operations, including some sales joint ventures, Mr. Gou said.

“Sharp has too many subsidiaries, which results in too much overhead,” he said.

Foxconn posted in May a 9.2% decline in first-quarter net profit to $848.2 million, as growth slowed in the global smartphone market.

Mr. Gou said Tuesday that the company faced challenging market conditions, including a trend of growing protectionism in many countries.

 

 

Original article by David Richards

Japanese Regulators Grill Canon Inc Over Toshiba Deal

Japanese regulators warned Canon Inc. that the way it acquired Toshiba Corp. ’s medical-systems unit potentially violated the law, but said the deal can go ahead.

The rules are ambiguous, regulators said Thursday, but they added that any future transaction such as the one between Canon and Toshiba could be subject to a criminal complaint.

Fujifilm Holdings Corp. , the loser in bidding for the unit, expressed displeasure at the decision.

At issue is the structure of the deal, reached in March and valued at ¥665.5 billion ($6.5 billion). Canon paid the purchase price up front—Toshiba, having incurred sizable losses after an accounting scandal, needed cash ahead of the March 31 end of its fiscal year—but didn’t immediately receive shares in the medical unit.

Instead Canon got warrants entitling it to the shares once the deal received regulatory approval. Until then, the shares would be parked in a special-purpose company with just ¥30,000 ($292) in capital.

Japanese law says that a company planning an acquisition that raises antitrust issues must report its plans to the Fair Trade Commission before an agreement. The commission said Thursday that the Canon-Toshiba arrangement could be viewed as skirting the law by effectively doing the transaction first and telling regulators later.

Takeshi Shinagawa, director of the commission’s mergers-and-acquisitions division, said it was the first time this technique had been used in Japan, and there is no clear rule against it.

“We decided to make an announcement about the warning to let everyone know that it is not acceptable, so the same method won’t be used in the future,” Mr. Shinagawa said. He added that companies have asked the FTC whether it passes muster.

Canon said it took the warning seriously. “We will firmly follow the law while improving transparency of our business,” the company said in a written statement.

Toshiba, which also received a warning, said it didn’t think there was anything illegal about the deal, but added that it would continue to work on improving compliance.

The medical-equipment business was one of Toshiba’s few steady profit makers. The business makes and supplies equipment such as X-ray machines, computed tomography scanners and magnetic-resonance-imaging systems.

The unit’s sale drew wide interest, including from U.S. private-equity firms. Ultimately, the bidding came down to Canon, which is seeking growth drivers as its camera business deteriorates, and Fujifilm, which has been expanding its medical business.

That made it a battle between two of Japan’s most prominent executives: 80-year-old Fujio Mitarai, who has led Canon for two decades, and Shigetaka Komori, 76, who is credited with keeping Fujifilm prospering even after its film business withered.

Fujifilm responded bitterly after it lost, calling the deal’s structure “extremely tricky” and saying Canon treated the FTC with a lack of respect that “would be unthinkable for a company such as ours that has a policy of acting openly, fairly and clearly.”

Fujifilm said Thursday it isn’t satisfied with the FTC’s decision to let the deal stand: “We demand an explanation for why the scheme was allowed this time when it is not going to be accepted in the future. It was an unfair fight for us.”