Ricoh
Business Booster
Assessment
Services
RICOH BUSINESS BOOSTER ASSESSMENT SERVICES • VOLUME 01 • SEPTEMBER 2014
ROI ANALYSIS
ANALYZE
REQUIREMENTS
IMPROVE
EFFICIENCY
ARCHITECT A
SOLUTION
PREPARE FOR
Analyze, Architect and Prepare:
The print industry is changing at a rapid pace. Over the last few years, new digital technologies and solutions have brought a dramatic shift in how customers share information. Print, mobile, Web and e-mail strategies are all part
of the communication equation.
According to a recent InfoTrends study, the number 1 priority of most service providers is workflow automation. Industries producing Critical Communications, such as Healthcare and Insurance, are under regulatory compliance pressure to be error free and automated. Digital Printers and In-Plants require a Web-enabled strategy that ensures a great customer experience and a streamlined process to efficiently order and deliver print and nonprinted material in quantities of 1. Print-on-demand environments producing critical color applications need to automate their color management to stay relevant and successful. In order to optimize revenues and profitability MIS capabilities are needed to make real time, fact-based decisions that drive continuous improvement. The bottom line is this: Integrated solutions are needed to solve these challenges and a significant amount of due diligence should be done upfront before choosing, investing in and implementing advanced software solutions. Ricoh’s Assessment Services simplify the process required to analyze, architect and prepare for advanced solutions that streamline workflow and enable future success. The appropriate subject matter experts, with decades of experience in each of these disciplines, are on staff and ready to architect an integrated solution and build a return on investment that scales for any size business operation.
How it works:
The first step to engaging Ricoh on an Assessment is to talk to your Ricoh Sales Representative and Production Specialist. Based on your requirements and priorities they will discuss with you the type of workflow assessments available, how to get started, time frames and fees. The appropriate subject-matter expert responsible for the Assessment will then contact you to review the scope of the engagement and its expectations.
Benefits include:
• A structured and efficient approach to align priorities across multiple stakeholders
• Creating a blueprint and plan required for integrated solutions that automate manual workflows • Minimizing project scope creep common to complex software implementations
• Leveraging existing technology investments
• Benchmarking your organization against industry standards and implementing best practices • Increasing utilization of equipment and employees’ time
• Improving your technology Return on Investment
GAP Analysis
Helps print and marketing service provider organizations identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the overall operation. Is the operation breaking even or maximizing margin opportunities? Are the services being offered on par with the profit leaders in the industry? This assessment consists of 6-8 hours of interviews with management and key stakeholders leading to a detailed follow-up engagement highlighting key findings and recommendations.
Conducted by Ricoh Managing Consultant
Color GAP Analysis
This one-day service will examine an organization’s color processes to uncover current strengths as well as highlight opportunities for color accuracy and consistency improvement. The result is a detailed report with a best practices recommendation to achieve the highest level of color quality and repeatability without any additional investments in hardware, software, staff, and environment.
Conducted by Ricoh G7 Color Management Expert
Print and Mail Operational Assessment
Over a two-day agenda, Ricoh will perform a detailed operations tour and sit down with stakeholders from every
department. The outcome is a Findings Report that will outline strengths and offer recommendations to help reduce cost, increase quality, provide greater visibility into operations and better support compliance.
Conducted by Ricoh Solutions Architect
Web & Marketing Asset Management Strategy Assessment
A Web-based print and marketing asset management platform is essential to competing in the market and optimizing production. One of the key goals of this assessment is to provide the customer with a Web strategy that will improve the customer experience and automate the fulfillment of both print and marketing assets. Execution of the plan will ultimately drive business results, including profitable revenue growth, lower operating costs, and improved customer retention.
Conducted by Ricoh Solutions Development Manager
MIS Assessment
In today’s competitive environment a robust, functional MIS and Web solution is a minimum business requirement for Print and Marketing Service Providers. This consultative service is all about workflow and efficiency. It identifies ways for print shops to become faster and more efficient with their labor while increasing visibility to production costs. An MIS solution requires a significant amount of planning and investment and it is critical that you have a detailed plan. This service will ensure you pick the right solution and provide you with a strategy and design to integrate an MIS solution into your existing environment.
Conducted by Ricoh Solutions Development Manager
DESCRIPTION
Ricoh’s comprehensive GAP Analysis was created to help Print Service Providers that are struggling to grow revenues or maintain competitiveness. This process will help reset priorities and refine your business plan.
The process consists of detailed, one-on-one interviews between Ricoh Managing Consultants and owners or departmental managers in your organization. During the interview, we’ll pore over the current state of staffing, equipment, and IT infrastructure, with the goal of bringing to light any unforeseen gaps that are inhibiting growth and the expansion of services. Then we’ll examine the communication flow between departments and uncover gaps in training that are creating workflow inefficiencies and inhibiting profitability, growth or customer execution. Plus, we’ll look at your overall services and value proposition to ensure they match up with your customers’ expectations and meet their needs.
Once you have a clear picture of the current state of your business and what new workflow technologies, equipment, skills, or services you may need to implement, you’ll be on your way toward new opportunities and profitable growth.
OUTCOME
Organizations that have completed our GAP Analysis are armed with the insight needed to broaden competencies, solve communication issues, and evolve to a more competitive business model that is positioned for growth. Once the engagement is completed Ricoh will:
• Present a formal report on our findings
• Provide an effective execution plan with strategy and direction
DURATION
The GAP Analysis service is a 6-8 hour remote interview(s) process with owners and managers, and includes a detailed follow-up engagement highlighting key results.
TARGET CUSTOMER ENVIRONMENT
• In-plant Print Shops • Central Reprographics • Digital Printers • Commercial Printers • Service Bureaus • Franchise Printers • Sign Shops/Printers Conducted by Ricoh Managing Consultant
Close all gaps. Open new opportunities.
DESCRIPTION
The Color GAP Analysis is a one-day service, designed to uncover current strengths as well as highlight opportunities for improvement within a print facility. It begins with an initial interview with the business owner(s) to gain a broad overall view of the print operation’s color processes, gain perspectives and insight and identify specific color management goals. Following the executive interview, your Ricoh Color Expert will explore the effectiveness of your current operating procedures, equipment and staff as it relates to color management. Depending on your equipment, the Ricoh Color GAP Analysis may include some or all of the following:
STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS
• Meetings with design staff on current design practices
• Production staff meetings on current production procedures and color verification processes
EQUIPMENT AND MATERIAL EVALUATION
• Printing equipment (conventional and digital presses, proofing systems, etc.) • Scanning equipment
• Photography equipment • Measurement devices
• Standard house stocks and other substrates • Consumables (plates, proof material, ink sets, etc.)
• Evaluation of software used (versions, updates available, etc.)
STAFF EVALUATION
• Color deficiency and color blindness tests with main operators and design staff • Color tolerance tests with operators and designers
TARGET CUSTOMER ENVIRONMENT
• In-plant Print Shops • Central Reprographics • Digital Printers • Commercial Printers • Book Publishers/ Printers • Franchise Printers • Sign Shops/Printers Conducted by Ricoh G7 Color Management Expert
Color GAP Analysis
Color GAP Analysis
ENVIRONMENT EVALUATION
• Workflow and job ticket process analysis (MIS, planning, estimating, purchasing) • Test lighting and viewing conditions
• Quality control process inspection • Supplier and procurement inspections
OUTCOME
After the analysis is completed, the results are documented in a detailed report along with a best practices recommendation to achieve the highest level of color accuracy and repeatability without any additional investments in hardware, software, staff, and environment. The report then compares the outcome of the analysis with the goals from the initial interview and outlines recommendations to improve workflows, standard operating procedures, environmental conditions and staff education, if necessary.
DURATION
• Initial interview: 1 hour (via phone)
• Site, equipment and staff evaluation: 4-6 hours (on-site)
• Delivery of review of final report and recommendation: 1 hour (via Webex)
Print & Mail Operational Assessment
DESCRIPTION
Ricoh has assembled a dedicated team of document workflow specialists whose sole focus is to help professional print environments optimize their businesses. This service is available to current as well as prospective Ricoh customers.
Over the course of two days, Ricoh consultants will meet with your management teams and key stakeholders. We perform an operations tour, a discussion with print and inserting/fulfillment and mail, and conduct one-on-one input sessions with marketing as well as internal customers. The goal of these meetings is to gather as much insight and information as possible so that we can generate a realistic and actionable Findings Report. In it, we’ll benchmark your workflows and equipment against other document production centers, and provide a clear picture of how you stack up. The report will outline where your strengths lie and what issues and challenges you may face going forward, then offer immediate recommendations that can help reduce cost, increase quality, provide greater visibility into operations, close information gaps and better support compliance requirements.
OUTCOME
For those producing hundreds of thousands of mail pieces per month in industries as wide-ranging as insurance, healthcare, or utilities, Ricoh’s on-site readiness assessment can have a significant impact on the future of your business. Armed with insights gleaned from our Findings Report, you’ll know exactly where to upgrade technologies and
how to best budget for the future, all with the goal of maximizing success. After this engagement we will:
• Provide a detailed Findings Report, which can include a Document IT Technical process map, job step analysis and capacity and utilization analysis, among other items
• Provide an assessment of your print workflow strengths and weaknesses • Provide recommendations and best practices to increase quality and integrity,
streamline operation through technology, reduce cost
DURATION
This service takes place over two days, consisting of interviews, an operational tour and information gathering on Day One, and then a Key Findings presentation on Day Two.
TARGET CUSTOMER ENVIRONMENT
• In-plant Print Shops with critical communications such as Healthcare, Financial Services, Insurance, Government, Telco and Utilities • Digital Transaction Printers • Commercial Printers • Service Bureaus • Mail House Conducted by
Ricoh Solutions Architect
DESCRIPTION
Ricoh has a dedicated team of workflow specialists whose sole focus is to help Enterprise Marketers and Print Service Providers develop a winning web strategy as it relates to Marketing Asset Management and Print fulfillment.
For Enterprise Marketers a detailed assessment with all key stakeholders identifying goals and system gaps will be completed. This includes an analysis of Marketing
Communication’s digital assets, workflow, compliance, personalized communications and fulfillment requirements.
For Print Service Providers looking to grow the business by providing end-to-end marketing and fulfillment solutions this assessment will deliver more than just a recommendation to buy a software package. Print Service Providers can deliver a wide range of applications for end users in a number of vertical markets. From customized billing transactions to targeted direct mail campaigns or personalized print marketing, these solutions can deliver new revenue streams and profitable growth. In scope will be the evaluation of current Web strategy and workflow, current technology capabilities, end user job submission and customer base analysis.
In both environments the scope of engagement can be customized. At completion of the assessment an integrated strategy and plan will be delivered to the key stakeholders.
OUTCOME
After this engagement we will:
• Provide a detailed Findings Report, which can include a summary of business requirements and job step analysis, among other items
• Give an assessment of your workflow strengths and weaknesses
• Provide recommendations and best practices to streamline operations, support compliance, and reduce cost
DURATION
This service takes place over one to two days consisting of interviews, operational tour and information gathering and then a Key Findings presentation on Day Two.
TARGET CUSTOMER ENVIRONMENT
• Enterprise Marketing Departments
• Print & Marketing Service Providers • In-Plant Print Shops &
Central Reprographics • Multi-media Agencies • Key industries with critical communications such as Healthcare, Pharma, Associations, Education, Insurance, Financial Services & Manufacturing • Business models such as Franchise, Distributors and multi-channel sales Conducted by Ricoh Solutions Development Manager
From customer to Web. Repeat.
DESCRIPTION
Ricoh has assembled a dedicated team of production workflow specialists whose sole focus is to help professional print operations optimize their businesses.
For those customers interested in upgrading to an integrated Web and MIS system, this assessment service is a perfect fit. An in-depth evaluation of every aspect of your business is performed, including job intake, pre-production, production and finishing, shipping, reporting and accounting, sales and systems integration. A full report with recommended next steps is provided post assessment.
OUTCOME
After this engagement we will:
• Provide a detailed Findings Report
• Give an assessment of your print and fulfillment workflow strengths and weaknesses • Give recommendations on immediate steps to reduce errors and save money
DURATION
4-16 hours followed by a full review of the Findings Report.
TARGET CUSTOMER ENVIRONMENT
• In-plant Print Shops • Digital Printers • Commercial Printers • Book Publishers/ Printers • Franchise Printers • Sign Shops/Printers Conducted by Ricoh Solutions Development Manager
Implement. Streamline. Then analyze.
W W W . R I C O H B U S I N E S S B O O S T E R . C O M
