Here’s How Ricoh Is Focusing Squarely on Digital Services

Digital services have arguably never been more important than right now. True, almost every industry on the planet has been engaged in some form of digital transformation for many already. However, the COVID-19 crisis has created an environment where digital is no longer even vaguely an option.

Thanks to lockdown restrictions transforming the way we work, the need for digital services has never been greater. While many countries are now coming out of the worst of the pandemic, thanks to vaccinations, the daily infection rates are still high and mask wearing, and social distancing continue to be recommended.

This environment is leading to some companies changing their focus entirely and prioritizing digital services to make their offering more relevant than ever.

Ricoh

One such brand is Japanese multinational imaging and electronics company, Ricoh. Driven by increasing demand for digital services the American wing of the brand, Ricoh USA has elected to divert resources away from its physical technology products and into its digital services offering.

"We’re bringing people, processes and technology together," said Ricoh USA Senior Vice President of Technology and Head of The Digital Services Center, Bob Lamendola. "The history of Ricoh has always been in print and data management and [data] capture. And it’s still a big part of our business going forward as we deal with process automation and digital transformation."

The increased focus on digital services includes a number of offerings designed to streamline the working lives of Ricoh USA’s clients – especially when it comes to service and maintenance. Business process automation, remote and hybrid work collaboration, and communication, and many more services form a broad portfolio of cloud and IT infrastructure products.

The Ricoh Digital Services Centre is the hub of this new focus and will serve as the base from which these innovative services will be delivered. Located within Ricoh USA’s Exton, Pa., headquarters, The Digital Services Centre will facilitate the development, management, and operationalization of the company’s digital services strategy, roadmap, and an ever-expanding portfolio of solutions.

One element of field service which rarely gets much attention is cybersecurity and this is an avenue Ricoh is going down as well. Any modern technology connected to the internet is vulnerable to attack and maintaining the security of these devices is just as important as keeping physical machines operating at full efficiency (this author recalls a story from a few years back where a successful cyber-attack on a casino was carried out by hacking a connected fish tank thermostat).

Among Ricoh’s cybersecurity offering is RansomCare, a "multi-layered ransomware containment solution designed to identify, contain and isolate ransomware attacks at the source, limiting their impact on data integrity, system downtime, productivity and overall operations." Ransomware is one of the biggest cybersecurity threats around today and any modern digitally savvy company should be prepared for such an attack.

Predictive Maintenance

Ricoh also offers its own AI powered predictive maintenance service.

Predictive maintenance has become a powerful force in the world of field service. Digital sensors embedding within devices and machines allow data to be constantly fed back to centralized servers and alert field service providers to potential issues before they get out of hand. Shutdowns can be incredibly costly, so having technology which can make sure faults are addressed before they reach this stage is one of the most useful tools a company which relies on machinery can have in its kit.

However, Ricoh goes one step further with its innovative and proprietary vibration sensing technology.

"Many hazards exist in a machine tool: chips with sharp edges flying fast, coolants of various chemical properties, strong electromagnetic noise, and more," says Ricoh USA on its website. "Ricoh has developed a special sensor that features resistance against shock, chemicals, and noise, and captures micro-vibrations in the audio and ultrasonic frequency ranges. The pickup covers ultrasonic vibrations not audible to the human ear."

By analyzing the output from these sensors, Ricoh’s field service experts can detect faults developing in machines that aren’t limited to failing components. These issues can be indicative are larger problems and fixing them early can make the world of difference – both in terms of productivity and financial outlay – to Ricoh USA’s field service clients.

Final Thoughts

Digital services are the future of field service, of that there is little doubt. With a massive and rapidly expanding portfolio of services, Ricoh certainly understands this fact, and it will be fascinating to see what this innovative company produces next.

Digital services are bound to be a hot topic at Field Service Palm Springs 2022, taking place in April at the JW Marriott Desert Springs.

Download the agenda for more information and insights.