Ricoh UK has today announced that it will be undertaking the largest ever study of corporate in-plants and corporate reprographic departments (CRDs) in the UK, titled The Future of the Print Room. Over the next three months, the company will be conducting face-to-face surveys with 200 senior print room managers in order to build the most comprehensive picture to date of this burgeoning print sector’s capabilities and applications, staff levels; hardware and software on the ground and the issues that will decide its future development. Ricoh has teamed up with highly respected independent consultant, Dr Robert Dekena, of Germany’s document logistics specialists, DokuLog, to compile the study’s findings and the results are expected to be published in December this year.
Says Karen Lawrence, Ricoh UK Professional Print Solutions Manager: “An accurate picture of the current market is a vital tool for determining a path to future success, and this study will identify the opportunities for CRDs to further improve efficiencies and at the same time provide an insight into the health and future direction of this sector. Ricoh has its roots in the corporate print sector, which is now entering a very interesting time. Much like the wider industry, CRDs are adjusting to the demands for shorter turn around times and increased services. But with powerful digital print engines and specialist software in place in many CRDs, combined with the expertise of their personnel, many are now actively seeking to utilise any extra capacity by finding new markets and competing in the commercial print market. Thus, this sector’s performance has never been more relevant to the wider print industry.”
As well as current workloads/volumes; job formats and staffing levels, “The Future of the Print Room” study will also examine the printing and finishing hardware and software deployed by the UK’s CRDs, and look closely at their connectivity both within the IT infrastructure of their parent organisations and to those outside. It will also encourage CRD managers to make assessments of past and future market and technology developments and the expected levels of change in colour and black and white volumes to date and in the future. Ricoh believes the result will be the world’s most accurate and informative assessment of the UK corporate print sector and a critical resource for vital market statistics.
UK based Print Room Managers are being actively encouraged to participate in the study by a number of trade associations, including the Association of Print and Communication Managers (APCOM), the trade association for print room managers in local government. Says Mark Barlow, President of APCOM: “This study by Ricoh has APCOM’s full support. Access to clear and credible data is essential to the sector’s planning for the future and so we’ll be urging each of our members contacted by Ricoh to take part. The sector is in good general health and has readily embraced digital printing technologies and techniques; indeed variable data printing in black and white and full-colour documents is enjoying strong growth currently. But there are many challenges on the horizon, such as competition from external print suppliers and the perennial drive for improved efficiency, so we must do all that we can to ensure we’re well placed to meet these challenges head on.”
As one of the world’s leading independent consultants concerned with document output systems and solutions for major corporate organisations, DokuLog’s expertise has been crucial to compiling the study. When the findings of The Future of the Print Room study are announced in December, all survey participants will receive the published report of Dr Dekena’s findings and be invited to discuss and debate the results at an independent forum with DokuLog’s founder, Dr Dekena, - a discussion that will also be published by Ricoh UK.
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About Ricoh UK
Ricoh designs, develops and manufactures a complete range of print and document management, hardware, software and services which are tailored to meet individual customer needs. Its devices print, copy, scan and fax documents as an integrated part of the IT network and enterprise content management system. Software is used to audit usage, manage document flows, simplify business processes, control print expenditure and secure access. The company takes an innovative approach to research and development, having invented the first digital black & white copier and introducing the colour-capable device.
Ricoh established an Environmental Protection Office in 1976, and has been striving to minimise the effect of its activities on the environment ever since. Ricoh UK’s environmental credentials are second to none; it operates a zero-waste policy at all of its manufacturing plants and is investing in carbon reduction technologies to reduce the environmental impact of its operations rather than merely offsetting its carbon footprint. The company operates a dedicated ‘Green Centre’, where old machines are re-commissioned and recycled in line with WEEE Directive guidelines and accredited with ISO14001:2004 for environmental management. Ricoh has been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard that requires an organisation to measure, manage and reduce its carbon footprint and, for the fifth consecutive year, has also been named as one of the "Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World" by the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Further information can be found at www.ricoh.co.uk.
About DokuLog
Dokumentenlogistik & Management Beratung (Dokulog) is an independent, German based consultancy focussed on document logistics and efficient paper output management.
A customer oriented policy and the long term experience of founder Dr. Robert Dekena allows DokuLog to deliver sophisticated services to users and suppliers of output management solutions. Since 1990 Dr. Robert Dekena has followed the introduction and development of multifunctional devices from the user’s perspective. Helping users to analyse their situation, plan their output concepts and choose the right suppliers belongs to his core business as well as supporting the suppliers in understanding user needs and developing user oriented sales strategies with them.
Numerous publications in different print media and the internet (www.dokulog.eu) and an extensive reference list of customers in the public sector and in private companies show the long term experience of DokuLog. Regular collaboration with various partners and the integration in steady partnerships like ConsultingPartners (www.consultingpartners.net) complete the business.
Contact: Dr. Robert Dekena, rdekena@dokulog.de, 0049 (0)2202 239838
Information: www.dokulog.eu
