Product Blogs

Five Really Cool Features on the New Ricoh IM 7000 & IM 8000 MFPs

I can't remember the last time I wrote one of these, it to be TBC (time before Covid).  I think at this point in time we all need to be realize that we'll probably be placing less and less of these devices in the field. The longer larger businesses stay out of the office could ultimately spell the demise of our largest office style MFP's.  In fact I could see a future of where they are made to order and the waiting time could be as much as a few months.

But for now there are still opportunities out their with existing clients who still have a paper based and or heavy scanning work flow. Hoping in the next few months we'll be at TAC (time after Covid) and we'll all have a better understanding of how our clients have or have not changed.

Always Current Technology
If you're not talking about ACT then your competition will be. It amazes me how quick the competition can roll out their version of the same feature set and bring it to market.  What that tells you is that clients and manufacturers are seeing the value of consistently having their devices up to date for added functionality, features, and security.  If you're not having that security talk with your client then your competition is.

Ricoh Intelligent Support

Another winner in my book! There was a time when any issue with a clients device required putting a tech on site. In some cases the response time was less that 4 hours and in some cases more than four hours. In addition there were many times when the copier went down that it stopped a client from processing orders, and printing invoices.  I am one who can tell you that having that talk with a client that needs a tech asap is not the most pleasurable conversation.  All of that has now changed with RIS. With RIS,  help desk technicians now have the ability to remote into the MFP and make corrective measures. The result is a better client experience and another arrow in your quiver to help our clients.

Ricoh Smart Integration

I was a big fan or Ricoh ICE (Integrated Cloud Environment) and sold quite a few to my clients.  Think of RSI as the new enhanced version of ICE because there are now additional opportunities for clients to add dedicated workflows for scanning.  Those workflows can keep an account "sitcky" for when the time comes to upgrade that device. In addition basics of OCR, scan2word, scan2exel and mobile print is a no brainer for $10 per month.

Copy Tray

You may not think this is a big deal, however there are many clients that are jammed for space.  The thought of attaching an additional finisher/stapler to the device just to hold prints is not an attractive offering to a client that does not need to staple. In addition some of my competitors can only offer a stapler/finisher. Win, win for the client and me.

Smart Integration Advanced Workflows

Where the heck is John when I need him?  I'll be the first one to admit that the advanced worklfows is something that I'm still learning.  I understand the concept and the technology but still trying to grasp the talk track to uncover a clients need for the advanced part.  While I can't you much more about the advanced workflows. I can only tell you what I've read.  Advanced workflows are used for scanning, in addition rules (just calling them that) can be set up to automatically classify document types and route them to appropriate destinations in the cloud, local folder or a watch folder (syncs with a data base).

In addition if you have or find existing clients that are using Sharepoint the advanced workflow can be configured to work like a document management system.  It's really cool and really exciting!

I know I didn't tell you much on that one, but my point is the average sales person will still be talking speeds and feeds and you'll be two steps ahead.

-=Good Selling=-

FYI, this is a blog I wrote 10 years about about Ricoh A4 color.  I forgot to copy it over from the old site.  So now it's here.

Ricoh's Zeus "Father of Gods and Copiers"

Hesiod's Theogony  labeled Zeus as "Father of Gods and men".  Ricoh Corporation is set to launch "Zeus" (engineering name) their first (home grown, one member of the P4P'er is claiming Lexmark, I'm thinking no to the Lexmark thingy) color A4 multifunctional device within weeks.  Over at the Print4Pay Hotel forums there's been quite a bit of talk about these new systems.  Word at the Hotel is that there will be four different models.  The Aficio MPC300 and the MPC300SR (Finisher) will be 30 page a minute color A4 devices, and then the MPC400, and the MPC400SR (Finisher) will be 40 page a minute color devices.

It's been a few years since I attended a meeting at Ricoh to discuss the emergence of A4 devices and what type of effect they were having on the market place. Almost three years from the anniversary of that meeting Ricoh will officially enter the color A4 market with a Segment Two and Three system.

I'm hoping that Ricoh does not follow the likes of Sharp, Samsung and KonicaMinolta when it comes to cost per page pricing.  For years I've been touting that what we (Sales) need in the field is an A4 device whether color or monochrome that has an A3 cost per page model.  If this goal is to capture additional clicks then why even lower cost A4's to market with higher cost per pages than A3 models.  The one downfall of the A4 MFP's is the lower hardware cost, which means lower profits (hey, I thought no one made a profit on the box and it was the supply revenue), which in turn means everyone will have to sell more boxes to maintain current profit levels!  We'll see, I'm hoping for a kick butt Cost Per Page, but I'm not betting the ranch here.

A few questions about the new Zeus:

• Where will the cost per page be for color and monochrome?
• Will it be manufactured in China or elsewhere?
• Will it have an ARDF and not and not an ADF?
• Will it have additional Paper Feed Units?
• Will it work with APP2ME?
• Will it have a Document Server?
• Will it print from an SD Card or USB?

Really, I can't wait for this system to hit the streets!!!  Zeus could really be the "Father of all Copiers" and be an exciting new product that will increase sales, in a industry that really needs a shot in the arm!