Ricoh's hands-free collaboration tool for its field technicians earns company a spot on IDG's CIO 100 List for 2019

MALVERN, Pa., May 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- IDG's CIO has announced Ricoh USA, Inc. as a recipient of a 2019 CIO 100 award for Smart Hands, a hands-free way for field technicians to connect directly, immediately with cloud-hosted knowledge repositories and subject matter experts (SMEs), helping to improve first-time fix rate and customer satisfaction. The 32nd annual award program recognizes organizations around the world that exemplify the highest level of operational and strategic excellence in information technology (IT).

Maryfran Johnson, Executive Director, CIO Programs, IDG. "This year's CIO 100 winning companies are inspiring examples of how IT leadership, business collaboration and digital transformation will drive future growth. Across the business landscape, companies everywhere recognize the vital role that an innovative, value-driven approach to information technology plays in their success," said Maryfran Johnson, Executive Director, CIO Programs, IDG. "This year's CIO 100 winning companies are inspiring examples of how IT leadership, business collaboration and digital transformation will drive future growth."

Smart Hands enables Ricoh's 4,500 field technicians to have instant, hands-free contact with the company's resources, including the product knowledgebase and live support from SMEs. Ricoh technicians are trained across all of the company's 300-plus product lines and have certifications including A+, Net+, MCSE, Security+, Mobility+ and ITIL. Keeping that volume of information straight can be difficult, especially at the level of depth and breadth required for troubleshooting and repair. Smart Hands places the information within easy reach, while keeping technicians' hands free, so collaboration and research can continue in parallel with repair. A voice-controlled, head-mounted device allows technicians to both provide a live feed of what they see and access information or collaborate in real time. By enhancing collaboration in this way, Ricoh is able to promote technology uptime and decrease the need for multiple site visits, driving down median time to repair (MTTR) and driving up first-time fix rate (FTFR), both of which contribute to customer productivity and satisfaction.

Kris Rao, Vice President and Head of Information Technology, Ricoh USA, Inc. "As part of Ricoh's business transformation, we have emphasized empowering digital workplaces, which means connecting people to information faster and more conveniently than ever before. We help customers improve employee productivity, grow their business effectiveness and efficiency, and better serve their own customers. Businesses seek more advanced, cost-efficient delivery models and Smart Hands is just that. It empowers Ricoh's technical services to 'practice what they preach,' by creating a shared knowledge platform that enables an immediate access to the information required to solve complex customer issues. Smart Hands is a natural evolution of Ricoh's strong focus on customer outcomes, including uptime, productivity and service satisfaction," said Kris Rao, Vice President and Head of Information Technology, Ricoh USA, Inc. "As part of Ricoh's business transformation, we have emphasized empowering digital workplaces, which means connecting people to information faster and more conveniently than ever before. We help customers improve employee productivity, grow their business effectiveness and efficiency, and better serve their own customers. Businesses seek more advanced, cost-efficient delivery models and Smart Hands is just that. It empowers Ricoh's technical services to 'practice what they preach,' by creating a shared knowledge platform that enables an immediate access to the information required to solve complex customer issues."

The CIO 100 Symposium & Awards Ceremony, to be held Wednesday evening, August 21, at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Executives from the winning companies will be recognized at The CIO 100 Symposium & Awards Ceremony, to be held Wednesday evening, August 21, at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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