INKJET HEADLINES consumables , and one for finished goods . There are also six satellite warehouses , allowing for the quickest possible product distribution . “ Both the primary and satellite distribution centres work as one so they look from our system viewpoint as a single instance of inventory , and we supply those . Part of our skill is to costeffectively manage both finished goods and parts effectively . We have very sophisticated logistics to support our base . Over a million of our printers are under service contracts in Europe , and they require support .”
Ricoh ’ s success within its sector has led to an inevitable flood of job applicants , forcing the company to be extremely careful during the selection process . “ What I didn ’ t want was for Ricoh to be a university for the rest of our industry ,” Williams says . “ We take training and recruitment very seriously . Retention is critical . The first couple of years is about offering opportunities to the employee , presenting the company in the best light , giving the person the right opportunities ; those things are critical to ensure retention while that person slowly becomes an expert in their field .” With Williams such a believer in bringing the company closer to its client base , Ricoh has made another step towards the customer by introducing an experience centre , which allows consumers to visit the European base in Telford and see Ricoh ’ s manufacturing processes close-up . “ We opened it just over a year ago , and we ’ ve had 150 customer visits since then . Manufacturing skills are displayed generically and specifically . We ’ ve had some very notable names in the aerospace , automotive , and petrochemical sectors that we ’ ve offered consultancy to in areas of smart manufacturing . We bring clients in for a specific enquiry , but we ’ re then able to include additional opportunities to those visits .”
The Telford base now has additive manufacturing machinery , and can offer demonstrations and consultancy regarding design technology and material selection . For Williams , this multi-faceted customer experience service fills a gap not touched on by small-medium manufacturers , and adds value to Ricoh as a successful – yet approachable – business .
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