Blog Posts for Strategy

“Change is the only constant in life.”

This popular quote has been attributed to Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher born in 554 BC. Much more recently, in 2020, Mark Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur, said, “The only constant of business is change.” How true both statements are! In fact, at no other time in recent memory have they been truer than now. We experienced a lot of changes in 2020. From constant Zoom meetings in makeshift home offices to getting used to wearing masks and sheltering in place, all of us have had to learn how to adjust to a new way of life. Our country turned virtual, seemingly overnight, and companies had to scramble to adapt as their employees transitioned to remote work. (more…)

Last year, I wrote a blog exploring whether advertising is dead – the answer was a resounding no, but creating compelling and relevant content was key for optimising engagement. Fast-forward to 2020, and as the human race has had to adapt to a global pandemic, the question has once again resurfaced. And I’m now asking my team the question of whether we should be marketing our products and services to our customers. Knowing that many of our partners will be thinking along the same lines, I thought I’d revisit the topic in today’s context, and see how we can successfully engage audiences in this ‘next’ normal. (more…)

Recently I had the opportunity to speak to Bob Skelley from The Channel Company and Andy Slawetsky from Industry Analysts about the strategies my team has deployed to support the channel during the coronavirus outbreak, and how we will continue post-pandemic as they approach the reopening of their businesses. These conversations were a really great way to reflect on where we’ve been and how we can succeed in the future. (more…)

It’s no secret that real estate has always been a very paper-intensive industry. Paper dependency has always been the only option for brokers and sales associates because it’s been the easiest medium by which to communicate information with home buyers and sellers. The ability for a broker or associate to print a document and hand deliver or fax it to the intended party has been the tried-and-true process for decades. And, although not the most economically efficient process, it does get the job done. (more…)

Businesses use Information Technology to quickly and effectively process data every day. Employee communications via email, phone, smartphone apps and corporate social networks get faster and faster, enabling colleagues and clients near and far to get your information immediately.  All this electronic data (EDI) is critical for business operations, from transmitting purchase orders and payments to communicating policies and procedures.   Whether in-house or off-premise, you rely on your IT support systems to be up-to-date and work seamlessly to enable the transmission of data, store your information and give you access to what you need when you need it. What happens when it all stops? What happens if that back-up system and recovery solution you thought was infallible – fails your organization? Or more aptly, “Are you prepared for a natural disaster that totally destroys your location and disables all systems?” (more…)

Organizations today appreciate and understand the vital role that electronic information plays.  Systems that manage information need to be agile and should be responsive to changing business requirements. While working with our clients, we see several key drivers for enterprise digital modernization and transformation: (more…)

As an educator, my summers should be typically lighter with school sessions out. But since I represent Konica Minolta at the popular International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference each June, I get to teach administrators and educators about the latest technologies for educators we offer and hear from them about the hot issues on their minds. I recently attended ISTE 2017 in San Antonio, TX – along with about 20,000 other attendees – and learned a great deal from them myself. (more…)

Konica Minolta has more than two decades of combined experience in delivering technology-driven products. But in order for our business to remain market-relevant, we’ve embraced a major shift in our core work priorities to ensure we keep up with customer expectations. Key to this growth has been the acquisition of business that have expanded our portfolio of products and services.

As noted by Keypoint Intelligence-Buyers Lab Analysts, Konica Minolta has been recognized for its drive to anticipate and meet the needs of the future workplace. “The company has a clear vision of what the Smart Workplace of the Future should include, and through a combination of in-house product development, acquisitions, and partnerships, it has been actively pursuing this vision,” said Jamie Bsales, Director of Solutions Analysis at Keypoint Intelligence. (more…)

The evolution of document management is astounding.  When I was growing up, I handwrote my homework until I had access to a typewriter at my mother’s real estate office. What a treat to type  my reports for school!  They looked so professional. What could beat that?! Enter home computers. My father’s and grandparents’ computers were the holy grail of my homework experience. I no longer had to use white-out to correct my mistakes or start over entirely. Plus, I could save  my work inside  of a computer?! Amazing! (more…)

In 2010, Konica Minolta implemented a vertical marketing strategy and hired individuals like myself who were not from the office technology arena but whose expertise was in fields such as legal, healthcare, government, education, among others. Since that time, we have seen many of our dealers follow suit with vertical markets for their business. (more…)