As a Konica Minolta Philosophy Ambassador I was fortunate to attend the Transform Award and Business Contribution Award (TA/BCA) ceremony in Hachioji, Japan this summer. The TA/BCA ceremony is held annually and serves to recognize teams within our 44,000+ employees who showcase transformational and innovative thinking. My role, as a Philosophy Ambassador is to witness and advocate for our six core values, which are clearly exemplified by each of these teams. Open and honest. Customer-centric. Innovative. Passionate. Inclusive and collaborative. Accountable.
This latest acquisition is exciting because it positions Konica Minolta as a full-service provider to the dealer channel with the extension of FORZA in addition to managed IT services, enterprise content management, voice over IP (VoIP), multi-function devices and industrial print. (more…)
The ‘Workplace of the Future™’ is often associated with disruptive technologies, such as artificial intelligence, robotics and IoT, filled with promises of how it will positively revolutionize the way we work. As exciting as all of these technologies are, the journey towards the realization of the future workplace must first begin by fundamentally understanding the people that technology must serve. Put another way, to truly build the ‘Workplace of the Future™’, companies must invest and strategize also on how to build the ‘Workforce of the Future’.
If organizations consider the changes that the future workforce will likely demand of the workplace, then they will be better placed to consider what tools are most appropriate to attract and retain the best talent. (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 technology industry is buzzing with predictions about what the Workplace of the Future™ will look like. Despite the many discussions, we’re really only on the brink of truly understanding what will make up the workplace. In the past, the concept of work has been focused on units of labor or inputs and outputs. Today, technology is shifting the paradigm of work. You only have to consider the following statistics to realize the idea of work being centered on a physical place is no longer valid: [i] (more…)
Change is in the Air: Transformation Underway
Konica Minolta has always been a brand with transformation and change as part of its DNA, ingrained in the company culture. From having a Minolta camera on the first American manned shuttle that went into space in 1962, to releasing the world’s first 35 mm camera with auto focus in 1977, we have had many world firsts. As our CEO Shoei Yamana mentioned in a recent interview with the Financial Times, innovation at Konica Minolta has historically been focused on ‘over engineering’ our products. In times of stability, such product innovations absolutely have their place. However, today our traditional market place has shrunk dramatically. For Konica Minolta to retain market relevancy, we have to shift our focus to customer value. It is definitely a very different focus to “how can we make our products better.” And so, over the last four years, Konica Minolta’s innovative journey has been accelerating like never before. With the establishment of our Business Innovation Centers, expansion of our R&D facilities globally, and our acquisitions, Konica Minolta is closer than ever to our clients. All this is supporting Konica Minolta’s transformation into a leading edge IT Services business. (more…)
Earlier this year I attended a program at the Connecticut Forum entitled “Disruption! Innovators in business, media and culture,” and was reminded that disruption is happening in all industries in diverse ways. The Forum’s preface suggested that the disruption that we have heard about is connected to “disruptive innovation,” a term coined by Clayton M. Christensen to mean “when a small company with fewer resources can successfully challenge incumbent businesses.” Facebook, Netflix and Amazon were cited as examples. Basically, it’s a new idea that prompts a shift in an industry, giving us a new way to operate. (more…)
Content Management, From Our Experts, Solutions, Strategy, Technology
A gorgeous week of weather in Southern California welcomed our 2017 FutuREady Conference as we hosted approximately 200 dealer partners and over 700 attendees to support them and the future of their businesses. The week was capped off with the Blue Angels Foundation Konica Minolta Golf & Tennis Classic, a charitable event that supports our military veterans. The combination of business and charity brings perspective, motivation and additional purpose to an otherwise professional event. (more…)
Corporate Citizenship, From Our Experts, Leadership, Marketing, Solutions, Strategy, Technology
Generating a steady stream of revenue and ensuring document security are big objectives for a business of any size to survive. But many of them – especially small businesses – neglect to adopt a comprehensive means for tracking multifunction printer (MFP) usage and recovering costs. Additionally, many businesses don’t take the necessary precautions to protect and secure files across their organization. The result? They’re tossing a bundle of valuable funds into the wind while leaving their organization open to security breaches and threats. (more…)
Last year, Konica Minolta launched a new portfolio called “Workplace of the Future,™” which integrates existing solutions with new technologies from Konica Minolta’s Business Innovation Center in Silicon Valley. As a founding member of this practice, I have had the opportunity to become fully immersed in the trends and opportunities in the connected office sector through conversations with 75+ startup leaders, extensive industry research, and an active presence at industry conferences. (more…)
Cloud, Content Management, From the Experts, Solutions, Strategy, Technology