The modern office is a place of homage to the hi-tech revolution. Equipped with the usual array of printers, photocopiers and a multitude of computer workstations, it is a place of seemingly limitless possibilities. For the technicians who set up and manage these systems, the ultimate goal is to configure the equipment so that all resources are optimised and workflow streamlined. Achieving this is a complicated task and a challenge that many firms fail to meet.
For this reason, Ricoh Hong Kong, a Japanese-owned firm, has decided to add an office workflow consultancy wing to its local sales operation.
With more than 900 employees, Ricoh Hong Kong has set out some very clear directives and now needs to expand its workforce.
'Our new objective is to establish an office consultancy business in Hong Kong,' said Irene Lee Wai-man, senior manager for central services in Hong Kong. 'This is our own initiative so we will be leading the way as the first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region.'
The office consultancy service will operate as a sales team but with a strong consultancy twist. Working with both medium to large-scale multinational companies, it will carry out various levels of analysis to assess the company's needs and wishes in terms of document printing and reproduction.
'This team will be different from our normal sales teams,' said Wilma Wong Wai-kwan, manager of marketing communications and business development. 'The objective is to understand our clients' needs in terms of their workflow and productivity, and then offer them a proposal that is tailor-made for them.'