One-stop printing partner Konica Minolta

ONE-STOP PRINTING PARTNER

Konica Minolta develops, manufactures and sells printing devices to customers in all segments. Its products include multifunction printers for SMB customers, to high-end printing devices for production printing customers. Marco Siebel talks to general manager Akira Fujita to find out more.

Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH operates from the German town of Langenhagen. In 2011 its revenue reached €1.85 billion, and it has a €2 billion revenue target for 2012 as well as a more than €2.5 billion revenue target for 2015. In Europe, 7400 employees work from 30 countries, serving 68 countries in the EMEA area. The parent company is Konica Minolta, located in Japan. Other business areas include optics, healthcare and industrial ink-jet.

Since Konica Minolta started operating in Europe in 1965 it has become known for selling its mid-range multifunction colour printers. It holds a leading position in the market for printers in category 2 (20-29ppm) and category 3 (30-39ppm).

Akira Fujita, general manager business operations Konica Minolta Business Solutions Europe GmbH, talked about customer intimacy, digital production printing, IT service management and the promising

business opportunities he is expecting from the African continent.

“Focusing on the ‘Colour’ business has always been the first priority for us. We have just launched our new competitive products bizhub C224, C284 and C364, and so far the acceptance from our sales channels and the customers have been quite successful. Our business is no longer just selling the boxes to customers. Our business now involves offering customers complete IT service management solutions, where our printers are just part of a larger whole.”

Staying close to customers

Sales and market share are of course very important to Konica Minolta, but the company says it has shifted its focus from being purely a sales company to being a consultant, solution and service provider all in one. It has now become an important IT services management partner for many multinationals and companies in the small and medium business sector.

Akira Fujita continued: “Our businesses have traditionally relied on technology and product innovation to keep our competitive advantage. However, as products became commodities owing to global competition

and relentless technological advances, the battleground for differentiation and customer value creation shifted to developing close customer relationships and services.”

Digital production printing

Another important business area for Konica Minolta is production printing. Two years ago Konica Minolta launched its flagship machine, the bizhub Press C8000, which is especially geared towards the commercial printing business. Bizhub C8000 is top selling model in that environment. The other bizhub Press series (C7000/C6000/C6000L) has now been installed the central reprographic departments of many major multinational customers. Together with its business partner Komori, a strong player in the offset market, both companies now have further opportunity to enhance Digital production printing business in commercial printing environment.

Akira Fujita added: “There are huge opportunities in the market for wide format devices. We are providing not only the hardware but also the service package.”

IT service management

IT service management has become an important part of Konica Minolta’s business portfolio. The company recently acquired two IT service companies: Koneo in Sweden and Serians in France.

Global major account

Konica Minolta added two major global accounts: one is a German carmaker and the other is a globally operating insurance company.

Akira Fujita continued: “We have a strong intention to become the brand which is known globally for its one-stop printing and solution services. One of our strengths is our global sales and support network – an important factor to convince customers who operate globally.”

African continent

In April 2012, Konica Minolta established a sales company in Turkey. Further plans to expand operations in northern and eastern Africa exist and are to be implemented in the near future.

Akira Fujita concluded: “Normally, when people are speaking of growing markets or emerging markets, they often mean BRICS. For us (Konica Minolta Europe), our emerging markets are the Middle East and the central Asian countries, and especially the African continent. We want to be the first to enter the market on that promising continent, where markets are still in waiting to boom. And we want to be there when that happens.” n