Ricoh Australia’s response to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

In these trying circumstances we are seeing 1-in-6 Australian businesses (15%) have already been affected by the coronavirus, after over a quarter of Australian businesses (28%) said they have been affected by the extensive bushfires over the last few months according to a special Roy Morgan Snap SMS Survey of 1,170 Australian businesses. Ricoh is proactively helping our customers to enable their remote workforce, ensuring business continuity, as well as simply providing advice and assisting where we can.

Ricoh is actively monitoring the situation in line with updates from the government and health authorities. All employees who are able to work from home have been requested to do so and are encouraged to use Ricoh’s collaborative technology solutions to ensure continuity.

We have a business continuity steering committee with representation from across the business meeting daily to assess current and future business risks. Additionally, Ricoh’s supply chain team is regularly modelling scenarios for different global and economic conditions. They have well-developed supply chain management processes that can manage orders against the current conditions. This process is being further enhanced by customer feedback, assisting us to strengthen our business continuity planning.

Ricoh’s executive management team are implementing appropriate guidelines and protocols in response to recommendations and directions from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Australian State and Territory Governments. Our management team’s priority is the safety of our people, our customers and our communities.

As of 17th March 2020, Ricoh has put in place the following precautions/guidelines in response to the ongoing guidance of the WHO and the Australian Government:

• All domestic business travel between office locations, including between our Eastern Creek and North Ryde offices, is suspended until further notice
• All employees who have the ability to work from home have been requested to do so.
• All employees who have travelled internationally anywhere within the last 14 days are now required to self-isolate for 14 days from the time of returning to Australia
• All employees who have been in close contact with someone who has travelled internationally, anywhere, within the last 14 days are now required to self-isolate for 14 days from the date that the international traveller returned to Australia.

Ricoh is well positioned to rapidly implement a workplace utilisation management process to complement our business continuity program in circumstances where there is a need to relocate from our main business location to an alternate operation centre and/or take advantage of flexible work arrangements for our employees. Ricoh’s suite of workplace technology solutions ensure minimal disruption to our business operations. We are also able to provide technology solutions and flexible workplace assessment support for our customers in the event that they require alternate work arrangements for their employees.

To help safeguard the safety of our staff and customers, Ricoh has implemented the following protocols. When attending on site, our Field Service Technicians are advised to:

• Clean their hands with soap and water frequently.
• Wear disposable gloves on both hands when attending customer sites
• Clean device surfaces with anti-bacterial wipes and a suitable disinfecting solution before and after each service call.
• Practice social distancing by trying to stay 1.5 metres away from those around and forego handshakes or other forms of physical greeting; and
• Follow our Customers’ own COVID-19 protocols as reasonably advised.

Field Service Technicians are phoning customer site contacts prior to attending to an onsite service call to confirm attendance.

The following step-by-step guide can be shared with relevant personnel.

• Turn off machine power.
• Apply light amount of disinfecting alcohol (Isopropyl/Ethyl) onto cloth and wipe the operation panel, taking care not to pour alcohol solution directly onto operation panel or device surface.
• Wipe dry operation panel with dry soft cloth, if needed.
• Turn on machine power.

*Please take care to wipe down softly on the panel.

*Operation panels are not waterproof, so please do not apply any solution directly.

*Do not use any organic solvent, acid or alkali.

Ricoh is continually monitoring our supply chain for issues arising from the current crisis that may impact our operations, working closely with our suppliers to assess and minimise any potential effects. We have a well-established (Supply Chain Incident Management Process) that is enacted during such events, as well as clear protocols we follow around business continuity procedures. Currently, Ricoh is assessing critical activities with impacts on our operations.. Stock allocation across all regions is centrally managed, assisting each region with appropriate stock levels to manage customer requirements.

Ricoh’s regional and global supply chains have practices in place to minimise the impact on local supply chains and to ensure the continuity of essential supplies of products, parts and consumables for our customers. We will continue to work closely with our regional and global teams to secure appropriate levels of stock to meet customer requirements. To date, no orders been rescheduled by Ricoh due to COVID-19, however we are continuing to monitor the evolving situation, and will update our Customers proactive communication for any potential short term stock shortages.

Ricoh’s supply chain team regularly models scenarios for different global and economic conditions, and has a well-developed supply chain management process for fulfilment of orders against current global market conditions.

Ricoh’s factory operations largely recommenced in late February and we are not currently expecting any negative impacts on toner supply into Australia. Ricoh customers with office multifunction machines using @Remote, who have elected to have auto toner as a standard service, are continuing to receive toner via Ricoh’s S.M.A.R.T toner management system. Other customers should continue to order toner manually through our National Contact Centre or by placing a request at ricoh.com.au/support/order-supplies.

With over 16,000 active spare part product codes, Ricoh maintains a considerable inventory of spare parts in Australia. Via our national network of logistics partners, we can deliver spare parts to anywhere in Australia. In addition to the large stockholding at our National Distribution Centre at Eastern Creek in Sydney, we hold inventory of spare parts at multiple strategic locations in each capital city. Our field service technicians also carry spare parts in their service vehicles for a higher first-time fix rate.

We are working with our transportation partners and monitoring their services and preparedness on a regular basis. We are not experiencing disruption in service locally at present.

Yes. Ricoh is actively monitoring the impacts of COVID-19 for Ricoh, its employees, partners and customers. We are conducting supply chain assessments weekly with our regional partners and working closely with business units within Ricoh to monitor and mitigate the impacts and keep employees, partners and customers informed.

Ricoh is beginning to engage with customers requiring support for their remote-working and communication and collaboration solutions including:

• Building a Contingency plan that incorporates your team members and not just technology
• Audit of collaboration, remote audio-visual assets, internet reliability and performance to enable increased work from home
• Refreshing team training on the usage of smart connectivity, smart meeting and smart process tools
• Reviewing workspaces to enable better communication and collaboration solutions to ensure continuity of work between branch offices, overseas suppliers etc to overcome travel restrictions
• Securely digitise, classify, store and share paper assets enabling sustained document collaboration.
• Providing real time workplace and guest communication during evacuations with digital signage and visitor management solutions.

Customers can continue to contact Ricoh’s National Customer Care Centre (CCC) based in Sydney for all general support/service and supplies requests. The CCC’s operating hours are 8:00am to 7:00pm AEST or 8:00am to 8:00pm AEDT. Requests can be made 24/7 via our web portal.

In addition to our normal onsite services, Ricoh has added the ability for clients to speak directly to a field technician to attempt remote device repairs. This process minimises the requirement to attend in person at customer sites. Ricoh also maintains a comprehensive knowledgebase and self-help library.

Customers can also contact their Ricoh Account Manager or Service Delivery Manager for additional information or to address specific enquiries related to the ongoing delivery of Ricoh’s products, solutions and services during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

Finally, Ricoh has set up a dedicated email inbox for Customer enquires specifically related to COVID-19: Covid19info@ricoh.com.au