{"id":19497,"date":"2022-09-26T12:31:34","date_gmt":"2022-09-26T11:31:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/apac\/?p=19497"},"modified":"2022-10-19T12:43:16","modified_gmt":"2022-10-19T11:43:16","slug":"ive-group-selects-ricoh-as-a-preferred-print-partner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intelligentcio.com\/apac\/2022\/09\/26\/ive-group-selects-ricoh-as-a-preferred-print-partner\/","title":{"rendered":"IVE Group selects Ricoh as a preferred print partner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ricoh, a leading provider of smart workplace technology, has announced it has been selected as a preferred print partner by leading holistic communications and marketing company, IVE Group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Founded in 1921, IVE Group offers a broad range of creative, data-driven services as well as a portfolio of print and production capabilities. The company\u2019s 2,000 staff serve clients throughout Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IVE Group Chief Operations Officer \u2013 Data-Driven Communications, Brent McCulloch, says the decision was made in December last year and the chosen Ricoh devices were fully operational by April of this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome of our printing infrastructure was reaching end of life and so it gave us an opportunity to see what alternatives there were in the market,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Detailed assessment process<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior to signing the new agreement with Ricoh, the IVE Group team undertook a detailed, three-step RFP process. The first step involved issuing invitations to tender to seven print vendors before a shortlist of three was formed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IVE Group had initially planned to then conduct week-long, high-volume print runs at each of the three vendor\u2019s facilities, however COVID-19 restrictions on travel meant this was unable to proceed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs an alternative, we gave the three vendors the opportunity to install their proposed equipment at an IVE production facility for a four-week proof-of-concept test,\u201d says McCulloch. \u201cThe POC was to allow IVE to gain first-hand experience with how the equipment and vendors would perform in a simulated production environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCulloch says this approach put Ricoh’s Pro C9210 in a direct face-off with flagship digital colour printers from two other vendors. Each of the systems ran the same jobs with the output and performance stats presented to senior management for consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe third phase involved vendor capability presentations and final commercial submissions at the end of December,\u201d he says. \u201cAt that point, we selected Ricoh as our new preferred technology partner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCulloch says this rigorous process was necessary because of the critical role that the new equipment would perform within the company\u2019s production facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChoosing Ricoh was a large decision for us at IVE Group, to bring in a new print vendor. The first in many years,\u201d he says. \u201cWe made the change because Ricoh was able to clearly show it was the vendor most capable of meeting the production requirements of Australia’s largest commercial printer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new printer fleet<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A range of different Ricoh printers and associated equipment have been selected to meet IVE Group\u2019s print production requirements. The models deployed are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n