Ricoh is looking to onboard new partners in our reseller channel, and this prompted me to reflect on the value we can add to these relationships. So, on a bright Wednesday morning, I caught up with some of the Ricoh Partner Team as they went about their day. Instead of paperwork, pricing matrices, and SLAs, I discovered a world of innovation, information sharing, and relationships that are far from transactional.
It’s 7:26 a.m., and James Chantler, our Business Development Manager for Document Services, is waiting airside at East Midlands Airport. He’s heading to Berlin for the annual DocuWorld Partner Conference. Ricoh has a mix of people attending the event, each hoping to uncover trends, challenges, and opportunities to better equip our two- hundred-plus partners to find and grow new opportunities. As James waits at his gate, he explains the benefits partners derive from selling DocuWare with Ricoh’s support.
“DocuWare is a gateway sale; as soon as the conversation with a customer begins, you start to understand how documents and data are routed around their organisation. With that insight, upsell and cross-sell opportunities follow, from storage and compliance to audit trails. As a vendor, we make ourselves available to work with our partners’ end customers. We help them articulate the solution’s benefits clearly, and the annual conference is my chance to uncover new sales ideas I can share with our partners.”
As we chat, James recalls how Adam Butler, Workplace Wellbeing Advocate and Founder at Officeology, described the value of a Ricoh partnership:
“Ricoh’s deep industry knowledge has helped us deliver complex solutions to our customers. We are excited to keep this partnership going, creating new solutions that tackle real-world problems and bring success to both of us.”
At DocuWorld, James will attend VIP tracks and events, including the Night of The Champions party, where he can glean insights to share with established and new partners.
As James boards his flight, I call one of our Digital Services Managers, Vince Williams.
Vince is slowly making his way through the morning M1 traffic to deliver partner training at our offices in Northampton. He explains that many partners come from print, and his job is to equip them to sell a wide range of new and innovative business lines, boosting their future-readiness and adaptability. Today, Vince will demonstrate how to sell Smart Lockers. He will show them how to identify vertical markets to target, customer pain points to address, and the full range of locker solutions available. Most Ricoh competitors only sell one type of locker, yet many customers require multiple types of locker to fit their different needs. Ricoh offers a range of solutions, from click and collect to asset management.
“Ricoh has installed and supported Amazon smart lockers since 2016,” says Vince. “That means we can provide our partners with the nuanced insights to do the same, ultimately creating better results for their end customers.”
Vince believes it’s essential to regularly get in a room with partners and exchange ideas face-to-face. “My role is national,”
Vince explains. “I travel where I’m needed, so if a partner asks to be introduced to a new line, I tend to take the product to them. But Smart Lockers are a bit big to fit in the boot of a BMW 3 series, so I’ll meet them at our central Birchwood office, which is modern and bright – and more importantly, where you can get a decent cup of coffee!”
I leave Vince to caffeinate his guests and make my final call of the morning to Daniel Murphy, our New Business Partner Sales Director for the channel. He has just finished a quarterly review with one of his partners, Softcat. He’s in the central London office today, and starts by explaining how we do much more than supply products and services for Softcat.
“Softcat is the UK’s biggest IT reseller. They’re energetic and have a strong customer service ethos, which aligns with our own commitment to excellence. Our job is to help them generate new revenue. We help build the quotes and join the customer calls, aligning frequently to ensure they’re fully supported from pitch to deal won.”
“This is the best year we’ve ever had,” continues Daniel. “The relationship has grown beyond a partnership, and I feel like we have so many opportunities we’re working on together. ”
In addition to capturing the results from last quarter, Daniel shares Ricoh’s new acquisitions with the Softcat management team and the future opportunities they will open up.
And how do the folks at Softcat feel about the relationship? According to Richard Baker, Workspace Services Deputy Team Leader at Softcat, “Our partnership is not just about products; it’s about driving real-world outcomes. Together, we have embarked on numerous ventures, tackling complex challenges and turning them into opportunities for growth. Whether implementing innovative solutions, optimising workflows, or scaling operations, our joint efforts have consistently delivered tangible results for our clients.”
I leave Daniel to write his report and, on reflection, decide that the partner- vendor relationship is never typical. Something, be it product innovation, changing markets, or new revenue streams, always keeps the partner-vendor story moving forward.
If you’re interested in becoming a Ricoh partner, feel free to reach out to Daniel, and let’s see where the opportunity could lead.
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