November 4, 2015 — “As technology enhances the ability to work anywhere and at any time, our focus and biggest challenge is to stay ahead of the curve and adapt our business to support the future workforce’s changing work styles,” says Rick Taylor, president and COO, Konica Minolta, in an interview with The Cannata Report, the leading media resource for the business technology, imaging and workflow solutions industry.

“We need to manage the explosion of information for the workforce, whether they consume it via smartphones, tablets or computers. And we’ve got to be involved in the entire process, from manipulating and storing, to sending and printing,” says Taylor on what he sees as key to sustaining the segment of the business technology industry that serves the SMB marketplace.

Taylor tells The Cannata Report another critical facing the industry is staffing.The best human capital is a key to success in the future. As we continue to evolve and integrate areas of technology into our business, like enterprise information and content management, managed IT services, 3D printing and production print, we must recruit a vast array of talent with the necessary specialized skills. Companies like Konica Minolta who are technology-led and research driven offer tremendous opportunities for the millennial workforce, particularly those with a technology background.”

Recently named The Cannata Report’s “Best Executive” for the 9th time in ten years, Taylor provides prescient remarks about the industry in an exclusive interview with The Cannata Report’s SVP CJ Cannata:

  • Emerging technologies:  “We’ve been making investments in Business Innovation Centers (BIC’s) all over the world and are looking at game-changing technologies in robotics and other innovative solutions that will have an impact and enhance offices of the future.”
  • The role of the independent dealer in today’s marketplace: “The business model of an independent dealer has all the attributes that make it a valuable supplier for all their customer’s needs. Dealers are agile, make quick decisions, anticipate a customer’s needs and provide outstanding service¾rare for many American businesses today. Larger organizations can’t be as quick to address and resolve individual customer issues.”
  • Industrial print: “Industrial printing/wide-format printing is an area of the output and imaging business that will continue to grow. Our success in this segment has created tremendous opportunities for our dealer customers. While I think industrial printing will be tackled by a limited number of companies because of the resources needed to play in this arena, the opportunities can provide dramatic growth for dealers.”

# # #

The above quotes from The Cannata Report’s interview with Rick Taylor of Konica Minolta can be used contingent upon providing a link back to http://thecannatareport.com/this-week/qa-2015-best-executive-rick-taylor/

Reference to these quotes is granted solely for use in conjunction with coverage of The Cannata Report’s interview with Taylor, and The Cannata Report must be referenced in text.