Ricoh has been working to modernize core systems that have been in operation for more than 20 years, while also advancing the sophistication of maintenance and operations. Since 2015, the company has maintained a strategic partnership with IBM Japan, promoting reforms through the use of AI and automation.
Ricoh Co., Ltd. (hereafter, Ricoh), long known for its multifunction printer business, announced in 2020 its transformation into a “digital services company,” signaling a shift away from its traditional office equipment–centered business model.
Through M&A and the expansion of new digital services, Ricoh has grown its business globally while supporting customers’ DX initiatives. At the same time, the company has pursued operational efficiency and internal DX by gradually modernizing core systems—previously optimized on a case-by-case basis over more than 20 years—toward SaaS-centered platforms.
As the scope and expectations of IT continue to expand, a key challenge has been the advancement of maintenance and operations. Because system value tends to decline immediately after release, continuous enhancement is required to sustain effectiveness. However, since maintenance and operations are often viewed as business-continuity costs, a strong culture remained in which cost reduction was prioritized over efforts to enhance sophistication or create new value.
To overcome this situation, Ricoh began by introducing a strategic perspective into maintenance and operations, starting with a thorough shift in mindset.
To advance the sophistication of maintenance and operations, Ricoh first focused on changing organizational mindset. Maintenance and operations were repositioned not as simple costs, but as strategic activities that enhance system value, with roles and expectations clearly defined. As Yoshinobu Hamanaka, General Manager, Corporate IT Management Center / Deputy General Manager, Process・IT・Data Management Center, Digital Strategy Division, explains, “we are taking the time to change our mindset—from viewing not spending money as a virtue, to investing where necessary to increase system value.”
Ricoh also introduced modern practices such as always-on performance monitoring, continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD), and performance management, steadily improving system visibility and driving ongoing improvements in operations.
In 2015, IBM entered into a strategic partnership to support Ricoh’s IT transformation, working closely with the company on the development, maintenance, and operation of its core systems. In the first phase, initiatives included productivity improvements through RPA-based automation of routine tasks, test automation leveraging existing assets, and the continuous enhancement of operational quality.
In the second phase, Ricoh launched projects to modernize production-critical systems using SAP and expanded maintenance and operational support across the broader SAP environment. In an area where stable operation is often taken for granted, Ricoh adopted a strategic approach, with domestic and overseas personnel working as a single, integrated team to proactively support systems.
By advancing maintenance and operations through the use of AI and automation, Ricoh achieved stable system operation and faster incident response. Through IBM’s Application Management Services (AMS), the company reduced full-time equivalent (FTE) staffing for maintenance and operations by 28% across approximately 90 sales and headquarters applications over a roughly ten-year period from September 2015 to October 2025. Beyond cost reduction, Ricoh also succeeded in shifting the role of IT toward strategic value creation.
In this initiative, Ricoh visualized and tracked continuous value creation through co-creation frameworks such as a pain–gain sharing model, in which both challenges and benefits are shared between Ricoh and IBM, and a cost-reduction program that lowers costs through the adoption of new solutions. Combined with the use of hybrid domestic and global resources, these efforts contributed to higher motivation within the IT organization and strengthened DX execution across the company.
Looking ahead to further advancement, Yoshinobu Hamanaka notes that “effectively leveraging technology is essential, and maintenance and operations are particularly well suited to AI.” He adds that IBM’s deep expertise in AI has provided Ricoh with many valuable insights into practical AI utilization.
Going forward, Ricoh plans to advance co-creation with IBM through the use of generative AI and agent-based AI. IBM will support the development of a sustainable operational foundation by providing solutions such as “AI Solution for IT Transformation” and leveraging the expertise and assets cultivated through its “Client Zero” initiatives, in which IBM applies the latest technologies to its own operations. This support will be delivered through a global hybrid model integrating teams in Japan, India and the Philippines.
Having shifted away from the multifunction printer business that once defined the company, Ricoh Company, Ltd. has made a decisive move toward becoming a digital services company. To deliver greater value to customers through digital services, Ricoh is pursuing operational reform and new value creation through the use of AI and automation technologies.
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