Ricoh Cuts Inspection Time By 94% With RFID Solution From Zebra Technologies

Ricoh Company Ltd (Ricoh) has successfully introduced Zebra’s radio frequency identification (RFID) solution at its distribution centers in Gotemba, Kawasaki and Osaka in Japan. The deployment enhances the tracking and retrieval of multiple secure digital (SD) cards, typically installed as part of the standard checking procedure, into the multifunction copier and printers sent in for warranty claim processing.

Ricoh is a leading provider of integrated digital services and print and imaging solutions designed to support digital transformation of workplaces, workspaces and optimize business performance.

“Previously, our staff manually inspected and removed SD cards from the printers which was extremely inefficient, prone to human errors and time-consuming,” said Yu Furusawa, Head of Digital Products Business Unit, Ricoh. “After introducing RFID technology, we are now confident all installed SD cards have been removed from the copiers and printers when we are done with the checks. And this can now be done in a fraction of the time needed before.”

The manual inspection process would typically take a total of 223 minutes per month. The RFID-enabled process now takes only 13 minutes, cutting the inspection time by 94% and enabling front-line workers to focus on more strategic tasks. Additionally, the chance of losing SD cards due to human errors, such as forgetting to remove them from the copiers and printers, have also been significantly reduced with the introduction of RFID technology.