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Powering ITW's growth: national printer upgrade with Ricoh. Ricoh Australia | Published 28 Sept 2026 GUEST RESEARCH: Founded in 1912, ITW Group is a global, multi-industry manufacturing organisation serving customers across a wide range of sectors, including construction products, automotive, and food equipment. Headquartered in the United States, ITW employs more than 44,000 people worldwide and maintains an extensive international footprint, including operations across Australia and New Zealand. One of ITW's largest customers is an Australian hardware store, where reliability, efficiency, and speed of service in the daily print environment are essential to maintaining uninterrupted retail and supply chain operations, as delays can quickly cascade across stores and distribution networks. In 2024, ITW Group reported global revenue of AUD $22.9 billion, supported by a diverse portfolio of operating divisions and a broad international customer base. Behind the scenes, efficient document production plays a vital role in keeping operations moving, from administrative paperwork to invoices and shipping documentation across offices and warehouses. As business demands increased, ITW identified the need to modernise its printer fleet to ensure performance, reliability and scalability across its growing operations in Australia and New Zealand. The Challenge Supporting increasing business demands To deliver fast, reliable service to customers, ITW operates a network of offices and warehouses designed to fulfil orders as efficiently as possible. However, the company had been relying on an ageing printer fleet that had been in place for several years. Performance issues and reliability concerns were beginning to affect day-to-day operations, creating inefficiencies and placing unnecessary pressure on staff. "We were not getting the performance and reliability that we needed," said Daniel Morland, IT Operations Manager at ITW Group. "This was having an increasing impact on our operational efficiency and our ability to effectively serve our clients." The Solution After reviewing several vendors, ITW selected Ricoh based on its consultative approach, attention to detail and genuine focus on building a long-term partnership. During the proposal stage, Ricoh worked closely with ITW's technical teams to understand site-specific requirements and operational workflows. As part of the evaluation process, Ricoh provided loan devices, allowing ITW to test performance in real-world conditions and gain confidence in the proposed solution. This collaborative approach helped establish trust early and ensured the final design was closely aligned with business needs. Ricoh recommended an updated fleet, carefully selected to balance performance, cost efficiency and usability across 17 locations. The entire deployment of 63 devices was completed within six weeks, with minimal disruption to operations. The refreshed fleet includes a tailored mix of Ricoh devices to meet diverse workload requirements: * 14 x Ricoh IM 460F desktop A4 mono multifunction printers * 25 x Ricoh IM C3010 / IM C4510 A3 colour multifunction printers * 18 x Ricoh P 502 mono A4 printers * 6 x Ricoh IM C320F A4 colour multifunction printers The Outcome A modern, reliable print environment that drives productivity Following the rollout, ITW quickly began to see tangible benefits. Printer-related disruptions were significantly reduced, enabling staff to process customer orders, invoices and shipping documentation without interruption. According to Morland, the business has seen a 40% reduction in IT tickets relating to printers since implementation. A key process change has also helped relieve pressure on internal IT resources. Staff can now contact Ricoh support directly for printer-related issues, dramatically reducing in-house bottlenecks and allowing the IT team to focus on higher-value activities. "The deployment has helped to increase productivity and reduce costs," said Morland. "This is particularly the case in our warehouses where invoices and shipping notes need to be produced constantly." By matching printer models to specific workloads, ITW was able to optimise usage and reduce ongoing operating costs. Ricoh ensured a consistent supply of consumables and provided responsive support, resolving issues quickly whenever they arose. "Being able to match the printer models with specific workloads has helped to reduce our running costs. We really appreciated the time Ricoh took to examine our requirements and put together the most appropriate fleet of devices," said Morland The rollout also enabled greater standardisation across warehouse and shop floor environments. High-volume logistics areas were equipped with black-and-white devices to maximise efficiency, while colour multifunction devices were deployed on shop floors where greater versatility was required. Reducing IT complexity while improving performance From an IT perspective, the new environment has simplified support and improved resilience. The implementation of universal print drivers has reduced administrative overhead by approximately 50%, enabling the IT team to redirect critical printers to alternative devices quickly without reinstalling or managing multiple drivers. This capability also provides added assurance when repaired devices are returned to service. "The universal print driver has significantly improved our operational efficiency and has reduced administrative overhead by approximately 50%. They also safeguard us when repaired printers are returned," Morland noted. Improved output quality, fewer workflow disruptions and positive feedback from staff have further reinforced the value of the solution. Internal staff surveys highlighted noticeable improvements in print speed compared to previous equipment, providing additional validation of the investment and its impact on day-to-day operations. Future Plans With a modern, scalable printer fleet now in place, ITW Group is well positioned to support future growth, backed by a trusted partnership with Ricoh. Looking ahead, ITW is exploring the transition to a cloud-based print management solution, further strengthening flexibility, control and long-term efficiency. Morland said, "The entire deployment was swift, and all printers were up and running within just weeks," said Morland. "We're confident that we have found a print vendor that we can work with both now and in the future."

Government strengthens digital infrastructure to drive economic growth. September 9, 2026 Discover more Tender announcement service International news digest The Government has stepped up efforts to strengthen digital infrastructure to expand connectivity, spur the digital economy and drive economic growth. Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Stephen Isaboke said digital infrastructure is no longer simply a technology issue, but a critical foundation for the economy and the delivery of essential services. Speaking while opening the fourth edition of the ITW and Datacloud Africa Conference in Nairobi, Isaboke called for greater focus on the security, reliability and resilience of the infrastructure underpinning Africa's rapidly expanding digital economy. "Digital infrastructure is no longer simply a technology issue. It underpins our economy and the delivery of essential services, and when it fails, the impact extends to livelihoods and public trust," Isaboke said. Discover more Sports highlights videos Entertainment news portal Access Online Encyclopedias Isaboke said Kenya's infrastructure expansion must go hand in hand with measures to ensure digital systems can withstand physical, technological and environmental disruptions. The conference also comes as African economies seek to deepen their participation in the global digital economy and capture greater value from the rapidly expanding demand for digital services. He said global event will provide Kenya with an opportunity to engage investors and infrastructure players on opportunities emerging from the continent's digital transformation. He identified route diversity, cybersecurity, reliable power, sound data governance and infrastructure resilience as critical considerations as Kenya expands its digital infrastructure and seeks to attract further investment into the sector. His remarks come amid rising demand for digital infrastructure across Africa, driven by increasing internet adoption, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data-intensive services and the wider digitisation of economies. Principal Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy Eng. John Tanui, who represented the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy William Kabogo, outlined the broader economic vision underpinning Kenya's digital transformation agenda. Speaking during a Ministerial Breakfast, Tanui highlighted Kenya's connectivity roadmap, spanning submarine cable infrastructure, terrestrial networks and continental integration, and positioned connectivity as a foundation for Africa's participation in the global digital economy. Discover more Local news aggregator Business news analysis Tanui urged delegates to play a leading role in ensuring Africa captures greater value from the digital economy. "You will be the ones to enable Africa to claim its rightful share of global economic output," Tanui told the delegates. Tanui underscored the government's focus on moving beyond connectivity towards leveraging digital infrastructure as an enabler of investment, innovation, job creation and economic growth. PS said Kenya now is building robust infrastructure capable of supporting the next generation of digital services, including cloud platforms, artificial intelligence and data-intensive applications. The week-long ITW and Datacloud Africa Conference attracted nearly 2,000 technology, government and business leaders from more than 80 countries, underscoring the growing strategic importance of Africa's digital infrastructure sector and Nairobi's emergence as a major hub for connectivity, cloud computing, data centres and technology investment. It also brings together government officials, investors, technology companies, infrastructure operators and international industry stakeholders to examine opportunities across connectivity, cloud computing, data centres, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure. Discover more Election coverage analysis Order Sports Gear Business news reports Among the key dignitaries attending the conference is Adji Ali Salatou, Minister of Communication and New Information Technologies of Niger, alongside senior government and industry representatives from across Africa and international markets.