Ricoh UK Products Limited (RPL) is delighted to have achieved a PLATINUM accreditation rating - the highest level of achievement - from ideasUK for the 15th consecutive year, being the only member-company ever to have achieved this.
ideasUK is a not-for-profit network organisation, building the capability of businesses in the field of ideas management and innovation.
With a diverse membership, the ideasUK team is passionate about sharing knowledge and experience across different industries, sectors and countries.
Founded in 2006, the dedicated accreditation programme by ideasUK provides a way for organisations to give both internal and external prominence to their employee innovation programme.
The annual accreditation process subjects RPL’s Reward & Recognition schemes and project management to an external assessment, the most recent of which took place in October, and is followed by a report providing guidance on areas of strength and where to focus improvements.
According to ideasUK: “The end-to-end review consists of 50 questions developed as a result of our long history working with innovation programmes and, as of 2020, is now aligned to BS ISO 56002 to provide an added level of validity.”
For an organisation to achieve PLATINUM, they must achieve points in a number of elements, giving a total achievement percentage of 90-100%.
These elements include the following: Organisational Context, Leadership Commitment, Planning, Support – Resources, Support – People, Support - Communication & Publicity, Operational Process, Management Information, Performance Evaluation, and Continuous Improvement.
This year, RPL achieved a PLATINUM rating in every element, with a notable 100% performance rating in both Organisational Context and Leadership Commitment, boasting a total score of 96% over the full assessment.
Zena Cox, Operations Director at ideasUK, who was responsible for the review, commented: “ideasUK is delighted to award RPL with a PLATINUM rating for the 15th year and it is the culture at RICOH that really stands them apart from other organisations.”
Jayne Garner, Continuous Improvement Engagement Coordinator at RPL had the honour of receiving the company’s official certification at the ideasUK awards conference that took place in early November.
Josh Denning, a Senior Production Print Engineer at RPL, also had the great pleasure of being invited to be a keynote speaker at this year’s event. Josh has been in the manufacturing and engineering industry for around 12 years, recently transitioning into the digital transformation space with a PhD in Industry 4.0 in Manufacturing.
He shared his insights on the concepts of Industry 4.0, also known as the fourth industrial revolution, and how the integration of digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and the Internet of Things, can create new opportunities for innovation, efficiency, and customer satisfaction, in the world of manufacturing.
These concepts closely align with RICOH’s ongoing transformation into leading integrated digital services and print and imaging solutions, and optimising workspaces, as well as supporting RICOH’s global Mission-Vision of Fulfilment through Work.
Tim Ottley, General Manager of Operations at RPL said: “To achieve this result is a great endorsement of all of your work. Thank you to everyone who raises such brilliant Good Spots and Bright Ideas, the people who accept them and the people who evaluate them. And thank you to all of you involved in developing new products and services and those of you who manage projects within our innovation portfolio.”
He added: “Without your engagement we would not be able to share our good practice and receive this recognition for the record-breaking 15th year in a row!”