01732 759725
INTERVIEW
32
PITR:
Was the decision to create
five virtual businesses (see page 29)
made so that it might be easier to
sell bits off at some point?
Tetsuji Kawamura (TK):
T
here is no
direct connection between the virtual
company system and selling parts of the
business. The main purpose of the company
system is to facilitate quicker decisions,
with more responsibility and more
autonomy as well.
With a flatter organisation, I hope it
will be quicker and easier for individual
business sectors to make investment
decisions. If we have one bucket, or one
wallet, sometimes when one part of the
business is in difficulty there will be some
hesitation to focus on other areas that
require investment. I like to hope that that
focus will be clearer and decisions will be
made more quickly.
I think the reason for your question is
the rumour and speculation about LCD. Of
course, our company is thinking about lots
of options, as it has to. But so far nothing
is determined and, again, this is not why
we are separating the larger companies.
PITR:
What proportion of Sharp
revenue comes from the Business
Solutions Group?
TK:
A little over 10%. Business Solutions
Group is still quite small in terms of
revenue, but significant in terms of profit.
PITR:
In the Business Solutions Group,
how does revenue break down
between document solutions and
displays?
TK:
Globally, document has over 80%
and the rest comes from other business
areas. In addition to visual solutions, we
have POS (point of sale systems) and cash
registers.
PITR:
Is it only in Europe that you've
pulled out of consumer electronics?
TK:
Yes. So far.
PITR:
Is that to save costs?
TK:
Unfortunately, it is to mitigate losses.
PITR:
Presumably the restructuring
will give you more autonomy
to make acquisitions. Are there
particular areas you are looking at?
TK:
Yes, medical/healthcare and robotics.
Our virtual company structure makes
it easier to make investment decisions
for the future. As a matter of fact, the
development teams for these new areas
belong to the Business Solutions company.
That means we could potentially re-invest
the money we earn from the very stable
and profitable MFP business into these
new opportunities. Always, we have to
keep thinking of today, tomorrow and the
day after tomorrow. That’s very important
for the long-term stability of the company.
PITR:
Why robotics?
TK:
Because we can leverage our existing
technology. That’s part of the reason,
and that’s also why robotics belongs to
Business Solutions. The MFP integrates
mechanics, electronics and even chemical
At Inspire Expo 2015,
PrintIT Reseller
caught up with Tetsuji Kawamura,
President of Sharp Electronics Europe, and asked him about the company’s
plans for the new Business Solutions Group and what Sharp is doing to help
its dealers increase their sales.
Q&A
and optical technologies. Many of the
technology resources we have we could
leverage in this new business area.
PITR:
Currently, what are the fastest
growing areas for the Business
Solutions Group?
TK:
In terms of gross percentages, areas
like visual solutions are still growing.
We still see lots of static signs on the
streets, and in areas like education and
conferencing there are still lots of static
whiteboards. Everyone keeps thinking
what if it becomes more affordable and we
convert to digital signage. There will be a
good impact and even a financial benefit in
converting from static to digital signage.
PITR:
Why is it important for Sharp
to have direct sales? Because that
would be one way to reduce costs.
TK:
When I look at the business I think of
the end customer first, not the channel.
The main incentive for me in going direct
is to get closer to the customer. I hope it
will enable us to provide a better service
to the channel, too, because through our
direct business we are effectively a dealer,
so we can really understand what dealers’
challenges are and what kind of support
helps them.
PITR:
Dealers today, especially
with your vision of integrated
collaboration solutions, will need
different capabilities than perhaps
they did five years ago.
TK:
Yes, I think so. I do encourage dealers
to think of tomorrow while they still enjoy
a good profit from the MFP business.
One way to encourage them is to set an
example through the success of our direct
sales. There are lots of other things we can
offer to our existing customer base like
our visual solutions. We have started to
have some success with these through our
direct channel and by sharing that success
I hope our dealers will be more and more
encouraged to do it themselves.
I want our partners to have the
impression that Sharp is a company that
always thinks about today, tomorrow
and the day after tomorrow, and that it is
able to provide channel partners with the
profitable sales of tomorrow. That is how I
would like dealers to see us.
In terms
of gross
percentages,
areas like
visual
solutions are
still growing.
Tetsuji Kawamura,
President,
Sharp Electronics
Europe
