RICHARD WELLS PROFILE
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his customers’ relations with Epson’s sustainable solutions. It has also made many people more aware of the need for sustainability. “I think that’s really helped,” Richard adds. “Of course, it’s all very well saying that you have a sustainability agenda, but you’ve got to be able to show them what you’re doing. So it is a perfect moment in time with the introduction of our optimisation report that allows customers to see how much they are spending on elements that they perhaps don’t have a deep knowledge about.” It’s also worth noting that Epson was the first business to incorporate the UN Sustainable Development Goals within its CSR management system and receive independent certification as a result. The company’s Piezo Heat-Free inkjet technology represents a significant uplift in Epson’s printing strategy and supports its commitment to sustainability. The launch comes a year after Epson announced its ¥100 billion investment into sustainable innovation. Sustainability, reliability and productivity Richard is justly proud of the company’s green credentials: “The first of the new printers will be released and delivered in February. We’ve had an incredible reaction from the dealer community and, yes, we’re ahead of the game a little bit. Everything that is coming in is already pre-sold. “Such is the demand for the product and that’s come about because our resellers have got conditioned to selling heat-free technology and the concept of leading with our three core pillars of sustainability, reliability and productivity. So we’ve already positioned previous products to our
customers around these fundamental benefits.” The sheer volume of pre-sale interest is down to the trust in Epson as a brand to deliver the most innovative product for saving money and helping with the green agenda. Customers have had a positive experience with the current office products, so are eager to find out more about the new products coming on the market. Richard continues: “You’ve got that combined motivator for change, which is the ongoing impact of costs increasing and impacting living standards and the need to look at all the different ways to combat the climate change crisis. “I think there’s never been a better time for people to be open minded towards solutions that offer sustainability and cost saving benefits. That commercialisation of sustainability was not something that was available before and because we’re able to show that to people, that helped the adoption of our latest products as well.” Positive change in the industry Richard’s conversion to sustainability through innovation – his road to Damascus moment – dovetailed with his employment at Epson five years ago. The way the business built the green agenda into its cutting-edge products helped make Richard – and all employees at the company – understand the necessity for positive change in the industry. “It made me much more aware of how a whole body of people in a corporation can take on board the values that they really believe in,” Richard says. “It does rub off on you very quickly when you join. “And the more you open your eyes, the more concerned you are and the keener you are to make a change. It then feels good to be able to apply that to what you’re doing on a daily basis. And I think that transition of the journey that I’ve taken, that my staff have taken as well, has also now started to transition to our resellers and their customers and it’s increasing in pace.” After speaking to staff, resellers and their customers, Richard has seen that everyone is keen to do their bit and take part: “I can actively do something without having to change my whole life,” he says. “Small changes can make a difference and those changes then have an impact – people’s eyes are open to better behaviours in other parts of their operations.” Top-down culture change Most importantly of all, this has resulted in a culture change from the top down: “It’s culture change that does gradually permeate throughout. I think it’s one of those things that if you can show you are running sustainably – and obviously Epson is doing a lot of work towards becoming carbon negative. It’s about
You’ve got that combined motivator for change, which is the ongoing impact of costs increasing and impacting living standards and the need to look at all the different ways to combat the climate change crisis. “ ”
Epson Europe’s Sustainability Report 2021/2022
Click to read Epson Euorpe’s Sustainability Report
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