Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc. has announced Dispatcher Stratus, a new cloud service that offers powerful, fast and simple people-based document processing to enable small to large businesses to further their digital transformation.

As the newest offering within Konica Minolta's suite of Dispatcher solutions, Dispatcher Stratus marries powerful automation capabilities with intelligent collaboration features. New and advanced people-based processing workflows empower users to work together to remove redundant manual touchpoints in their workflows while increasing interactivity and allowing for projects to evolve naturally.

In addition to all of its new functionality, Dispatcher Stratus carries scan capture and automated document processing functionality forward to assist with automated workflows. Coupled with the powerful new people-to-people features, Dispatcher Stratus means no errors and no documents lost or misplaced, plus convenient reminders about day-to-day activities that can help managers stay on top of delegated tasks.

"In every organization, processes are continually changing," said Manuel Couceiro, vice president of the Solutions Engineering Center, Konica Minolta. "With employees working from anywhere, there is a need to help automate and streamline communication. We have introduced Dispatcher Stratus to help individuals work smarter by reducing the mundane tasks that can drain some of our most valuable resources, including time."

Dispatcher Stratus combines the use of robotic process automation (RPA), machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) to grant organizations the flexibility to implement total process automation where necessary while also enabling task-based workflows that require manual touchpoints. This frees up employees to focus on customers, driving innovation and growing business.

"The Dispatcher Stratus true-cloud solution was built to include all of the scalability, reliability and security our customers need, as well as all of the comforts users expect in a polished solution," Couceiro said. "Unlike in the past, where everything was 100% dependent on either automation or manual tasks being performed, Dispatcher Stratus marries the best of both worlds by providing the flexibility for users to divide workflows into smaller manual jobs and using automation to help them increase efficiencies as necessary."

This new solution is fully cloud based and easy to use, with no background in coding or programming required. New features and functions will continually be added to meet market and customer needs, allowing businesses to streamline their daily operations to overhaul outdated processes, optimize their workforces and continue their digital transformation.

In other news, Konica Minolta hosted members of its east and south communities of mid-market dealers in Sarasota, Florida, last week to share some of its latest technologies and sales strategies. The event's "High Velocity" theme represents the company's growth mindset and desire to help its partners accelerate market share and improve profitability for itself and its dealers.

Laura Blackmer, president of dealer sales, opened the event, welcoming the group in the General Session and thanking everyone for their ongoing and unwavering loyalty and support of the company. She talked about the new event format Konica Minolta is activating for 2024. 

"This is just the first in a series of roadshows, designed to give us the chance to have very different engagements through a more intimate setting," Blackmer said. "We look forward to spending time with you and the invaluable one-on-one conversations we will have over the next couple days."

The focused event allowed for a deeper dive into new technologies, opportunities and sales strategies across the office and production print space. Konica Minolta's new solutions incorporate the cloud, AI and IoT data to drive digital transformation and diversification. Its product showcase allowed dealer partners to see firsthand how the company is integrating these technologies into its office product portfolio.

During his business update, Sam Errigo, president and CEO, stressed the company's desire to continue business transformation by offering value-added services for its dealer partners. 

"Office technology is still a great business, but diversification is required to foster growth," Errigo said. "It's not enough to just sell hardware anymore; you need to bundle solutions and get more monthly recurring revenue business. There are huge opportunities out there for you to overtake your competitors. Work closely with us and allow us to help you grow your business. We are in this together."

Michael Mathé, chief of operations and sales enablement, provided an update on Konica Minolta's Rev'd Up Dealer Performance program, designed to future-proof dealerships by growing revenue and diversifying their businesses. The program rewards dealers for achievements, and results show a steady increase in dealers progressing to reach higher levels as they expand their offerings to include print production, industrial print and digital transformation (DX) solutions. Dealers enjoy more benefits as they progress and quarterly rebates increase at higher levels.

Educational tracks during the dealer summit were specifically tailored for dealer principals, sales and service. Sessions provided guidance on the wealth of opportunities in verticals such as health care, education and the public sector, and delved into specific technology around cloud transition and document security. A live, virtual demonstration from the company's Client Engagement Center in Ramsey, New Jersey, showcased the cutting-edge technology installed in Konica Minolta's print production and industrial print products.