Xerox is determined to meet challenges head on

In around 12 weeks’ time a new force in digital printing will be born: Xerox Corporation.

Okay, well perhaps ‘born’ is a little strong, after all it’s been around for 110 years in various guises, but it will definitely emerge from its chrysalis of the past year in a new form so perhaps reinvented is more accurate.

Speaking about his plans for the business he will lead come 1 January 2017, chief executive in waiting Jeff Jacobson makes some interesting points.

Of course, things like focusing on a return to growth while at the same time ensuring continued cash generation are logical. Equally it will come as no surprise that he finds the prospect of being free to invest in the self-same business that generates said cash, rather than just the sexy sibling that generates headline growth, a tantalising prospect.

Ditto his goal to try and break down some of the barriers the corporate giant has unwittingly installed between itself and its customers over the years probably can’t come a moment too soon.

However, the idea of creating a country focus by decentralising geographically and creating a network of national leads that oversee all the vertical markets in their country is especially interesting.

It’s a model that many of Xerox’s peers have shied away from creating or, if historically it did exist, they have removed in an effort to reduce costs and duplication.

But if a business is switching from managing decline to actively targeting growth it has to make sense. It not only empowers those countries, it also means that with a less corporate structure there’s nowhere to hide if things start to go awry.

Because every business has its challenges, and making people accountable is a sure fire way to sharpen their senses for sniffing out success.