Malaysian businesses have spent the past couple of years experimenting with artificial intelligence. RICOH Malaysia used a Petaling Jaya showcase to argue that the harder, more useful part is what comes next: getting those tools into day-to-day operations.
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Kai T chevron_right
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From AI experiments to the operations floor
At an event titled "RICOH Empowering AI: Smarter Work, Real Impact" at M World Hotel, Petaling Jaya, RICOH Malaysia presented a set of AI, automation and integrated technology tools aimed at logistics, manufacturing, inspection and workplace operations. The pitch leaned less on flashy demos and more on systems that slot into how companies already work.
The showcase was officiated by RICOH's Chief Digital Officer for the APAC region, Satoshi Tsugane, alongside Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) President Jacob Lee Chor Kok and RICOH Malaysia Managing Director Alice Lee. RICOH framed the line-up around three roles for AI: operational precision, workflow intelligence and connected operations.
What RICOH put on show
On the precision side, RICOH demonstrated intelligent inspection systems built for consistency in real settings, including smartphone defect detection, fiber optic inspection and print quality monitoring. The workflow tools focused on making information easier to find and act on across everyday business processes, while the connected-operations layer aimed to tie automation and AI into more adaptable workflows across different environments.
RICOH Managing Director Alice Lee said the conversation around AI is shifting "from possibility to implementation," with the priority being long-term operational agility rather than automation for its own sake. Tsugane added that demand is growing for tools that connect information, workflows and people more effectively.
Why it matters for Malaysia
The timing is deliberate. RICOH tied its showcase to the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), Malaysia's blueprint that targets the development of 3,000 smart factories through automation, AI and advanced technologies. FMM's Jacob Lee noted that manufacturers face rising pressure to improve productivity and competitiveness, and that the real challenge is no longer adopting technology but integrating solutions that deliver measurable improvements.
For Malaysian operators in logistics and manufacturing, that is the more grounded question. Plenty of vendors can show an AI demo; fewer can show it running on an inspection line or inside a daily workflow. RICOH's bet is that the firms pulling ahead will be the ones that move past pilots and bake these tools into the work itself.
RICOH says it operates in around 200 countries and regions, with group sales of 2,608 billion yen, about 16.4 billion US dollars, in the financial year ended March 2026.