Labor shortages are causing Japanese imaging giants like Canon to shift gears as "Baby Boomer" Japanese workers prepare to retire. Canon is looking at having its assembly lines in Japanese plants changed to robotic workers. The reason: A shortage of younger workers who want to work in the factory, instead looking for work they perceive as more high-tech and intellectually demanding.

Japan has a jobless rate under 5 percent now, but accompanying that is a labor force that is lower in numbers than any since the early '90s. Companies are not only converting to robots, but also offering bonuses for retiring workers, especially highly skilled people.

Japan has rules that discourage retention of foreign workers educated in Japanese colleges. Foreign students must leave the country within six months if they don't find a job with a Japanese company. Many students cannot, so there are proposals to revise this.

While the daunting labor shortage is projected to be a major challenge for Japanese industry, this is only one hurdle for Japan's economy, apparently climbing out of a decade-long recession. Household spending is off in Japan, and capital spending increases continually fall under predictions.

Meanwhile, Japan casts wary eyes eastward. Competition is fierce in all markets from companies in Korea and China. For United States electronics markets tied at the waist to Japan, including copiers, recovery is mixed. In the earnings department, Fujitsu and Canon are faring better than some other technology-based companies. But Canon, with 75 percent of its sales overseas, has recently seen stock earnings drop.

Sony and Kyocera have seen a drop in product demand, and by the end of October, were lowering net-income forecasts. Sharp, a diverse company in the electronics industry, saw declines because of cut-rate competition in flat screen televisions.

But other indicators favor Japan's economic recovery. Industrial production has climbed a fraction of a percent in recent months. The Bank of Japan bank recently forecast deflation that rode on miniscule interest rates would soon end. Of course, so will low consumer prices. The same bank has indicated a rebound in exports. Recent lowering of per-barrel oil prices, which have T-boned the Japanese auto industry, are expected to help the deflated economy recover if they continue.

Maybe at least part of the upturn can be tied to optimism with the recent seating of the new cabinet of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who has advocated tax reform to retire government debt. He's also trying to reform Japan's equivalent of Social Security and corporate policies.

Kyocera, also known as Kyocera-Mita, satisfies copier customers the most, according to a recent J.D. Power and Associates study. Business decision-makers were polled for the study using three factors in order of importance: product, sales and service. The 2005 Copier Customer Satisfaction Study survey found Kyocera leads the industry in the areas of sales and service support.

Tying behind Kyocera were Ricoh and Toshiba, with Ricoh scoring high in product and Toshiba strong in the sales experience.

The sales channel businesses use for buying a copier is integral to overall satisfaction, according to the survey. Direct-channel selling brings higher levels of satisfaction with product, sales and service experience, compared to buying from a dealer selling multiple brands or from an information-technology reseller.

Product reliability is also a big factor and satisfaction drops in proportion to each added service call. But correct handling of service visits can help customer relationships and heighten overall satisfaction, according to the survey. A separate 2005 Printer Customer Satisfaction Study is to be released by J.D Power and Associates Nov. 17.

Employers offering jobs to applicants conditional on passing background checks and physicals need to be wary of a Ninth Circuit ruling. An employer offering an applicant a job if he or she passes a medical exam has to be sure the applicant has first cleared non-medical hurdles like a background check.

The Ninth Circuit U.S. District Court, covering the western region of the U.S., ruled in favor of plaintiffs in the California case, Leonel v. American Airlines, 400 F.3d 702 (9th Cir. 2005). Plaintiffs were offered jobs with the airline conditional on passing the background check and medical exam. Prior to the background checks being completed, the plaintiff's blood was drawn. A medical condition was found and the job offer was withdrawn by the airline.

Before a medical test can be done under federal and California law, an actual job offer must be on the table. The plaintiffs had not had a "real" offer as the job was partially contingent on background checks, left incomplete before the medical test was done.

The court rejected the argument by defendants that the medical exam and blood sample collected before the offer weren't used until after the background check was completed.

The federal and state laws allow applicants to not disclose confidential medical information until assured that they have the job if medical requirements are met.

A customer welcomed to a booth by an enthusiastic salesperson will always be prepped for a sale, but often businesses displays and materials receive more attention than orienting employees to a show.

Coordinated teams that work hand-in-hand with each other to make will succeed at getting leads and prospects to linger at their booth. A savvy sales manager needs to pick his trade show staff carefully, rather than just send the entire team or whoever's available.

Some tips for selecting sales staff for trade shows:

• Take the enthusiasts. Enlist the help of creative staff at trade shows who can "think on their feet" when working with a prospect.

• Prepare. You may draw on your own previous experience or the experience of others who have attended about the general atmosphere of the show, how your products can best reach attendees and how to make crowd-drawing pre-show publicity announcements.

• Have goals. Of course, the main goal is to get leads and sales, but low attendance at a show might give some business-to-business possibilities. Consider all angles when establishing goals and objectives for the show.

• Have fun. If your staff is having fun at a show, it translates to sales. Don't believe it? Pick up the latest copy of Fish! The book by authors John Christensen, Stephen C. Lundin and Harry Paul details a manager's discovery that fun and play are fundamental ways to enhance employee attitude about a workplace.

Michael Danziger and Mark Lerch have helped make information about the imaging industry easily accessible since acquiring and becoming key executives at Buyers Laboratory Inc.

Danziger has been CEO and Lerch Chief Operating Officer for BLI, a Hackensack, N.J., corporation, since February 2004. Each had 20-25 years in publishing information services, primarily in the financial service industry.

Some of the initiatives Danziger and Lerch have started include:

• A field-test report service to improve the timeliness and comprehensiveness of BLI test reports. This service addresses such areas as image quality and productivity early in the product's life.

• An online Web-based subscription product, bliQ, which Lerch says is "available to provide intelligence to the imaging industry." It includes specification data, side-by-side comparisons, lab reports, field reports, an OEM marketing literature library and industry newsletters.

• Enhanced coverage of models outside the U.S. through an Asian presence in Hong Kong and a European presence in London. "We're now serving those areas with content that is specific to those regions," Lerch said.

BLI's forte also includes custom testing of imaging devices, paper, cartridges and ink. A Buyer's Alliance service helps buyers identify the equipment they should buy. BLI recently added information about document solutions such as eCopy and Ricoh's GlobalScan. Coverage of color equipment and higher-end copier segments has been greatly expanded.

BLI provides objective information so buyers can make informed decisions about products. Said Lerch: "We are the leading information source in this space."

The newest "thumb drives," or USB flash drives that download digital data through a USB port, are expanding in use, including imaging devices.

The Ricoh AC205 MFP (22 ppm monochrome, $620) has a USB Flash Drive Port for printing documents stored on a USB Flash Drive or can scan documents in full color directly to a USB Flash Drive. Plus data like phone books, address books or system data can be downloaded to a USB Flash Drive from the MFP.

A lot of flash drives hold 256 megabytes for $30, but capacity is rapidly decreasing and prices are falling. An 8-gigabyte drive currently sells for $1,200 and a 16-gigabyte version is expected to be below $1,000 next year.

The versatility of the USB flash-drive nanotechnology is sometimes not only convenient for storage, but also for restoration of entire operating systems in a pinch. One use: Restoration of a stripped down version of Windows XP from a 256 MB flash drive saved with utilities such as Nu2 Productions' Bart PE Builder.

Canon is the newest Japanese company to join Toshiba, NEC and Hitachi in developing commercial applications for fuel cells in electronics, including imaging.

Fuel cells mix hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity and are a longer-life replacement for lithium-ion batteries that power items as laptop computers and digital cameras. Most systems developed to date use methanol (alcohol) for a hydrogen source.

Copier giant Canon has developed fuel cells that have refillable hydrogen cartridges. Such technology eliminates carbon-dioxide byproducts from methanol-based fuel cells.

Canon has developed three fuel cell prototypes based on refillable hydrogen cartridges. One prototype fuel cell is about one by two inches for mobile devices. There is a larger prototype for a digital camera and the one even larger will be used for compact printers.

Sales Representatives & Technicians needed in the Orange County, California.
These positions require previous experience in the industry and technicians require OEM certifications. Salaries are dependant on experience and certifications.

Sales Representatives needed in the Chicago area.
The position is responsible for lead generation and qualification. Building strong professional relationships with customers and prospects. Coordinating internal pre-sales resources. Running sales presentations and coordinating follow-up in the assigned territory. Employee must be dedicated to learning the entire product line, understanding customer requirements and staying informed about the copier industry.

Technicians needed in the Florida Panhandle.
OEM certifications and industry experience are required, as well as the ability to travel to customer sites.

Sales Representatives & Managers needed in the Philadelphia/New Jersey area.
Industry experience is required for both positions and manager responsibilities include attainment of Branch revenue, profit and business objectives through an appropriately staffed, trained and motivated sales organization. The Sales Manager will be responsible for recruiting, as well as developing and directing their sales team toward the achievement of their personal quotas.

Sales Manager needed in the Denver area.
Position has responsibility for all aspects of customer relationships in addition to leading the team. Must be comfortable in a growing business and working without direct supervision. Bachelors Degree preferred. 7 to 10 years experience, flexibility to balance workloads and changing customer demands, PC knowledge, and ability to implement and use work plans are required.

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