Saperion acquisition expands Lexmark/Perceptive Software’s footprint

Lexmark recently completed its acquisition of Saperion, a Germany-based developer and provider of enterprise content management (ECM) software in Europe. Saperion will report into Lexmark’s Perceptive Softwaredivision. Sascha Ohler, director of product management, international, for Saperion, sat down to discuss what Saperion does and how it fits into Lexmark’s overall business strategy.

Lexmark: Tell us about Saperion’s technology solutions.

Ohler: Saperion’s solutions enable customers to capture, store and access information. We provide a robust ECM platform that allows partners to extend the ECM functionality to specific industries. These products are highly scalable, easily integrate with all major ERP, email and document management systems, and are mobile capable, which is a real concern for our customers.

We focus on document management, document archiving and integration of the documents into business processes. We have several offerings, I will focus on a few that really stand out.

Saperion has a Web content archiving solution that is used for online retailers, large insurance companies or banks that do business through online portals. Did you know that 8 to 10 percent of transactions online are later cancelled because a customer states that they didn’t actually agree to the transaction? To combat this, Saperion has a tool that takes a snapshot of the screen when a customer submits for a purchase online. If the purchase is later scrutinized, the screenshot provides an additional layer of oversight to the transaction.

Another interesting technology is Saperion’s corporate content collaboration solution, fileNshare. It provides the ability to securely share corporate content with internal and external parties while conforming to corporate security standards.  Once a document is uploaded it can be managed and shared through a simple, yet robust privilege structure. And a key for any business, the documents can be accessed from mobile devices using both native and Web-based user interfaces.

In the area of consolidation services, Saperion has a solution that has saved some of our customers millions of dollars. Let’s say you are an enterprise customer that has multiple large content repositories, for example in support of your SAP system.  Today you will be forced to maintain all of these repositories indefinitely if you need to access some or all of the content at some point. This also means paying the repository vendor for maintenance. TheSaperion Consolidation Services offer customers the ability to reduce these maintenance fees by providing a way to access the content, independent of repository through a unified Saperion user interface. Data and content access is maintained and maintenance cost is lowered without the need for a lengthy content migration.

Lexmark: How does Saperion fit in with Perceptive Software?

Ohler: From a product portfolio perspective, Saperion will bring some unique product offerings, such as those discussed above. From a footprint perspective, Saperion brings a well-developed European customer base and partner channel to the table. We feel that we can only elevate the Perceptive Software name and brand, particularly in Europe.

Lexmark: What are you focused on right now as Saperion joins with the Lexmark/Perceptive team? 

Ohler: Saperion leadership just returned from a 10-day knowledge exchange at Perceptive headquarters in Kansas City, and we continue to work on the road map toward product integration. We are making very good progress.

To find out more information on how Saperion can help your business, click here.

[Lexmark News Blog] Ten ways to kick-start your office’s sustainability efforts

Todd Hamlin, president of Lexmark Canada, recently bylined an article for The Globe and Mail, Canada’s national newspaper, that discusses how streamlining operations can not only improve productivity, but help businesses be more sustainable.

It goes without saying that technology plays a critical role in helping businesses of all sizes be successful in today’s always-on, constantly evolving operating environment.

One area that is often overlooked, however, is how office technology can not only streamline operations and improve productivity, but can also help businesses be more sustainable in the process. The following are a few key considerations for tapping technology to foster a “greener” environment:

1. Consolidate your devices. Chances are, your office has at least one fax machine, one scanner, one copier and one printer. With the rapid development of technology, these functions can be combined into a single, compact multifunction printer. Rethinking your device management and reducing the amount of devices saves on licensing costs, support costs and energy consumption, all while freeing up office space in the process.

Click here to read the article in its entirety.

[Lexmark News Blog] Perceptive gives back at Oracle OpenWorld

Perceptive Software, a Lexmark company, used its booth at the recentOracle OpenWorld for a unique opportunity: helping impoverished children in the Philippines.

At the booth, Perceptive highlighted how its new customer, World Vision International, is doing amazing things with accounts payable and procure-to-pay automation.

In addition to learning about Perceptive solutions, booth visitors were able to take part in a fun and rewarding service project – assembling school supply kits for World Vision outreach to distribute to children in the Philippines.

The community outreach was a huge hit. During the three-day event, visitors to the Perceptive booth put together 1,000 World Vision school supply kits. Each day, all of the kits allocated for the day were assembled in the first few hours.

“This experience was a great way to serve people in need,” said Alicia Belford, ERP marketing communications manager for Perceptive. “Multiple attendees thanked us for the fun and meaningful experience of building school supply kits, and hoped other companies would begin doing similar outreach activities.”

For more information about Perceptive and World Vision, read the recent news release.

Lexmark reports third quarter results

Lexmark International, Inc. today announced financial results for the third quarter of 2013.

“In the third quarter, Lexmark continued solid execution of our strategy of transforming to an end-to-end solutions provider, and delivered revenue that exceeded our July guidance range, EPS at the top of the range and also strong free cash flow,” said Paul Rooke, Lexmark chairman and chief executive officer.

“Perceptive Software’s profitability increased significantly compared to last year and once again both managed print services and Perceptive Software revenue grew at a double-digit rate, reflecting the imaging and software synergies we’re creating.

“Lexmark’s value proposition is unique and squarely focused on helping our customers solve their unstructured information challenges, enabling us to lead in this large and expanding market,” Rooke said.

“Lexmark is continuing to increase shareholder value through acquisitions and organic investments that are accelerating our transition to a higher value solutions portfolio, and through the ongoing capital return of more than 50 percent of free cash flow,” added Rooke.

Click here to read the full press release.

[Lexmark News Blog] Records and Information Management: Not just for destruction and defense anymore

Stephanie Eaton. senior solution manager for information governance at Perceptive Software, a Lexmark company, recently wrote an article on Perceptive’s InContext blog about records and information management (RIM) that discusses what happens as companies broaden their understanding of what RIM actually means as electronic information grows.

While organizations are far from getting rid of all their paper, many are making a conscious effort to do more electronically, which means they are producing even more data than ever before. An analyst report titled “IDC Predictions 2013: Competing on the 3rd Platform” estimates that “The ‘digital universe’ —the total of all digital data created (and replicated)—will reach 4ZB in 2013, almost 50 percent more than 2012 volumes, and nearly a quadrupling of 2010 volumes.”

Click here to read the rest of the article on InContext.

[Lexmark News Blog] Perceptive Software named Kansas City’s Coolest Company

Perceptive Software, a Lexmark company, was recently named the “Coolest Company” to work for in KC Magazine’s, Kansas City’s Top Company’s List. 

“Perceptive Software is known for being a great place to work”, said Kyle Crager, Director of Human Resources, Perceptive Software.

“The judges voted us Kansas City’s Coolest Company based on both our cool culture and our continued growth and success. We believe engaged employees lead to happy customers and this award recognizes us for excellence in both. Ultimately it’s the combination of a great culture and sustained growth and success that will help us continue to be a place where the best and brightest want to be.”

Click here to read the full article and click here to find out what career opportunities are currently available at Perceptive.

[Lexmark Blog] Lexmark Quarterly Business Roundup

Lexmark Quarterly Business Roundup

Aug 29, 2013

LEXINGTON, Ky., Aug. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

News Facts

Corporate News               

• Lexmark International, Inc. (NYSE:LXK) announced financial results for the second quarter of 2013. To access the earnings news release, click here, and for the earnings presentation information, click here.
• Lexmark's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.30 per share of Lexmark Class A Common Stock. The dividend is payable on Sept. 13, 2013, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on Aug. 30, 2013. 
• After the close of the markets on July 26, 2013, Lexmark entered into an accelerated share repurchase agreement ("ASR Agreement") with The Bank of Nova Scotia ("Scotiabank"). Pursuant to the terms of the ASR Agreement, Lexmark will purchase $21 million of the outstanding shares of its Class A Common Stock from Scotiabank.
• Lexmark announced an agreement to acquire Saperion AG, a European-based leader in enterprise content management solutions, focused on providing document archive and workflow solutions.

Customer News and Company Recognition

• Lexmark has been recognized as a Leader in managed print services (MPS) again by leading IT market research and advisory firm IDC in the 2013 MPDS MarketScape report, which analyzes the strategies and current capabilities of companies providing managed print and document services.
• Lexmark was also recently named a Leader by IDC in the firm's MarketScape: EMEA Managed Print Services 2012 Hardcopy Vendor Analysis.
• Acuo, now part of Lexmark's Perceptive Software, was recognized by Frost & Sullivan with the 2012 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Market Share Leadership as the market share leader in vendor-neutral archiving (VNA), noting the company has significant standing in the broader enterprise imaging archiving market.
• Buyer's Laboratory (BLI) bestowed Summer 2013 Pick awards on the Lexmark MX812 Series for "Outstanding A4 Departmental Monochrome MFP," along with the Lexmark CS510 Series for "Outstanding A4 Color Printer for Small Workgroups."
• Lexmark was chosen by the FBI as its output provider in a $30 million agreement. Lexmark's Print Management solution has been deployed across the FBI's optimized fleet of smart Lexmark printers and multifunction products (MFPs) to reduce unnecessary printing, control overall printing costs and provide for strong user authentication, data security and information assurance.
• Perceptive Software has been chosen by World Vision International to help streamline its operations worldwide. Perceptive Content will provide efficiency and control across multiple ERP systems, helping to free resources for humanitarian efforts.
• Perceptive Software announced that Rideout Health will deploy Perceptive Software's Enterprise Content Management (ECM) solution for the health system's hospitals, cancer center, outpatient clinics and other ancillary services.
• Perceptive Software received a 2013 top company award as a "Cool Company" from the Kansas City Business Magazine. 

Products, Software, Solutions and Services News

• Perceptive Software released Document Filters 11, enabling technology partners to unlock and transform unstructured content for use in big data, data loss prevention, e-discovery and other data-driven solutions.
• Perceptive Software launched Perceptive Intelligent Capture for Transcripts, offering higher education institutions reductions in transcript data entry time and cost, while easing workflow delays during peak enrollment seasons.
• Perceptive Software and Bridgeline Digital jointly announced that they have committed to a long-term agreement that will see Bridgeline's iAPPS® platform augmented with Perceptive Enterprise Search technology.

Community News

• Lexmark and the Nature Conservancy teamed up to support the PGA of America with a tree-planting eventto help offset the impact of printing and paper products generated over the course of the seven-day 2013 PGA Championship. Lexmark is the Official Printing Technology Provider of the PGA of America.
• Lexmark was named a winner of the 2013 Alfred P. Sloan award for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility. The award, which recognizes employers that successfully use workplace flexibility to meet both organizational and employee goals, has been given to Lexmark the past six consecutive years.
• Recently, Lexmark employees built their 18^th Habitat for Humanity house in Lexington, Ky.

Supporting Resources:

Additional content is available on Lexmark's News Blog.

About LexmarkLexmark is uniquely focused on connecting unstructured printed and digital information across enterprises with the processes, applications and people that need it most. For more information, please visit www.lexmark.com.

Lexmark and Lexmark with diamond design are trademarks of Lexmark International, Inc., registered in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

All prices, features, specifications and capabilities are subject to change without notice.

SOURCE Lexmark

For further information: Investor Contact: John Morgan, (859) 232-5568, jmorgan@lexmark.com; Media Contact: Jerry Grasso, (859) 232-3546, ggrasso@lexmark.com

[Lexmark Blog] Let us introduce you: Saperion, Lexmark’s newest company acquisition

LexmarkNews interviewed John Gamble, executive vice president and chief financial officer for Lexmark, on today’s announcement of our agreement to acquire Saperion, a European-based leader in enterprise content management (ECM) solutions.

Lexmark: Tell us about Saperion and how the company is a great fit with Lexmark.

Gamble: Saperion is a leading provider of ECM and business process management (BPM) solutions headquartered in Berlin. It has a strong European-based clientele, which includes well-known brands such as Siemens and Daimler, as well as a strong base of medium-sized customers. Its solutions feature a platform-independent, multilingual architecture, making the products highly scalable and easy to integrate with all major enterprise resource planning software, email and document management systems.

The acquisition of Saperion accelerates several strategic Lexmark objectives, including rapidly expanding our software and solutions footprint in EMEA. Saperion is also a great fit in terms of customers, as it strengthens our position in delivering solutions to large enterprise customers in EMEA and growing our software channel.

Lexmark: How and why does Saperion fit well withPerceptive Software?

Gamble: Geographically, Perceptive and Saperion complement each other quite nicely. The acquisition of Saperion accelerates Perceptive achieving several strategic goals, including the before-mentioned growth in EMEA. This synergy works the other way also: Saperion will be able to offer and support its solutions in global regions where it previously was not represented. And existing Saperion global accounts now can benefit from Lexmark’s international breadth and presence to receive support across multiple geographies.

Lexmark: Why is a larger European presence strategic for Perceptive Software?

Gamble: EMEA is the second largest market for content and process management software worldwide, with $7.1 billion of software revenue in 2012 representing 32 percent of the world market (Source: Gartner – Forecast: Enterprise Software Markets, Worldwide, 2010-2017, 2Q13 Update, June 2013).

For Perceptive to achieve its strategic goal of being one of the leading content and process software solution providers in the world, we must develop and have a strong brand in this geographic region.

Also, strength globally ensures we can fully serve Lexmark’s largest multinational customers to support their business objectives and help manage their unstructured information challenges.

Lexmark: We’ve made a number of international purchases in the past three years - Pallas Athena, Brainware, ISYS and now Saperion. Is the strategy to add footprint or technical expertise?

Gamble: Lexmark’s acquisition strategy is multi-dimensional. At our core, we are a solutions company, and we look to add capabilities that allow us to deliver deeper and more compelling solutions to our customers.

Saperion, like many of our acquisitions, will help us both deepen our solutions capabilities and expand our geographic footprint while better serving our global enterprise customers.

As with all of our acquisitions, the most critical part in determining success will be the integration of the companies. We must embrace the opportunity to add new capabilities and take what is best from each acquisition to create a more dynamic Lexmark.

Click here to find out more about Saperion.

Lexmark Recognized as Industry Leader

Lexmark has been identified as a Leader by leading IT market research and advisory firmIDC. The firm’s 2013 MPDS MarketScape report analyzes the strategies and current capabilities of companies providing managed print and document services (MPDS).

As defined by IDC, Leaders are companies that have led and continue to lead the market in both breadth of offering and strategic intent.  

“Lexmark’s offering is among the most comprehensive of the vendors we evaluated,” said Holly Muscolino, research director, IDC BuyerPulse Analysis: Managed Print and Document Services program. “Lexmark’s high MPDS retention rate, glowing customer reviews and the continued growth of its program reflect its strong technology portfolio, robust methodology and execution excellence.”

Once again, Lexmark has been named a Leader in this study. The last MPS study from IDC in December 2011 also put Lexmark in the leaders category.

“Our MPS offering is unique in the industry in that it matches our expertise in helping customers manage their unstructured content with our world-class industry specific managed services,” said John Crandall, vice president and general manager, Global Marketing and Sales, Enterprise. “We help customers transform and grow their business processes and improve decision-making with real-time access to critical structured and unstructured information.”

Other industry analysts also put Lexmark in the leaders category for MPS. Recent accolades include:

• Lexmark is once, twice, three times a Managed Print Services leader
• Lexmark again named a leader in Quocirca MPS Vendor Landscape
• Lexmark named a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrants for MPS and MFPs/Printers

Click here for more information on Lexmark’s Managed Print Services Offerings.

Operational Efficiency: Good for Business

Controlling costs while maintaining high-quality goods and services has never been more important or, thanks to new systems, easier. 

How efficient are your operations? How you answer could have a big impact on your organization’s ability to innovate, control costs and compete. Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) understood the need for efficiency when it embarked on a multi-phase initiative to cut costs, reduce waste and increase employee productivity. The world’s largest marketer, distributor and producer of products manufactured by The Coca-Cola Co., CCE had grown through acquisitions over several years, leaving it with a disparate mass of equipment, policies and procedures at its hundreds of facilities.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

This post originally appeared on the Lexmark Corporate blog.

United Supermarkets: Helping Shoppers Shop Better

AccessVia, a business unit of Lexmark and one of our most recent acquisitions, has a great blog that you should follow, The Scratching Post.  The blog features many interesting stories, in particular, those that highlight the success AccessVia has in helping retail customers design and deploy cost-cutting retail solutions for shelf-edge signs, labels, digital signs, and electronic shelf labels (ESLs).  

A recent blog post that you may find of interest, especially if you work in the retail vertical, featured their relationship with Texas-based grocer, United Supermarkets.  AccessVia is helping their shoppers make better buying decisions by adding product-specific nutritional labeling on their shelf tags and signs – an industry-wide initiative to include easier-to-read nutritional information largely speaks to the increasing interest in health-consciousness and curiosity.

Click here to read the entire blog post.

Are You Getting The Most Out Of MPS, Or Just Getting By?

Companies sometimes go into managed print services (MPS) without realizing its full value. Many vendors talk about devices, device consolidation and simplified management, but that’s just part of what MPS can offer. 

True MPS focuses on what helps your teams be more productive. It’s not about printers and click charges; it’s about your people and the information they need to do their jobs. Most workers just want to print what they need when they need it. They don’t want responsibility for all the things that go along with making that happen.

Encore Presentation: Webinar with MPS Experts

Lexmark recently sponsored a webinar that covers this topic in more detail. It’s worth viewing again whether you’re considering a first venture into MPS, or planning your next contract.Computerworld has made the webinar recording available for an encore performance; you’ll find the link below.

MPS Nuggets – It’s Good Stuff

Here are some useful nuggets from that webinar. You’ll want to catch the entire presentation to learn more about getting the full value from your MPS investment.

Plan for Maximum MPS Value: Plan for capturing the full potential of MPS from the very beginning. Otherwise you end up with just a click-charge program that saves some money in the short-term, but misses out on maximum long-term sustainable savings and so much more: Infrastructure optimization, proactive management and business optimization.

Proactive Management Is About Freedom: Proactive MPS management frees employee to spend less time on getting output and more time on putting it to use. With fewer distractions, your employees can be more productive and spend more time with customers. Proactive management through automated alerts notifies the global fleet monitoring system that a device is heading toward a problem, or consumables are getting low at another location. The fleet is managed without getting employees involved.

Think Beyond Hardware and Clicks: A holistic MPS strategy goes beyond infrastructure and sets the stage for a bigger return on investment. Think broadly and creatively about your MPS decisions. Otherwise, you restrict the benefits your organization can realize from MPS.

Industry-specific Solutions Improve Customer Experience: From the beginning, think about what capabilities the technology you’re putting in place has to help proactive services and to enable business process optimization. Intelligent multifunction devices can do more than copy and print and scan. When paired with process improvement solutions, they improve the customer experience and make your business more productive.

Make Process Improvement Part of the Equation: Improving business processes is not part of the typical MPS equation, but it should be. Process improvement is within the scope of an MPS strategy. Don’t fall into a quick judgment to just consolidate devices without considering the technology you’ll need to do more, like proactive monitoring and process improvement. As a business optimization tool, MPS uses technology to streamline workflow, accelerate cycle times, reduce errors and increase accuracy.

Like These Ideas? Listen to this webinar to learn more about getting the most from MPS.

Lexmark Philippines open house highlights job opportunities

Lexmark recently held an open house at its Cebu facilities in the Philippines for local press and dignitaries. The event highlighted Lexmark’s employment opportunities for highly skilled professionals.

Lexmark has been operating in Cebu for more than 14 years, providing global support in the engineering, finance, marketing and back office departmental areas. Lexmark is also looking to expand its research and development in Cebu. Cebuanos provide support to globally integrated teams with challenging work opportunities.

“Lexmark and its employees have lived and worked in Cebu for more than 14 years,” said R.L. Bandy, president of Lexmark Philippines. “This is the first time that Lexmark has opened its doors to the community to share what we actually do here at this facility and to also highlight our excellent job opportunities and family friendly atmosphere.”

We asked local media personality, Emily Jade Valero, special publications editor for SunStar Publishing in Cebu, for her thoughts on the event. “The tour of the different offices and laboratories inside Lexmark broadened my knowledge of what the company is all about and what it really does,” said Valero. “I am now more aware of the exciting direction the company is going and of its current line of products and services.”

Lexmark Philippines is currently seeking qualified firmware, software and engineering job candidates and is also looking for professionals in our global support services, which include supply chain, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and technical support.

To learn more about job opportunities in Lexmark Cebu, please click here.

Unum accelerates processes, will achieve 376% ROI with Lexmark

Sharing a case study with our readers today featuring Unum Group, a Fortune 500 company and a leading provider of financial protection benefits in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Unum’s investment in Lexmark products, solutions and services will achieve a 376 percent return on investment in the first three years. Unum will achieve positive net benefits in year one, with net benefits of $6.8 million over three years.

Read all about it here.

Enable the New Loss Prevention Professional with Information

As retailers reinvest in their loss prevention teams, they’re looking for professionals who can enhance profitability, drive new ideas, and interpret, and act on, data that new technology makes available.

At a time when retailers lose more than $35 billion to theft and administrative errors in a single year, the retail loss prevention specialist takes on a more important role, and different duties, in the retail organization. 

Gone are the days when the loss prevention employee would spend most of his or her time walking a store’s aisles or poring over grainy video clips. Today, the best loss prevention specialists are part trainer, part auditor and part analytics specialist. He or she may also handle safety in addition to security, says Richard T. Mellor, vice president, loss prevention, National Retail Federation(NRF).

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Working Across the Globe: Lexmark execs share experiences

Business Lexington recently interviewed two Lexmark executives who discussed their experiences working internationally. We wanted to expand that conversation with two follow-up interviews with other Lexmark executives who have or are working internationally.  This is the first in a two-part series. Our first Lexmark interview features Leea Haarz, general manager of Lexmark Juarez.

Lexmark: Where is your international assignment and what do you do for Lexmark?

CPT leadership team and families celebrating “Las Posadas” last December in JuareLexmark?

Haarz: I’ve been on assignment for Lexmark for about two and a half years. My original assignment was to manage our CPT (chemical process toner) facility which is one of several manufacturing plants on Lexmark’s Juarez campus. I was recently promoted to general manager of the Lexmark Juarez campus.

Lexmark: How difficult was your initial transition for your international assignment?

Leea and her family on a recent hike in Sedona, AZ.

Haarz: For me there were the predictable differences of location, culture, language and work, all of which I have absolutely loved. However, it was also a big change for my family in our lifestyle and experiences, and their support has been critical. Living in El Paso has allowed us to travel all over the U.S. Southwest and do things we wouldn’t have otherwise had the chance to do. We deliberately plan our weekend adventures around our location and we love them.

Lexmark: What has being in a new, diverse culture taught you? 

Some members of Lexmark’s CPT team celebrating the start of production for a new toner product in the fall of 2011 in Juarez.

Haarz: Working in a new culture is an opportunity to practice emotional intelligence.  The culture in Juarez is warm, optimistic and relational, and I try to share that with the rest of Lexmark when possible. I just love the people I get to work with every day.

In addition, being on assignment in general gives you a chance to have more authority as well as accountability for your decisions and work. This is a great way to learn.

How has your experience in Juarez helped you add value to Lexmark?

Haarz: I’ve worked at Lexmark for 18 years in many different areas including manufacturing, development, engineering and environmental, health and safety.  In this assignment, I use my experience and Lexmark knowledge to help bridge together our teams in Lexington and Juarez as well as our team in Lexmark’s Boulder, Colorado, facility. I strive to provide perspective and insight to all Lexmark locations on our goals, initiatives and motivations, because I understand what it’s like in multiple areas of the business. It’s a more complicated form of “translation” than just language. The better we can all communicate, the better we can meet our customers’ needs and manage our business.

What is your advice for people considering an opportunity to work in an international position? 

Haarz: I think the best assignments (international or otherwise) are those that match an employee’s skills, talents and interests with business needs. The adventure of an international assignment has the potential to grow you at a faster pace than others, but if you find one that matches your career and development goals, it’s a home run.

Lexmark: How has your experience in Juarez helped you add value to Lexmark? 

Haarz: I’ve worked at Lexmark for 18 years in many different areas including manufacturing, development, engineering and environmental, health and safety.  In this assignment, I use my experience and Lexmark knowledge to help bridge together our teams in Lexington and Juarez as well as our team in Lexmark’s Boulder, Colorado, facility. I strive to provide perspective and insight to all Lexmark locations on our goals, initiatives and motivations, because I understand what it’s like in multiple areas of the business. It’s a more complicated form of “translation” than just language. The better we can all communicate, the better we can meet our customers’ needs and manage our business.

Lexmark: What is your advice for people considering an opportunity to work in an international position? 

Haarz: I think the best assignments (international or otherwise) are those that match an employee’s skills, talents and interests with business needs. The adventure of an international assignment has the potential to grow you at a faster pace than others, but if you find one that matches your career and development goals, it’s a home run.

Click here to read the article in Business Lexington featuring Lexmark executives, Todd Hamlin and Ronaldo Foresti.