Canon is in the middle of one of the most exciting transformations in its history, transitioning from an iconic hardware business to a comprehensive solutions-driven technology partner. For Gary Lee, President and CEO of Canon Hong Kong, the city plays a pivotal role in this shift.
“I see my role in Hong Kong as working out how to bridge the growth strategy of Canon, at the same time as making it relevant locally,” he says.
“People know Canon very well as a camera brand. But now we are moving toward software, not just products or hardware.”
“The world is changing that fast; how we keep up the pace is important.”
With Hong Kong well-positioned between Canon’s global innovation engine and the growth momentum of the Greater Bay Area, the city has become a strategic bridge. Driven by a deeply considered corporate philosophy based on the Japanese concept of Kyosei, which translates to the common good, Lee and his team haven’t forgotten the value of community.
“Sustainability is embedded in Canon’s DNA,” he says. “We take this very seriously and try to contribute as responsible global citizens.”
Maintaining and strengthening in-person retail is essential for Canon, despite high levels of online growth. For Lee, the hands-on experience is important.
“We are building an omnichannel approach that blends instore experience for the customers,” he says. “At the same time, they gain the benefits of digital convenience, like ordering in the morning and receiving it the same afternoon.”
Another priority is the Greater Bay Area and helping clients integrate cross-border operations.
“Our focus is on how Canon Hong Kong can support clients to connect the Hong Kong operations seamlessly with their mainland operations,” he adds.
Driving digital transformation
While Lee recognizes how rapidly AI is empowering growth and productivity, and in the process changing the world, he’s equally interested in the possibilities this innovation can bring to workplaces and personal lives. In the past, people may have taken photos for personal enjoyment, but now, many want to share these images.
“The world is changing that fast; how we keep up the pace is important,” he says. “I believe in empowerment and keeping a customer-centric approach. These two things will keep us relevant.”
Global perspective
Lee feels that working in India for seven years and seeing firsthand how the country contains many diverse cultures was an ideal opportunity to learn about the importance of adaptability and understanding local differences.
“I put a great emphasis on collaboration, empowering teams and keeping a customer-centric focus. I always want people to feel trusted to innovate and act decisively, while at the same time staying connected to Canon’s shared values and commitment to the common good,” Lee says.
Canon’s slogan for its B2B customers – ‘Business Can Be Simple’ – highlights how effectively its solutions can be integrated. Earlier this year, Canon launched a new series of multifunctional devices that do everything from scan to copy and print. And it’s not just in hardware where Canon is innovating, with an advanced AI connector being part of the new software offering.
“This enabled our users to personalize their own settings, automate tasks like indexing, classifying information and even recognize a handwritten document,” Lee notes.
In partnership with a local Hong Kong company, Canon built a smart document assistant called AI Genie that can help customers across a range of use cases. For example, they can streamline their workflow with a single click. If there are repetitive tasks that need to be done, or indexed, or information that clients want to have deeper insights into, it can all be done in a few moments.
“With just one click through the AI connector, we bring them to the AI Genie to automate the workflow in the backend,” he says.
“It helps our customers in minimizing the manual interventions and saves time in a way that will bring cost-effectiveness to the business.”
Win–win partnerships
For Lee, working with partners isn’t a one-way relationship, but rather a win–win situation where every company benefits. In practice, this means close collaboration throughout the supplier ecosystem and not taking a traditional view that sees each partner siloed and contributing individually.
Locally in Hong Kong, Canon works with two companies: one document management and workflow automation firm called Antelope; and FlexSystem, a scalable enterprise software provider.
“We bring them together, and we ask them to try to build an integrated suite of solutions to automate invoices,” he says.
“One function is invoice verification and automating the accounting entries, which helps the business to streamline the processes and save time by minimizing errors.”
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Leading logistics provider KLN Logistics Group is another strong partner helping Canon through a transformative era. It’s not an understatement to say this novel approach toward fostering a network of suppliers and partners, who are all working together in unison, is essential in supporting Canon in differentiating itself from competitors.
Lee mentions the strong hardware and software offerings from rival firms, which are able to provide a range of services to clients. Yet he believes no other company can ensure the same level of cohesion across the entire purchasing journey as Canon can.
“We take local partners, integrate them, and you’ll see that we can cover basically all important applications within one organization. It’s a really one-stop shop,” he says. “If they operate separately, it’s a nightmare.”
“We believe partnerships are not a short-term situation.”
In workplaces that manage multiple workflows, keep on top of complex invoicing, and have settlements with countless suppliers, the Canon solution is hard to top.
By moving smaller workflows onto a single platform and then integrating this with the accounting and financial payment center, clients enjoy a connected system.
“We believe partnerships are not a short-term situation, because if we co-develop things together, the uniqueness and the differentiation will become even more significant in the long run,” Lee concludes.
