PFU launches partner programme for EMEA workflow sales

PFU has launched the PaperStream Solution Partner Programme in EMEA for channel partners already enrolled in its Imaging Channel Programme.

The programme introduces bundled document workflow offerings that combine Ricoh fi-series scanners, PaperStream Capture Pro software, and either a third-party information management application or a connector to a third-party platform. It is designed to give partners a clearer route into selling document capture and workflow packages rather than standalone hardware.

Initial offerings include an electronic signature package using Namirial, alongside document management options through the DocuWare Connector and Zeendoc Connector. More solutions and connectors are planned for 2026 and 2027.

The launch comes as hardware margins remain under pressure across the channel and vendors look for ways to help partners build steadier income from software and services. PFU is positioning the programme as a formal route for resellers that want to package scanners, capture tools and workflow software into a single sale.

Partner Model

Access is limited to businesses registered in PFU's Imaging Channel Programme and is subject to defined criteria. Approved partners will receive training, certification and sales support to help them move towards solution-led selling.

Programme members will be offered recurring revenue opportunities through software-led sales models, improved margins through bundled pricing, and a way to differentiate through integrated packages. They will also be able to use resources from PFU's Success Accelerator Programme, including presales and sales training, certification pathways, workshops and marketing materials.

PFU is rolling the programme out across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, giving partners in the region a common structure for selling a set of pre-defined document workflow packages linked to its scanning products.

For resellers, the commercial logic is straightforward. Hardware sales can be harder to grow when pricing remains competitive and replacement cycles lengthen. Software and workflow services, by contrast, can create longer customer relationships and repeat income through subscriptions, support and follow-on integration work.

PFU's latest channel initiative also reflects a wider trend in the document management and imaging market, where suppliers are trying to connect devices more closely to business process software. Rather than treating scanners as a discrete product line, vendors increasingly position them as the first stage in document capture, routing, approval and storage.

That approach can help partners sell a business outcome rather than a device specification. It also places greater emphasis on vertical use cases such as signed document collection, records management and workflow automation, where software and integration often account for a larger share of the overall sale.

Christophe Laurence outlined the rationale behind the programme in a statement accompanying the launch. "Channel partners are under increasing pressure to protect margins and demonstrate value beyond hardware. The PaperStream Solution Partner Programme gives them a clear framework to do exactly that - combining best-in-class scanning, powerful capture software and integrated workflow solutions into offerings that solve real business challenges.

"Crucially, it also supports partners in building more predictable, recurring revenue streams, while strengthening their role as trusted advisors to customers," said Laurence, EMEA Business Development Director at PFU.

PFU is part of the Ricoh group and operates in document imaging, scanning and related software. Its latest partner push in EMEA suggests it sees a broader opportunity in helping the channel package imaging hardware with workflow and information management tools, rather than relying on scanner sales alone.

The programme is aimed at resellers that already describe their offer as solutions, as well as those that have historically focused on product sales. For the latter, it creates a defined pathway towards services-led engagements built around bundled document workflow solutions.