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to get feedback on what we can do to improve the business
process, because these are the people who are doing the
work day in, day out, and can make sometimes small, but
important, changes to hugely impact the organisation.”
While Canon is often associated with cameras and
printers, its footprint in the medical sector has been steadily
rising. In 2016, the company announced the acquisition of
Toshiba Medical Systems, which specialised in diagnostic
medical imaging equipment. The now Canon Medical
Systems (the name was officially changed in 2018) is set
to become a bigger force in health care.
“Canon had a much smaller footprint in the medical
industry than Toshiba, so it’s a case of integrating the relevant
parts of the two businesses in the new organisation,” says
Mark. “The Canon brand is strong compared with Toshiba’s,
but Canon has not been closely associated with the medical
business. So using the strength of the Canon brand with
the medical expertise of Toshiba should bring a combined
benefit larger than the sum of the individual parts.”
Mark is a firm believer in effective communication
between employees. “If you don’t have the right people
in the right place doing the right things then you’ll die as
a business,” he says. “You need to ensure that people have
the correct personal philosophy, and that this is aligned
as much as possible to the company values; but also, you
need to educate, motivate and communicate with them.
“If people feel informed and involved, they’re more likely
to make a positive contribution. On our intranet, we’ve
introduced video communication to keep all employees and
partners informed about what’s happening with the company
- particularly during the transition – and
to keep them updated about the current
business environment.”
And when it comes to improving the
business, Mark finds it useful to look at
its individual components rather than
approaching it as a whole. “I remember
reading an article about British Cycling’s
performance, which was not so good some
15 years ago,” he explains. “It was said they
broke down the business of cycling into its
component parts, and looked for a one per
cent improvement in all the individual pieces.
When they put it back together again, the
total improvement was phenomenal. And
now British Cycling is held in much higher
esteem than it was 15 years ago, and
is very successful.
“That’s the sort of philosophy I adopt
here. Again, it’s about remembering that all
the people in the provision of any service are
important and they can all contribute greatly
to the success of any task.”
At the core of Canon Medical Systems
Europe is its motto ‘Made for Life’. This not
only reflects its products but its overall
approach as well. “The main philosophy is
that it should benefit all parts of the business,
but also mankind,” Mark says. “When you
buy equipment from us, it’s made for life: to
contribute to the life of the patient, the life
of the service, and the life of the systems
themselves. We’re looking for reliability, good
outcomes for the patients, and the value-for-
money proposition as well, which means it’s
a win–win–win situation.”
“ It’s about remembering that all the
people in the provision of any service
are important and they can all
contribute greatly to the success of
any task.”
“For over a decade Canon Medical Systems and CIVCO
Radiotherapy have collaborated to bring innovative solutions
for CT and, recently, MR planning for oncology. This
partnership has been critical in leveraging growth in global
markets and positively impacting patient outcomes.”- Nat Geissel, President, CIVCO Radiotherapy
INNOVATE | Interview