The Ups and Downs of the Xerox Corporation

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to find out why Xerox corporation has survived and prospered. It has been at the forefront of the document processing industry since its first commercial copier hit the market in 1960. At first Xerox was the only company within this field and it prospered. Then in the 1970's the competition rolled in. Xerox was hit by a number of devastating punches, and like a champion prize fighter, staggered but was never knocked out. Xerox Corporation is one of only a few u.s. companies that has been able to fight off the Japanese invasion. It did this by joining forces with a Japanese company to form Fuji Xerox. This relationship has been called the most successful joint venture ever, between a Japanese and u.s. company. This paper, examines the company from the late 1930s, prior to the time it was called Xerox, to present day 1991. · The paper illustrates the difficult times of the post war period and explains how Haloid Co. acquired the patents and technology from Chester Carlson for the electrophotography process. It explores the development of Xerox's first machine which led to its glory years. Finally the times when Xerox seemed near death, then its realization and the re-emergence. During my research at Xerox, I learned many things, most importantly that u.s. companies are not doomed to fail in the shadow of the Japanese. Xerox Corporation is a perfect example for other companies to follow in the competitive business world of today. The solutions are often difficult to implement and not everyone will be happy, but they must be put into action. The key parts of the Xerox answer are quality and customer satisfaction. That should be a strong message to every business person in the world. I know I will never think of the word quality in the same way ever again.