ILINX Capture: Scanning in a Production Environment

ILINX Capture utilizes a web based platform that combines functionality as well as ease of use while scanning in a production environment.  This platform allows production workers to remotely tap into the system to perform any task in the production workflow.  Capture makes use of many different image enhancement techniques.  In ILINX Capture’s production environment, batches move through the processes in an efficient and organized workflow. 

ILINX Capture’s web based platform makes it possible for a technician to scan and process batches from remote locations.  This feature allows technicians convenient access to the production environment while not at the same locations.  Each process in the workflow (ie Capture, Classify and Indexing) can be performed by an operator whether or not they are on site.  Knowledge workers can answer questions without having to look over the shoulder of the production worker. 

ILINX Capture has many functional image enhancement tools for scanning less than good quality paper.  Images can be replaced, inserted or appended at any stage in the workflow process.  Images can be copied into various places throughout the batch.  Images can also be printed at anytime during the workflow.  If images are scanned out of order and need to be corrected, with ILINX Capture you can move images around after they scanned into the system. 

The most important aspect of Production Scanning is efficient workflow.  ILINX Capture workflow allows batches to move seamlessly from one process to the next.  Batches can also be moved backwards in the workflow if they need to be reworked.  With ILINX Capture you can use any scanner as long as the PC you are using has the twain drivers installed on it.  In the user window, a batch can be easily found at any stage in the workflow without confusion or the necessity of using the Server Manager.

Jeff Martin                               Ali Adam

ImageSource, Inc.                ImageSource, Inc.

Barcode Document Separation with ILINX Capture

While exploring different document separation techniques I discovered that bar code separation may cause the document to be split multiple times.   I scanned in a single document that had 334 pages and for some reason it split the document multiple times.  There were no other barcodes except one Patch Type T separator at the beginning of the document.  

After looking over the settings on the Barcode QSX module inside the ILINX Capture Server Manager I noticed that the Patch Type T document separator and the 3 of 9 barcode separator were enabled.  Please see picture below…  

ILINX Capture Barcode OSX Module

One of the challenges with setting up barcode separation with both Patch Type T document separator and the 3 of 9 barcode separator is that every time the recognition engine comes across a 3 of 9 barcode it will separate the document automatically regardless if you want it to or not . Unfortunately the software can get tripped up on its own logic and every time the recognition engine comes across a 3 of 9 barcode it will separate the document automatically.  ILINX Capture’s recognition engine still separates by the Patch Type T Patch Code as well as every 3 of 9 barcode. This can give unexpected results with the number of documents that are automatically generated.  To fix the above example I removed the bar code separation because it was not needed. As you can see in the following example…  

ILINX Capture Barcode Settings

However, in some cases this may not meet a client’s needs and different approach to document separation is needed. The best practice for multiple document separation is when using Patch Type T Patch separator pages and 3 of 9 barcode separation you need to add a prefix for each type of document you want to separate.  

Here is a good example:  

A client may want to separate documents by what’s in the barcode itself, such as capturing the word “ILINX” in the barcode for a document type of “Application” and the word “Invoice” in the barcode for a document type of “Invoice”.  To do this you need to add a prefix value with a document type see.

As you can see ILINX Capture has the ability to be customized to fit your needs no matter how basic and/or how complicated the requirements are. The main concept here is ILINX Capture is a very powerful tool and needs to be configure properly to get want you need out of it. The above example is only a small scratch on the surface on what this tool can actually do.  

However, in some cases this may not meet a client’s needs and different approach to document separation is needed. The best practice for multiple document separation is when using Patch Type T Patch separator pages and 3 of 9 barcode separation you need to add a prefix for each type of document you want to separate. 

A client may want to separate documents by what’s in the barcode itself, such as capturing the word “ILINX” in the barcode for a document type of “Application” and the word “Invoice” in the barcode for a document type of “Invoice”. To do this you need to add a prefix value with a document type see.

ILINX Capture Prefix Settings

As you can see ILINX Capture has the ability to be customized to fit your needs no matter how basic and/or how complicated the requirements are. The main concept here is ILINX Capture is a very powerful tool and needs to be configure properly to get want you need out of it. The above example is only a small scratch on the surface on what this tool can actually do. 

John Hart
ImageSource Inc.

  

eForms Technology Short Cuts That Really Work!

Often we are up against tight deadlines and we need to use all our tricks and tools to help increase efficiency and provide a better client experience.  When we have clients with large form libraries that need converting to eForms; one of my favorite tools to use is FormBridge for Liquid Office.  FormBridge does direct conversions of PDF, word, excel and other common form files to Liquid Office xfm files like magic!  The converted forms are fully editable and are amazingly accurate copies with minor tweaks for formatting once translated.  FormBridge automatically creates fillable fields, just as a forms designer would and this is a huge time saver.

Forms kick-off workflows and drive business.  Moving paper based and un-editable eforms to an intelligent digital format has many benefits such as cost savings based on efficiencies and increased accessibility.  Even a small business may have hundreds of forms.  As a system integrator of ECM technologies we know what tools and tips to help your eForms initiative become a huge success.

Leigh Woody

Program Manager

ImageSource, Inc.

A Different Perspective on How ECM Can Impact Workplaces

I recently was part of a team tasked with working on site to observe a client’s work process to determine what improvements could be made on this clients Process /Imaging system reduce end user pain points, help eliminate unnecessary redundant actions, and ways to streamline the workflow. 

I don’t want to name the client directly, but I can say that the client that we are working with is a government agency that provides direct services to its citizens, and at this time they are flooded with citizen requests for services.  Some of these requests are complex and require several different workers to evaluate the requests.  Also they are on strict time lines in which to process these requests.

In working with both end users and supervisors, we were able to gather enough information and devise several modifications that can be implemented on their system for an immediate and positive effect.  One of the most intriguing parts of working on this project was that growing up both of my parents worked for this agency.  My mother was even doing the same type of work that we were looking to help streamline, but back in the early 1980’s.  I recall the difficulty that this type of work entails and the amount of time it requires to do properly.  Growing up and seeing how this agency use to have to perform their normal business duties gave me what I feel is a unique perspective on how huge of an impact implementing an imaging and business workflow system had on this agency.

While I was growing up, I recall the office that my parents worked in as being filled with filing cabinets, some of these cabinets always seemed to have people filing and finding documents required for request processing.  If a request made to the agency spanned several regions or required several different departments in the agency to evaluate, there was a ton of lost time in sending documents back and forth.  Plus there was also the risk of misplacing or misfiling documents.

A central image repository, with a well structured indexing scheme, for documents drastically reduces the time in accessing documents and also provides a secure location for document storage.  With the addition of email, requests and the accompanying documents and almost instantly be transferred between the workers required for request processing.  I could go on and on about how this type of system can positively impact a business and reduce costs, but there are already volumes of documentation out there to look through.

I’ve been working with content management and business process systems for a while now, but this was the one moment that the overall impact that this type of system can have really hit home.  There was also a fair bit of gratification in the overall effect that helping implement this type of system with a client that directly touches so many lives.

Random McParks
Support Engineer
ImageSource Inc.

  

Exchange 2010 Upgrade

As part of our Enterprise Content Management system we are upgrading our Exchange servers to 2010 to better handle our enterprise demands for e-mail content and integrate with SharePoint 2010.  Upgrading from Exchange Server 2003 to 2010 most users won’t notice a huge difference in E-mail performance but where they will notice changes is the new look and feel of OWA (Outlook Web Access) 2010.  OWA 2010 has some great new features such as Conversation view, which allows a user to view the whole chain of responses in one threaded view.   Another great feature that I think everyone will be happy about is that in OWA 2010 all  messages show up on one page, with OWA 2003 the maximum limit was 100 per page, now with OWA 2010 there is no limit no matter how big your inbox is all your messages are on one page.   Also a great feature which we just tested is the function to allow a user to remotely wipe their phone via OWA, so if your phone is lost or stolen you can completely wipe your phone clean of sensitive information.  

 At ImageSource we represent a variety of software options, our consulting services provide an independent and objective approach. Many consultants use a one size fits all philosophy. Our flexible and proven methodologies allow us to help you define truly suitable solutions for ECM and integration with corporatet office tools. 

Will Hart
Support Engineer
ImageSource, Inc.

Nexus 2009 Shows Promise for a Stronger Economy

I’ve heard many comments from individuals summing up their ‘NEXUS ECM Experience’ over the past week following the show’s November 2nd close.  From my perspective, the tweets and blogs captured the momentum and attendance at the show was greater than last year.  I think this is because the quality and value of the show in general was up.  Attendees this year definitely had an agenda, and most were actively seeking solutions, as compared to years passed.  The companies that will be on top when the economy turns will be those who have a strong ECM foundation for business processes.  It was encouraging to see the excitement and drive to get back to work and start retooling for a more efficient future.   If you missed out this year, make sure to register for Nexus 2010 and lock in the reduced rate of $195! Use code NEXUS10SPL

Leigh Woody

Program Manager

ImageSource, Inc.

Tuning ECM Capture Systems – Is It Optional?

Recognizing forms and then performing successful OCR and ICR is a result of careful planning.   Then comes plenty of testing during development, exploiting every advantage you can discover.  Once rolling, are the results what you expect?  All of that testing should ensure the answer is YES.  But if they are falling short of expectation, it’s time to tune.  Are image enhancement/preprocessing settings set optimally (or are they in place at all?).  Are alphanumeric fields defined in such a way that the OCR engines aren’t trying to discern zeros from letter O’s?  For handwriting, do forms have text instructions coaching the users how to write ‘between the lines’?  Are you matching expected data with available dictionaries encompassing all possible entries?  These are just a few of the questions to ask while tuning a paper capture system.  At ImageSource, we’ll work to resolve recognition problems you are experiencing to maximize your ROI and data throughput.

Peter Lang
ImageSource

Enterprise Content Management (ECM): Best Practices for Backfile Conversion

The 2 main aspects of Backfile Conversion are Security and Quality.  Security within the document scanning process is tracking and maintaining records for each document through the workflow.  If a conversion workflow is tracked and accounted for efficiently, a quality product will be the result. 

In addition to maintaining records of documents it is not uncommon that someone will want to view one of the documents that are in the workflow.  If an itemized inventory list (tracking log) was created at the beginning of the conversion workflow and an entry to the tracking log was made every time the document was processed, it should take minutes to locate where the document is and provide either the hard copy or the imaged copy of that document for the individual looking for the document.

The conversion workflow process usually consists of incoming inventory, preparation of documents for scanning, scanning of documents, indexing, releasing of images into the Document Management System and outgoing inventory.  When an entry is made to the tracking log, the name and date should be included in the entry.  This will assign that technician the responsibility of the document during this stage in the workflow.  The goal with assigning responsibility is to add incentive for the technician to make sure the document is imaged clearly and indexed accurately.  Accountability ensures quality of work being produced.

Through the use of a tracking log documents are secure in that they know where they are at all times.  Technicians are held accountable for their work. 

 

Jeff Martin

Conversion Services Project Coordinator

ImageSource, Inc.

  

The Future of ECM Support and Web Based Distributed Capture

Now that there are scanning applications that live on the internet troubleshooting and client side desktop support just got a whole lot easier. No more patching individual workstations and mix matched versions on client desk tops. No more problems accessing and taking up disk space. No more OS compatibility issues. Web based applications is the future of ECM and those of us in Technical Support are embracing the expansion of web based scanning applications such as ILINX Capture and  Oracle Distributed Capture.

Sure, there are still browser issues and other problems that keep all of us techies really busy. Web based applications will not get rid of the need for technical support but it does reduce the amount of user contact and potential points of failure significantly. This is not new technology and thin client scanning has been evolving over the years and we are noticing a trend of renewed interest as companies are looking for ways to deploy software to larger communities and an increase in green initiatives to telecommute. I am looking forward to the next evolution of zero footprint web based distributed scanning and the ease of deployment and supportability.

Leigh Woody

Program Manager

ImageSource, Inc.

Kofax moves to a pay-per-incident (PPI) system. What are your options?

As of August 3, 2009, worldwide technical support via telephone for all versions of Kofax’s VRS has been convert to a pay-per-incident (PPI) system.  Fujitsu offers a toll-free technical assistance support line for all Fujitsu scanners and software during the warranty period.  The scanner warranty includes phone support for Kofax VRS products provided with the purchase of Fujitsu Scanners.  Contact ImageSource for Fujitsu Scanners with VRS and post sales support.

Leigh Woody

Program Manager