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.

  

Things to Consider When Looking to Move to a Paperless Workplace

The rise of instant communication technologies that is made possible through use of the internet (email, texting, IM) and new media (YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter) have brought new ways of handling everyday operations in the world of business. With every new generation, there comes an increased aptitude for technology and evolving work approach using new inventive ways to use that technology. The Net Generation is the first group of “digital natives” that seem to be changing the office workplace like no other age bracket in the past.

It is a known fact that people of the “Net Generation” are more familiar with devices such as cell phones, laptops, and hand held gaming devices. People from this generation think that using paper in the work place is a thing of the past. Most of them usually get their messages through emails, IM’s, and/or Tweets, so it’s no wonder why this generation thinks paper as out dated and archaic.  Sending IM’s and emails are much faster, more convenient, and more eco-friendly than using the standard postal system.

Enterprise Content Management systems are getting more and more common in the workplace. Forms, letters, emails, notes, and paperwork need a place to live for quick and easy access. Companies are looking for ways to store their documents electronically rather than using a hard copy filing system in a file cabinet.  I can’t think of a better generation to embrace this technology than the Net Generation.

With all of this said, the Net Generation has an advantage over the rest of us because they entered this world with the digital age already in place and we should take advantage of that fact and allow these great minds to thrive and expand their knowledge in the workforce. They will be a great asset in the long run, and will be able to get the older generations up to speed with the new technology.

Here are some good ideas on how to get your company up to speed and maximize your company’s productivity.

1. Start moving away from paper based systems, and more towards email, digital forms, and electronic documents.
2. Build a good scanning system that can import your documents into a storage system such as a database.
3. When scanning the images find software that can do optical character recognition (OCR) to create easily searchable text.
4. Build a good storage system that has software that you can add annotations, signatures, highlights, blackouts and whiteouts to scanned documents.
5. Try to find software that allows you to build a workflow process of how you do work at your place of business.
6. And the most important, hire technology oriented people such as people from the Net Generation and let them be technology mentors in the workplace. This is a great opportunity where the students can become the teachers and  let them experiment in ways to drive paper out of the workflows of business – and lead and teach the rest of the organization.

John Hart

Listening to the Machine

I was chatting with Sophia Marchi, the director of sales for the Americas for BÖWE BELL + HOWELL Scanners at our recent Nexus event. She had just delivered a great break-out on scanner selection criteria and we started talking about how the users need to have input on scanner selection – they really know what they like and what works for them. Often, these aren’t the people consulted when purchase decisions are made, and it’s a shame. She related how at FedEx, there were 13 identical scanners deployed, and the staff had names them all – Annabelle, Karina, Chloe, Hannah, and so forth. Workers bonded with their machines, and would line up for their favorite – even to the point of coming in early to get their machine. Or switching to it the second in came available. Well what’s the attraction — they are all the same machines, right? Then I recalled my brother and I had the same Schwinn 2 speed bikes as kids, then in college we bought the exact same motorcycles (I stuck to silver, he to purple). 3K miles down the road, I’d borrow his bike. Felt a bit funny, compared to mine with the same mileage. Fast forward to when we had put over 45K miles – what a difference. Rider habits with braking, acceleration, maintenance, even storage – added up to make these bikes ride with distinct differences. I do remember mine being faster – I guess my throttle was used to more demands. It’s the same story with scanners. Properly maintained scanners – the ones that are doted on and listened to carefully – are bound to last longer with fewer unexpected breakdowns. Sophia learned from the users that with their favorite scanners, the operators can hear roller wear, hear double feeds, even hear the need for a cleaning. Scanning shops that listen to their operators, allowing them to use a particular machine when possible, and reward regular maintenance and cleaning will outperform shops that neglect these steps.

Peter Lang
ImageSource, Inc.

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.

  

Another Good Reason to Recommend Upgrading an Image Capture System

I recently had a ticket I found to be very interesting.  

As I started to dig into the issue with an older version of an imaging capture system and I soon realized that .NET 2.0 was not supported, and manufacture recommended their customers to uninstall the .NET 2.0 framework. As you know that’s very hard to do in today’s world so they came up with an unsupported workaround.

The workaround is very tedious and can be very painful to implement depending on the customer’s Image Capture setup and the number of scan stations they might have. The workaround consists of creating 13 configuration files for the Image Capture install and they have to be installed on each scan station as well as the Image Capture server.  If you have third party software installed you will also have to create configuration files for each of these as well

The other kicker to this workaround is that when a customer updates their .NET 2.0 framework, it breaks the connection with the License server and you have to restart the Image Capture Service on the server.  Sometimes this doesn’t even work and you have to do a registry hack on each of the scan stations and then you have to restart the service on the server.

As you can see from the examples above this is not a very efficient way to manage and operate your Image Capture system, and it’s about time to upgrade your system to something new that supports the latest .NET framework.  We would love to help you with your Imaging Capture System and customize it to fit your needs. You can contact us at http://imagesourceinc.com/Company/RequestInformation/index.htm for more information.

John Hart

Software Developer

ImageSource Inc.

  

Does Your Scanner Like to Pull Multiple Pages or None at All?

Is your scanner refusing to pull one page at a time like it should be?  Try cleaning the pick up, seperation, and feeding rollers.  Most scanners have cleaning kits available with the necessary items.  Also check to make sure your documents are being properly prepped.  Proper document prep includes: removing staples and post-its, making sure the staple holes are not hanging on to each other, line up the corners of all the documents, and fanning the documents prior to scanning.

 

If you have done all of the above and the documents are still feeding poorly you may need to replace your rollers with are considered a consumable item. I know you can purchase all scanner comsumables from ImageSource, Inc.

Main Causes for Image Quality Issues on Fujitsu Scanners

Do you ever get those annoying lines on your scanned images and not sure what the problem is?  The majority of image quality issues experienced with Fujitsu scanners can be easily resolved by the user.  The first thing I would try is to clean the ADF glass.

On occasion there might be other hardware issues that could require a Service Technician to come on-site to resolve.  These include: dust on the optics and underside of scan glass assembly and old or defective lamps.  These issues can also give a back or front Optical Alarm error.

Another possible cause of image quality issues could be scratches on the glass assembly due to staples being feed through the scanner still on the paper.  Don’t forget to remove staples from paper before scanning!  The scratched glass would require a Service Technician to come out and replace that part.

If you think your image quality issues could be resolved with the simple cleaning or replacement of consumables, you can purchase any of these items from ImageSource.