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.

  

Blogging from Office 2007

Lately I’ve been working on adding some Web 2.0 content (like Twitter feeds and blog entries) as content to some of our web pages (ImageSourceInc.com, NexusECM.com, and ILINXCapture.com). In this process I stumbled on how to directly submitting blog entries from Office 2007 Word.

There is really not much to setting up the export, as it’s one of Office 2007′s publish options. So by simply going to the dropdown menu that houses your save, print, open, and new options and select publish. Select blog, choose your blog provider, enter any info that you would need for logging in to our blog, and publish.

If you are having issues with getting your blog account to register correctly and you know that your log in information is correct, check your URL for your blog site.  On WordPress the format for the URL should be http://myblog.wordpress.com/xmlrpc.php.

Random McParks
Support Engineer at ImageSource Inc.

  

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.

Good Support Ticket Habits

You’re working along and go to retrieve an image, nothing comes back.  You click the link again, and again, and again till you finally receive an error message.  Here you are, faced with a single “OK” button message box containing a conglomeration of paths, error codes, object ID’s, ect. that seems to defy all logic and meaning.  Your system is down and you need to contact support for assistance in correcting the issue.  Regardless of the severity of the error/crash you want the error/crash corrected ASAP, here are a few tips that can help speed up the response/resolution time.

The first step in contacting support is the opening of a support ticket.  The information that you provide while submitting support tickets is critical in the support staff in providing the best and quickest resolution to the issues that you are experiencing.   

First and foremost, follow ticket submission procedures for whoever you are contacting (some use phone, ticketing system, ect).  In a system where the procedure is to submit a ticket and support will contact you, breaking procedure and trying to directly contact one of the support techs can make the resolution to your issues take longer.

It may seem like a no brainer, but make sure that the contact information that you provide is accurate and that you are able to work with the support staff in correcting the issues that you are experiencing.  Correcting an issue with a client is increasingly difficult when the client cannot be contacted.  If there is a special number for you to be contacted (like a cell number), you are unreachable by phone and email is a better form of communication, you are submitting the ticket but are leaving for a meeting and will be unreachable for the next 2 hours, you are submitting the ticket for another worker/department and their contact information is different than yours, or any multitude of reasons that could come up that could making it difficult to contact you it is best to state that when the ticket is submitted.  It is also helpful that whoever the contact is that they have access rights to whatever needs to be worked on.  Yes, the end user may have a better idea of what they were doing when the error occurred, but what if support needs to have access to a server that the end user doesn’t have access to.  Now the user needs to track down an administrator with the proper rights lengthening the ticket resolution time.

The last part of submitting a support ticket is explaining the issue/problems that you are having.  First and foremost is describing the issue in as much detail as possible.  Including error codes and messages, screen shots, and log files can help support members start to diagnose your issues before they even contact you.  Describing how to replicate the error also makes diagnosis much easier.  Attach screen shots when you can, as a picture can say a thousand words.  In cases where the error seems random in its frequency, please state this as well.  Also, state the impact that the error/crash is having on your procedures accurately.  If every ticket that is submitted starts with URGENT or EMERGENCY, there runs the risk of “Crying Wolf” syndrome, and those words lose their potency when first viewed.

The one bit of information that is normally left out when a support ticket is opened is what was happening right before the system went down or what changes have been made to the system recently.  This is the one piece of information that can make or break a quick resolution of issues in your system.  There has been more than one occasion where a system has crashed, and I’ve asked “Have there been any changes to the system recently?”  Almost always the answer is none.  After troubleshooting for a while, the cause of the problem is found, and the correction is undoing a human made system/setting change.  In most cases when a system has crashed, time is of the essence to get everything back up and running and sending relevant, accurate, and complete info in the manor described by your support carrier can drastically reduce the time that it takes to resolve your submitted tickets.

Random McParks

Support Engineer