LASERFICHE

U.S. Supreme Court Looks to Arkansas Appellate Courts for Forward-Thinking Use of IT Part - II

2012-01-17T20:18:00.000-08:00

“One of the driving forces that led to the implementation of Laserfiche was to provide the official version of the opinions to everyone free of cost. The substantial savings realized by terminating the bound volume method was also a considerable advantage,” he says.

Using LaserficheWebLink, a Web portal that provides instant, read-only access to Document Management over the Internet, the Arkansas Supreme Court and Arkansas Court of Appeals publish their latest opinions in PDF format on their Website.

“Most court records and paper copies of opinions are retained indefinitely,” notes Frederick. “In addition, we are required by statute to keep three copies of each bound volume; the final published volume count was 375 when we made the transition. From that standpoint, the storage of electronic records is far more efficient.”

In terms of search and retrieval, “metadata is a gift,” Frederick says. The Reporter of Decisions established the courts’ file structure, templates and fields, which allow anyone to access the opinions using one or more of the following criteria:

Date.
Court.
Order number.
Justice/Judge.
Session.
Session term.

Current Integrations, Future Plans

After enabling live video streaming by implementing a Granicus software solution, the court integrated it with Laserfiche to enable the public and legal community to access archived video footage along with a copy of the opinion tied to the case in question. “We’ve made great efforts to become more transparent,” says Frederick. “By integrating Granicus with Laserfiche, we’ve created a comprehensive digital public record that’s accessible to anyone over the Web.”

The court is currently working on integrating Laserfiche with its court management system (CMS) so that court personnel can access documents stored in Laserfiche when they’re viewing a particular case in the CMS.

Although the courts haven’t yet taken full advantage of Laserfiche Workflow, a business process document management software tool included with Laserfiche Rio, they may use Workflow to route drafts of their opinions to:

The deciding panel (court of appeals, typically three judges) for review and annotations.
The Reporter of Decisions for editing, publication and retention.

“Flow is a big buzzword right now, so knowing that we can use Laserfiche to automate more of our processes presents tremendous possibilities,” says Frederick.

Change Management Methodology for Curing “Parchment Disorder”

“One thing I’ve noticed after working in IT across a variety of industries is that the public sector is a little more cautious when it comes to adopting new technology,” says Frederick. “Some people still get comfort in being able to touch a piece of paper, so educating and training everyone on the value of Laserfiche has been interesting.”

In terms of change management, Frederick’s philosophy is that history always denotes the future. “As we were moving to electronic publication, we focused on the input from the Reporter of Decisions and the parameters set by the supreme court. Full integration would have been more easily put in place had we also gotten input from the court about the opinion writing process upfront.”

As Frederick and his team prepare to use Laserfiche to enable attorneys to e-file briefs and other documents that make up the appellate court record, they are training the judges, judicial clerks and administrative assistants first. “The better we understand what each court needs, the more successful the transition will be,” he says.

Frederick explains that e-filing will eliminate the need for lawyers to bring 16 copies of their briefs to court. More importantly, it will allow both courts to quickly find specific pieces of information contained within those briefs, thanks to chapter and marker breaks within electronic briefs, as well as Laserfiche’s sophisticated search capabilities.

“Digitizing will lower our costs and increase our clearance rates,” says Frederick. “Training people ahead of time is a key factor for recognizing the value that Laserfiche has to offer.”

For More Information : http://www.laserfiche.com/news/archives/2011/12/05/u-s-supreme-court-looks-to-arkansas-appellate-courts-for-forward-thinking-use-of-it/

U.S. Supreme Court Looks to Arkansas Appellate Courts for Forward-Thinking Use of IT Part - I

2012-01-17T20:09:00.000-08:00

Official court opinions are now electronic and easily accessible by the public

December 5th, 2011 by Meghann Wooster

“People don’t typically associate Arkansas with the cutting edge,” explains Daron Frederick, Network Administrator for the Arkansas Supreme Court. “That’s why it’s such a pleasure to have the U.S. Supreme Court looking to us for ideas about the unique and innovative ways we are implementing technology.”

Although both Arkansas’ supreme court and court of appeals have recently begun broadcasting—and archiving—live oral arguments on their Website, it is the courts’ use of enterprise content management (ECM) technology that has caught the Supreme Court’s eye.

“We’d had a document imaging system in place for several years, but it hadn’t been used much,” says Frederick. “Only a few techs even knew how to access it, and the search and retrieval capability for records wasn’t particularly useful. We had to ask ourselves, ‘Why scan anything if you can’t use the system?’”

He continues, “Our principal selection criteria for an ECM solution included the ability to manage content, automate processes, enable easy access to records and raise visibility for the legal community and the public.”

He notes that, ultimately, it was the unlimited servers included with Laserfiche Rio that won over the courts’ IT Department. “Both courts issue opinions of high interest that are heavily accessed, so we wanted to make sure we had failovers and test servers in place to accommodate that.”

Laserfiche Enables Electronic Opinions

In 2009, Arkansas became the first state to establish electronic reporting as the official medium for appellate court opinions. Substantial cost savings resulting from the transition provided the opportunity to implement Laserfiche.

“Before that, the appellate court opinions had always been officially reported in bound volumes,” says Frederick. “However, the volumes were produced and distributed approximately four times a year, which meant there was significant lag time between issuance of an opinion and its appearance in its official format.”

With declining subscription rates, higher production costs and advancing technology, the court determined that its current method of publication was no longer acceptable. “Although court systems in general have been slow to enter the digital age, we have to remember that we work for the public, and they’re used to finding information quickly on the Internet,” explains Frederick.

Click Here to read Part-II

document management - Managing Laserfiche Mobile Released

2012-01-11T01:58:00.000-08:00

LONG BEACH, CA (Laserfiche)-June 20, 2011-Laserfiche today announced the release of Laserfiche Mobile™, an app for the iPhone that provides people on the go with the freedom to view and approve workplace documents, as well as capture and upload new documents with the iPhone camera-a more convenient and efficient form of Document Management

LONG BEACH, CA (Laserfiche)-June 20, 2011-Laserfiche Mobile today announced the release of Laserfiche, an iPhone app which gives people the freedom to view & approve workplace documents on the go, and also capture and upload new documents by iPhone camera-a convenient and effective form of Document Management. "In today's time, one hasn't to be tied to the office because of all the information being locked away in paper files or the approvals needed are still paper process based.". ”

IPhone's touch screen, gesture recognition & high resolution interface is being taken advantage by Laserfiche Mobile to give immersive user experience with other outlet for Managing Document.. Laserfiche Mobile helps in:

Creating and uploading new content with iPhone camera.

Cropping, straightening and enhancing captured information automatically, with full text recognition.

Copying, moving, renaming, downloading, e-mailing, printing or deleting content.

Browsing documents in a folder structure or searhing the entire repository.

Participating in workflow automation processes by accessing metadata fields.

"Content capture are changed significantly by Laserfiche Mobile", adds Wayman.. "For 25 years, heavy investments have been done by Laserfiche towards the development of innovative ways for capturing information as quickly and as effectively as possible, with patented PhotoDocs photograph processing technology, lightweight Web interfaces and recently, an iPhone app which Laserfiche to one of present day's most popular mobile devices with a form of mobile Document Imaging Software". ”

Laserfiche Mobile, including a built-in demonstration, is available for free download from Apple's App Store Laserfiche Mobile operates by Laserfiche Web Access as a part of Laserfiche Avante and Laserfiche Rio systems. For accepting connections from Laserfiche Mobile, Laserfiche users can download the free add-on, Laserfiche Mobile Add-On, from Laserfiche Support Site.

About Laserfiche

Since 1987, Laserfiche has used its Run Smarter® philosophy to create simple and elegant enterprise content management (ECM) solutions. More than 30, 000 organizations worldwide-including federal, state and local government agencies and Fortune 1000 companies-use Laserfiche software to streamline document, records and business process managementSINCE 1987, LASERFICHE® HAS USED RUN SMARTER® PHILOSOPHY FOR CREATING SIMPLE AND ELEGANT ENTERPRISE CONTENT MANAGEMENT (ECM) SOLUTIONS. MORE THAN 30000 ORGANIZATIONS WORLDWIDE, THAT INCLUDES FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNNMENT AGENCIES AND FORTUNE 1000 COMPANIES, USE LASERFICHE TO STREAMLINE DOCUMENT, RECORDS AND BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT..

The Laserfiche ECM system has been designed to give IT managers control over their information infrastructure, that includes standards, security and auditing, while offering business units the flexibility to react quickly to change conditions with Document management Software. The Laserfiche product suite is built on Microsoft®technologies for simplifying system administration, supporting Microsoft SQL and Oracle® platforms and featuring a seamless integration with Microsoft Office® applications and a two-way integration with SharePoint®

Laserfiche 8.3 Takes Transactional Content Management to New Level

2011-12-28T20:22:00.000-08:00

New software release delivers immediate value to customers’ lines of business

LONG BEACH, CA (Laserfiche)—November 30, 2011—Delivering on its commitment to help customers grow the value of their enterprise content management (ECM) investment, Laserfiche today announced the immediate availability of Laserfiche 8.3. The new release spans various lines of business, helping organizations improve information governance and automate transactional processes such as accounts payable processing, case management, document management and HR onboarding, among others.

“We are committed to providing product enhancements that improve the way organizations do business. Over the past year, our customers have begun automating more and more complex business processes, and we developed Laserfiche 8.3 to respond to their needs,” said Tom Wayman, Vice President of Product Strategy at Laserfiche.

Laserfiche 8.3 includes the following new and enhanced features:

New Workflow activities that improve productivity. With Laserfiche, organizations quickly automate transactional processes by dragging and dropping pre-built workflow activities onto a graphical canvas.

Database activities automate the process of retrieving and updating information from third-party databases, simplifying integration.
PDF activities add immediate value to the product suite by enabling Laserfiche administrators to automatically import PDF forms into Laserfiche, retrieve information from PDF fields and map them to Laserfiche fields.
More than 60 built-in workflow activities make it easier than ever to customize workflow configuration to the unique needs of each organization and line of business.

Digital signatures that simplify information governance. Digital signatures in Laserfiche 8.3 are validated with signing certificates on the server, so users know that a signature is trustworthy. Digital signatures can also prompt Workflow activities that guide documents through the approval process.
A new Web Administration Console that improves deployment flexibility. Laserfiche 8.3 offers an easy way for administrators to securely access the administrative functions of the repository from anywhere—including remote sites, client computers and even mobile devices—making administration more flexible than ever.

“The advanced business process management capabilities and administration tools in Laserfiche 8.3 enable organizations of all sizes to rapidly implement a wide variety of transactional content management solutions,” said Wayman. “Laserfiche 8.3 is an infrastructure deployment that enables our customers to use ECM as a foundation for delivering shared services across the enterprise.”

Learn More about Laserfiche 8.3:

Watch quick, 5-minute video on the user-value of the new release, and the development philosophy behind it.
Get a full technical overview of features in our whitepaper.
Or visit support.laserfiche.com for videos, forums, Knowledge Base articles, and more.

About Laserfiche
Since 1987, Laserfiche has used its Run Smarter® philosophy to create simple and elegant enterprise content management (ECM) solutions. More than 30,000 organizations worldwide—including federal, state and local government agencies and Fortune 1000 companies—use Laserfiche® software to streamline document imaging, records and business process management.

The Laserfiche ECM system is designed to give IT managers central control over their information infrastructure while still offering business units the flexibility to react quickly to changing conditions. The Laserfiche product suite is built on top of Microsoft® technologies to simplify system administration, supports the Microsoft SQL platform and features a seamless integration with Microsoft Office® applications and a two-way integration with SharePoint®.

Laserfiche distributes its software through a worldwide network of value-added resellers (VARs), who tailor solutions to clients’ individual needs. The Laserfiche VAR program has received the Five-Star Rating from Computer Reseller News/VARBusiness magazine.

Laserfiche®, Run Smarter® and Compulink® are registered trademarks of Compulink Management Center, Inc।

http://www.laserfiche.com/news/archives/2011/11/30/laserfiche-8-3-takes-transactional-content-management-to-new-level/

How Workflow Turned Tax Season into ROI Season Part-II

2011-12-13T21:49:00.000-08:00

Ease and familiarity of use speeds an already speedy deployment

HFG purchased a 15-user LaserficheAvante system with Web Access (for deployment to its Ventura County office) and Audit Trail in December of 2010. With April 15 on the horizon, initial deployment focused on the tax preparation side of HFG’s business, beginning with a substantial backlog conversion of paper files. “Considering the holidays, it took around 30 days to deploy, customize and integrate the system. We had one day of training for full-time staff. And it took me 30 minutes to train the part time staff on how they’d be using Laserfiche,” Mroue recalls. The ease of deployment was significant, he adds—based in no small part on Laserfiche’s ability to mirror the firm’s familiar paper filing structures with electronic document management . Tax worksheets are automatically sent to Laserfiche with a single click from Microsoft Office programs, while all forms from the Intuit Lacerte system are sent to Laserfiche using Snapshot.

“We were able to mimic our exact process in the Laserfiche system. Nothing changed for staff; I told them, ‘The client file doesn’t exist—it’s now a client folder.’ That made it easy for the employees to understand the change. Instead of people getting up and moving files from cabinets, it ‘jumps’ by itself,” Mroue says.

Workflow makes a $20,000/1,000 hour difference

The jumping-by-itself, Mroue continues, is the result of implementing Laserfiche Workflow. “A file used to jump between seven sets of hands, from client meeting to the client delivery,” he begins. “File clerk/ front desk staff/preparer/checker/scanner/processor/mail clerk, and back to the file clerk.”

“Now, using Workflow, the front desk sets up the appointment and creates the file for the preparer, and it’s just ‘click’ the field, ‘approve,’ ‘approve,’ ‘approve,’ all the way through the process. If something isn’t approved, it is sent back automatically with a ‘sticky note’ on the document imaging in Laserfiche. Nobody has to leave their desk, and I can monitor the whole process and see where everything is so I know what’s getting done. It just raises the level of efficiency and accountability,” he adds.

“Operationally, we had the best tax season ever, especially for me since I could monitor every detail of the business and everyone’s performance from my screen,” Mroue says. “We delivered content on a CD instead of paper, so we used five boxes of paper instead of 50, plus we saved a lot on postage. We also saved the cost of our part time clerks—which is about $20,000 a year. We made our ROI in the first year alone. But the biggest savings was the preparers’ time—at least 10 minutes for every hour. When you add that up, that’s literally a thousand hours our staff can spend working with more clients.”

Coincidentally, the firm’s Laserfiche installation and training took place right around the time of the annual Empower 2011 Laserfiche Institute Conference in January, inspiring an even quicker adoption. “Everyone from our office agreed the Conference was pretty amazing in the amount of knowledge provided,” Mroue adds. “I was actually able to continue writing the Workflow automations for our tax preparation process at the Conference.”

Expanding deployment, saving more clicks with image-enablement integration

As of June 2011, the firm has extended scanning to Al Hewitt, Inc., its RIA firm. “Our goal is to eliminate all the files in our office by the end of August—which will free up a big space,” Mroue says.

For next tax season, Mroue says HFG will utilize Cities Digital’s Unfetterfiche to image-enable their Lacerte system with a single hot key. Deployment for the Al Hewitt, Inc./RIA side of the business is also being mapped out. “Each client file has about six folders, so that transition will be immensely beneficial,” he says.

“We’re taking things step by step,” Mroue adds. “One thing we’ve learned from this process is that in order for the transition to a totally paperless environment to be successful, users have to accept it and want to use it. Laserfiche has the flexibility to make that happen.”

For his part, however, Mroue is very satisfied. “From an IT standpoint, Laserfiche is easy to maneuver and to develop and change. You’re not going back and asking the VAR for help all the time, so it won’t cost you money down the road,” he says. “We’re already thinking about upgrading the system and adding more users.”

For More Information : http://www.laserfiche.com/news/archives/2010/12/14/a-grand-story/

How Workflow Turned Tax Season into ROI Season Part-I

2011-12-13T20:47:00.000-08:00

Hewitt Financial Group saves $20,000 and 1,000 hours in its first year automating its tax preparation business

Al Hewitt Inc./Hewitt Financial Group (HFG), headquartered in Palmdale, CA, is a combination fee-only Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and tax preparation firm serving 6,000 clients between its two offices in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.

During tax season, staff regularly doubles from 15 to 30, owing to the sheer volume of work—and paperwork—associated with tax preparation. But as HFG’s businesses steadily grew, the firm had also steadily outgrown what Chief Operating Officer Ali Mroue calls its “Stone Age document management system.”

In 2004, the firm had implemented the proprietary and non-SQL based system, which was an add-on module for the firm’s Intuit Lacerte tax preparation software, “purely for storage,” he says. Data transfer to PDF was difficult and error-prone, and “we were essentially scanning to create a back-up for the actual physical file. But that was unreliable—we lost data once, and it had no security or audit trail of any sort.”

From just paperless to purposeful: An ECM vision takes shape

By 2010, HFG files containing 10 years of data were simply too big to manage and too hard to find. “We’d already added a scanning clerk and a designated file clerk, but it was quickly becoming an operational nightmare, with more staff to manage and more documents getting misplaced,” Mroue remembers.

The irony is that when the firm’s search for a proper enterprise content management (ECM) solution brought Mroue to Laserfiche, it was not the first time. “We first looked into Laserfiche in 2006, but back then, we weren’t looking at ECM in terms of business process automation or any bigger-picture operational improvements,” he says. “We just wanted to get rid of the paper.”

Working with Patrick Welsch of Laserfiche reseller Cities Digital, Mroue began to see how integral ECM deployment was to not only keep up with, but also anticipate, Hewitt’s projected growth. “We looked at a few solutions, and they all did things in their own way. Only Laserfiche offered the flexibility to develop our own folder structures and templates—and we’d be able to change them depending on requirements without calling in a consultant,” Mroue says.

“Plus, we required that Laserfiche integrate with our Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Intuit Lacerte tax software, as well as send Microsoft Office document management directly to Laserfiche. We wanted everything to mesh together, other systems either didn’t integrate, or if they did, it was going be complicated and expensive.” Click Here to read Part-II

Laserfiche enables a remote work force at CHMB

2011-11-30T20:10:00.000-08:00

Six years ago, if you’d asked Ron Anderson how to add 150 employees to his medical billing company without relocating or acquiring new office space, he’d have looked at you and laughed. “I’d have told you it’s impossible,” says Anderson, director of business development at San Diego, California-based CHMB and a past president of the California chapter of the MGMA. “We’d have had employees sitting on each other’s shoulders.”

Back then, CHMB was struggling to manage a surplus of paper documents so colossal that “we were using filing cabinets as walls and dividers between cubicles,” Anderson remembers. When this elicits chuckles from his listeners, he suddenly gets serious: “It’s funny until it costs you money. And, boy, that paper was costing us a lot.”

With over 700 physicians as clients, CHMB currently processes more than two million patient encounters annually—which translates into approximately 10 million documents a year. CHMB breaks the various types of documents down into four different “batches” for processing:

Charges.Includes superbills, operative reports and patient information.

Payments.Includes explanations of benefits (EOBs), checks and deposit slips.

Correspondence.Includes requests for additional information from insurance companies/payors.

Discrepancies.Includes items that require corrections or more complete information.

“Prior to implementing Laserfiche, we were using couriers to transport materials back and forth between our office and our clients’ practices, and paper storage was consuming valuable work space,” recounts Anderson.

But the cost of managing so much paper wasn’t limited to courier, mail and storage costs; it also extended into employee time and productivity. “Staff had limited access to the paperwork they needed to process, so there were a lot of inefficiencies there,” says Anderson. “And with so much paper coming in and out the door, we were constantly struggling to intelligently manage our workflow; there were just too many moving parts.”

To stop the bleeding, CHMB started looking into document management solutions. According to Anderson, “There are less expensive options out there, but if your system becomes an obstacle to productivity, that’s a problem. We chose Laserfiche because we knew that it would make us more efficient. There was no question about that.”

With the help of Laserfiche reseller JPI Data Resource, CHMB implemented its content management solution in 2004. Since then, the billing company has been released from its dependence on paper. The volume of paper coming into the office has decreased, since approximately 50% of CHMB’s clients scan and upload their documentation directly to the medical billing company via a secure FTP site. Although the other half of its clients still send paper, CHMB immediately scans the paperwork into Laserfiche and securely disposes of the paper originals after 30 days. “Our shredder stops by twice a week,” says Anderson. “Paper is ugly, and we’re no longer using file cabinets as cubicle walls.”

Thanks to its increased productivity and profitability, CHMB has been in acquisition mode of late. In September 2008, it acquired a San Diego-area billing company, and in October 2009 it bought a billing company in Orange County. “The first company we acquired was already using Laserfiche,” says Anderson, “so that merger was incredibly smooth. The second company used a different enterprise content management platform, so that transition has taken a little more work.”

Overall, “Laserfiche has been a huge differentiator for us,” Anderson concludes. “We’re saving money, we’re more efficient and we’ve added 150 new employees without having to pay for additional office space. Laserfiche is a great product that’s had a huge impact on CHMB and the high quality results we provide for our clients.”

document imaging - Paperless and Purposeful

2011-10-21T04:19:00.000-07:00

Northern Michigan’s Muskegon County Community Mental Health Services (MCCMHS) implemented its Avatar practice management system back in 2003 to automate electronic health records (EHR). Although the Avatar system had a document imaging module that could digitize the patient histories, lab reports and documents that would always require doctor and patient signatures, several of the county’s non-clinical departments—including HR and Finance—were also contending with overflowing file cabinets and rising storage and handling costs.

Rather than implementing separate solutions for the clinical and non-clinical sides of the house, MCCMHS officials recognized that enterprise content management (ECM) Document Management Software would be the most efficient and cost-effective way to answer its document-related challenges.

ECM Supports EHR

MCCMHS’ search brought the organization to Jeff Nelson of Bolt Document Management, a Laserfiche reseller based in Elkhart, IN. “Initially the objective was for the Laserfiche system to act as a bridge between legacy information and future digital content,” Nelson remembers. “At the same time, implementation of Laserfiche allowed MCCMHS to address areas where working with paper was simply inefficient.”

In 2003 Pat Latimer, the former project manager, led the effort to implement a 118-user Laserfiche system in the agency’s centralized scanning bureau. Staff began migrating and adding patient histories and signature forms for use in conjunction with patient records, which were being generated from Avatar by Crystal Reports and then scanned into Laserfiche.

Dave McElfish, Director of Technology, says that although the original idea was for clinical staff to simultaneously access patient information from Laserfiche and the practice Document management system, “the reality was, even though we purchased Avatar with the idea of integrating it with Laserfiche, when we explored it further, it was going to be cost prohibitive on the Avatar side of the project.”

In the meantime, Laserfiche deployment had been extended to MCCMHS’s HR and finance departments, which likewise began migrating backfiles to ease storage costs and give staff the ability to retrieve information on command. System use has since grown to the point that the Laserfiche repository now houses over 800,000 documents.

More recently, McElfish says clinical staff have once again expressed interest in being able to access to information from Avatar and Laserfiche Document Management Software at the same time, even going so far as to revisit the idea of using Avatar’s add-on imaging module. “After much consideration, our clinical staff felt that would put us no further ahead in our goal for a true, single database to model our EHR from,” McElfish says. “The reality is that Laserfiche is designed to manage unstructured data, so in that respect it’s closer to that single database because we are able to include unstructured data, such as lab reports and doctor’s notes.”

Document Management - Ramsey County Revamps Case Management

2011-10-04T21:01:00.000-07:00

According to Rochelle Waldoch, Compliance and Records Manager at Ramsey County, the need for more efficient paper-based business processes drove the county to investigate enterprise content management (ECM). “The Human Services Department had always been a paper-heavy department, but as caseloads grew, we started having difficulty with sharing paper files. In addition, client information was siloed, so employees had to collect the same data over and over again. It wasn’t an efficient process, and it needed to change.”

She notes, however, that the county wasn’t interested in deploying a departmental ECM Document Management solution. “If the Information Services Department was going to invest the time and resources in implementing ECM, the solution we chose needed to provide a standard systems architecture and methodology for managing all types of documents across the county—not just in one department.”

Needs Analysis and Selection Process

To that end, Waldoch and Toyia Arvin, EDMS Business Analyst, worked with county staff to analyze business processes and document needs in every department. This analysis included:

Interviews with more than 500 county employees.

Document inventories completed by each department.

A review of each department’s network shared folder directory structures.

An inventory of software applications used by each department.

Armed with the results of the needs analysis, Waldoch and Arvin authored the county’s RFP. “Prior to implementing Document Imaging Software by Laserfiche, we were using the DocuWare system to store a variety of document types, but it didn’t have the advanced workflow or capture functionality necessary to streamline business processes enterprise-wide,” explains Waldoch.

In terms of the selection process, Arvin says, “Laserfiche was beyond impressive when we were doing our RFP. Laserfiche Rio offered a familiar, Windows-like interface of Document Management for our users; included all of the components we needed to achieve ECM success across the county, including Workflow, Records Management and unlimited servers; and received excellent recommendations when we did our reference checks.”

Efficient Case Management Commences

Implementation in Human Services, which started out with a 75-user pilot project (including 28 case managers), has taken a little more time. “Elections is a small department with a limited number of document types,” explains Waldoch. “Human Services, on the other hand, is a huge department with hundreds of users and hundreds of forms requiring Document Management—and a heavy need for Workflow.”

document management - Paperless and Purposeful

2011-09-10T00:10:00.000-07:00

Rather than implementing separate solutions for the clinical and non-clinical sides of the house, MCCMHS officials recognized that enterprise content management (ECM)/document management software would be the most efficient and cost-effective way to answer its document-related challenges.

ECM Supports EHR

Dave McElfish, Director of Technology, says that although the original idea was for clinical staff to simultaneously access patient information from Laserfiche and the practice document management system, “the reality was, even though we purchased Avatar with the idea of integrating it with Laserfiche, when we explored it further, it was going to be cost prohibitive on the Avatar side of the project.”

Going Mobile

“We know that allowing staff to access information from Laserfiche on iPads in the field would be a huge boost in our productivity,” says McElfish.

An Avante upgrade would provide lot of potential for automation as well. McElfish notes that Nelson and Bolt have recently been discussing implementing distributed capture processes for paperless faxes and digital signatures via virtual rubberstamps, all routed by Workflow through the agency’s central scanning office for oversight.

Looking ahead, he is understandably pragmatic. “Although Laserfiche is not our primary practice document management system, it represents a critical and necessary content management tool that complements Avatar.

Document Management - How Workflow Turned Tax Season into ROI Season

2011-09-02T22:23:00.001-07:00

The irony is that when the firm’s search for a proper enterprise content management (ECM) Document Management solution brought Mroue to Laserfiche, it was not the first time. “We first looked into Laserfiche in 2006, but back then, we weren’t looking at ECM in terms of business process automation or any bigger-picture operational improvements,” he says. “We just wanted to get rid of the paper.”

“Plus, we required that Laserfiche integrate with our Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Intuit Lacerte tax software, as well as send Microsoft Office documents directly to Laserfiche. We wanted everything to mesh together, other systems either didn’t integrate, or if they did, it was going be complicated and expensive.”

Ease and familiarity of use speeds an already speedy deployment

HFG purchased a 15-user Laserfiche Avante system with Web Access (for deployment to its Ventura County office) and Audit Trail in December of 2010. With April 15 on the horizon, initial deployment focused on the tax preparation side of HFG’s business, beginning with a substantial backlog conversion of paper files. “Considering the holidays, it took around 30 days to deploy, customize and integrate the system. We had one day of training for full-time staff. And it took me 30 minutes to train the part time staff on how they’d be using Laserfiche,” Mroue recalls. The ease of deployment was significant, he adds—based in no small part on Laserfiche’s ability to mirror the firm’s familiar paper filing structures. Tax worksheets are automatically sent to Laserfiche’s Document Management system with a single click from Microsoft Office programs, while all forms from the Intuit Lacerte system are sent to Laserfiche using Snapshot.

Workflow makes a $20,000/1,000 hour difference

The jumping-by-itself, Mroue continues, is the result of implementing Laserfiche Document Management Workflow. “A file used to jump between seven sets of hands, from client meeting to the client delivery,” he begins. “File clerk/ front desk staff/preparer/checker/scanner/processor/mail clerk, and back to the file clerk.”

Coincidentally, the firm’s Laserfiche Document management installation and training took place right around the time of the annual Empower 2011 Laserfiche Institute Conference in January, inspiring an even quicker adoption. “Everyone from our office agreed the Conference was pretty amazing in the amount of knowledge provided,” Mroue adds. “I was actually able to continue writing the Workflow automations for our tax preparation process at the Conference.”

document management - Eastmont Towers automates and streamlines patient charting using Laserfiche

2011-08-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

Eastmont Towers, a continuing care retirement community in Lincoln, NE, offers multiple levels of care and a range of services between five buildings on two campuses, which leads to multiple levels of information management challenges. Patients transferring from area hospitals bring electronic and paper medical records with them, creating distribution bottlenecks, logistics and the need for more and more filing cabinets—along with potential compliance and confidentiality concerns.

When Eastmont Towers’ Health Care Administrator Beth Nelsen RN, CHPN, began exploring enterprise content document management systems, she soon discovered that “paperless” meant a lot more than just empty file cabinets. “First, we looked at outsourcing to a company that would scan our records onto disks,” remembers Nelsen, “but we were concerned about how we’d be able to use the information once it was digitally stored.”

Quick Fields and Workflow: impressive possibilities

Kathy Gentile of Laserfiche reseller Bishop Business Equipment had worked with Eastmont Towers as an MFP hardware provider. Gentile, Bishop’s Laserfiche Document Management Specialist, invited Records Management staff from the agency to attend a workshop to see Laserfiche in action. Nelsen and her staff saw how Laserfiche Quick Fields could create files on the fly with document management software. Once files were created, Workflow could then notify decision makers of pending approvals and track those approvals throughout multiple business processes.

“We’re a multidisciplinary team caring for people across a continuum, so that ability to share documents between departments, reduce paperwork and improve communication would greatly increase efficiency and positively impact patient care,” she adds.

Thus inspired, Nelsen and her team purchased a 30-user Laserfiche Rio pilot system and have spent the first half of this year preparing to roll it out. “Laserfiche Rio made the most sense in terms of meeting our immediate needs. It includes Workflow and the Records document imaging Management component to work with our EMR, as well as unlimited servers.

“As we progress, we can just add users to grow the system to meet our future needs and goals. Scalability was a big factor in choosing Laserfiche Rio,” Nelsen explains.

Goodbye filing cabinets, hello automated patient charting

Eastmont Towers’ medical records staff is now halfway through a backlog conversion process that Nelsen anticipates will eliminate at least four filing cabinets by the end of the year. Meanwhile, Nelsen and her staff have been analyzing business processes to guide the upcoming implementation. “After we had our initial training, we sat down to map out what exactly we do with our documents, where they are sent and why,” she says.

Initial focus has been on automating the patient charting process with document imaging to compile and distribute client records and information as they enter Eastmont Towers from hospitals and other healthcare agencies. “We have several departments we need to route various information to, so we needed a way to streamline and simplify everything coming in and have it work with our EMR so staff could find everything in one place,” explains Nelsen.

Laserfiche Showcases First DoD 5015.2-certified SharePoint Integration at WPC 2011

2011-08-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES, CA (Laserfiche)—July 12, 2011—Laserfiche (booth 719), a gold sponsor of WPC 2011, will deliver an educational session entitled “Adding Agile ECM: Streamlined Data Governance for SharePoint Portals in the Virginia Port Authority (VPA).” The session will take place today at 2:15PM in the Partner Solutions Theater at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

“Well-planned corporate governance is essential,” said Alex Wilson, Partner Director at Laserfiche. “By integrating fully-certified records Document Management with SharePoint, Laserfiche enables Microsoft partners to deliver solutions that support employee collaboration, ensure executive accountability and drive better business outcomes.”

During the presentation, Wilson and Laserfiche Vice President Brian LaPointe will cover how the VPA integrated Laserfiche with SharePoint to:

Drive business process automation.

Capture hundreds of thousands of paper records.

Improve information governance.

“Our integration with SharePoint 2010 provides Microsoft partners with a proven, agile way to help customers quickly,” Wilson added. “With Laserfiche, documents are immediately accessible and secure, regardless of its source: through SharePoint Document Management Software scanners, fax servers, ERP systems, online forms, mobile devices or even digital cameras.”

Laserfiche first obtained DoD 5015.2 certification in 2003. Last year, Laserfiche obtained joint certification with SharePoint 2010 to provide a unified business collaboration platform with enterprise content management (ECM) Document Imaging functionality.

Laserfiche will be on hand at booth #719 throughout the event to demonstrate the joint records management solution.

About Laserfiche

Since 1987, Laserfiche® has used its Run Smarter® philosophy to create simple and elegant enterprise content management (ECM) solutions. More than 30,000 organizations worldwide use Laserfiche software to streamline document, records and business process management.

The Laserfiche ECM system is designed to give IT managers central control over their information infrastructure while still offering business units the flexibility to react quickly to changing conditions. The Laserfiche Document Management Software product suite is built on top of Microsoft® technologies to simplify system administration, supports the Microsoft SQL platform and features a seamless integration with Microsoft Office® applications and a two-way integration with SharePoint®.

Document Management-Laserfiche Mobile Released

2011-07-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

LONG BEACH, CA (Laserfiche)—June 20, 2011—Laserfiche today announced the release of Laserfiche Mobile™, an app for the iPhone that provides people on the go with the freedom to view and approve workplace documents, as well as capture and upload new documents with the iPhone camera—a more convenient and efficient form of Document Management.

“Laserfiche Mobile gives you the freedom to do everything you can do in your office from wherever you are, empowering you to work smarter and more efficiently,” said Tom Wayman, Laserfiche Vice President of Product Strategy. “In this day and age, you shouldn’t have to be tied to your office because all your information is locked away in paper files or the approvals you need are still based on paper processes.”

Laserfiche Mobile takes advantage of the iPhone’s touch screen, gesture recognition and high resolution interface to provide an immersive user experience with another outlet for Document Management. With Laserfiche Mobile, users can:

Create and upload new content with the iPhone camera.

Automatically crop, straighten and enhance captured information, with full text recognition.

Copy, move, rename, download, e-mail, print or delete content.

Browse for documents in a folder structure or search the entire repository.

Participate in workflow automation processes by accessing metadata fields.

“Laserfiche Mobile significantly changes content capture,” Wayman added. “For twenty-five years, Laserfiche has invested heavily in the development of innovative ways to capture information as quickly and efficiently as possible, with patented PhotoDocs™ photograph processing technology, lightweight Web interfaces and, now, an iPhone app that extends Laserfiche to one of today’s most popular mobile devices with a mobile form of Document Imaging Software.”

Laserfiche Mobile, which includes a built-in demonstration, is available for free download from the Apple App Store. Laserfiche Mobile operates with Laserfiche Web Access as a part of Laserfiche Avante and Laserfiche Rio systems. To accept connections from Laserfiche Mobile, Laserfiche users can download the free add-on, Laserfiche Mobile Add-On, from the Laserfiche Support Site.

About Laserfiche

Since 1987, Laserfiche® has used its Run Smarter® philosophy to create simple and elegant enterprise content management (ECM) solutions. More than 30,000 organizations worldwide—including federal, state and local government agencies and Fortune 1000 companies—use Laserfiche software to streamline document, records and business process management.

Integration Improves Information Flow

2011-07-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

The Virginia Port Authority hired Angela Ellis as its SharePoint Administrator in 2007, but it wasn’t long before her boss, Deputy Executive Director of Administration and CFO Rodney Oliver, enlisted her to start looking into enterprise content management (ECM) Document Management Solutions.

“Rodney recognized that although SharePoint Document Management Software could do many great things for our organization, records management wasn’t one of them,” says Ellis, who today is a senior web analyst for the Port Authority.

“SharePoint,” she explains, “with all of its many features is so much more robust than a network drive. In particular, the Port Authority uses document workspaces heavily, because they make it easy to collaborate on works in progress such as contracts. However, once you go beyond about 10,000 documents, you’ve got a real mess on your hands.”

According to Ellis, the Port Authority didn’t want to lose the collaboration features inherent in SharePoint, nor did it want to take a familiar interface away from the staff, so it needed to make sure that the ECM solution it selected had a seamless Document Management SharePoint integration. “I was the lead on the team that built our RFP,” Ellis says. “In the end, we had more than 400 requirements and 24 vendors vying for our business. The SharePoint integration was our top concern.”

Other important selection criteria included:

Robust records management functionality.

The ability to electronically store a wide range of file types, including AutoCAD drawings.

Open architecture allowing integration with line-of-business applications such as CRM.

Availability of workflow functionality for process improvements—and a reduced paper flow.

“Before we implemented Laserfiche, our records management plan was very inefficient,” Ellis explains. “We’d print out documents, process them by hand and then file them in cabinets. We had a whole warehouse dedicated to file storage, containing all kinds of old documents in Bankers Boxes stacked nearly to the ceiling that we didn’t have time to properly manage.

Laserfiche + SharePoint = Transparency

By integrating Laserfiche with SharePoint, the Port Authority now has the ability to collaborate on documents, retain them electronically, and efficiently manage and dispose of digital records—all while giving users access to content through the SharePoint interface.

But the cost and space savings aren’t the most significant benefits the Port Authority has realized as a result of its Laserfiche implementation. By acting as integrative middleware, Laserfiche Document Management allows users at the organization to access information in the environment with which they’re already familiar: SharePoint.

“The Port Authority’s had SharePoint for close to ten years, so people are pretty familiar with it,” says Ellis. “Most of our users won’t even know they’re using Laserfiche. With the integration, our content is searchable on an enterprise level, and the results are returned to users transparently through SharePoint. It enables us to access all our information from one central location without having to train our users on a new system.”

Document Management - A Healthy Integration

2011-06-21T22:29:00.000-07:00

Indigo North Health uses tight Laserfiche-Ricoh MFD integration to boost workflows, accumulating savings and streamlining internal processes

Challenge: Document Management efficiency

Located across three campuses, Indigo North Health operates on a tight budget, balancing the provision of quality services with a streamlined yet highly efficient staff and infrastructure. Not surprisingly, internal efficiencies that contribute to improved services are a high priority for the organization’s CEO, Cameron Butler; and high on the agenda in late 2009 was document and file management.

“We rely heavily on suppliers and contractors,” Cameron says. “So it’s important for everyone that the flow of information, whether in the form of general correspondence or finance-based documents is incredibly efficient. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case; and with the business having doubled over the past five years, we were in the position of having to identify and implement a more efficient means of managing our documents and files.”

Answer: Document Management Software by LaserFiche

In partnership with Copy Print Scan (CPS) Albury, a Ricoh Business Partner, Indigo North Health sought to evaluate the suitability of a Laserfiche and Ricoh MFD (Multi-Function Device) solution. Following an extensive evaluation process, Cameron gained approval from the organisation’s board to partner with CPS on the solution’s implementation.

“The first and most important aspect of our document management on which we worked with the CPS team was our accounts payable invoice approval process,” Cameron says. “And by the first of July 2010, we had a streamlined workflow that’s nothing short of fantastic.”

Saving a day every fortnight

So where does that saving come from? Firstly, as invoices are received—either electronically or in hard copy—from suppliers and contractors, they are immediately transferred to the organisation’s Laserfiche Document Imaging Software where they are assigned to a particular cost centre. At this point, the customised workflow developed by the CPS team kicks in and an email is automatically sent through to the cost centre’s manager.

The savings realised up to then are through:

Eliminating the manual distribution of invoices.

Reducing the instances of having to request misplaced invoices from suppliers.

Removing the need to manage a large number of paper-based accounts payable files.

Next, it’s the Laserfiche-based approval process that adds even greater efficiency and savings. With the e-mail received, cost centre managers receive an embedded link to the invoice, which, when clicked, displays the invoice on their screen along with the ability to approve or deny the payment, specify an expense code and add notes for the accounts payable team if required.

Once closed, the approved or denied invoice is sent immediately through to the accounts payable team who then take the appropriate follow-up action. Again, the savings accumulate. This time, though, through:

Streamlining the invoice approval process.

Achieving instant transmission of approvals from the cost centre manager to accounts payable.

Fully eliminating instances of invoices lost in transit.

Dramatically reducing the “chasing up of approvals” by accounts payable.

A well-defined audit trail

A key enabling factor in the matching of invoices to purchase orders is the advanced and highly accurate OCR (Optical Character Recognition) capabilities of the Laserfiche’s Document Management solution. Whether invoices are scanned in at the MFD or received by fax, the solution automatically scans and translates each word on the document, then updates an integrated index database.

Document Management - Off Paper, On Course

2011-06-07T21:44:00.001-07:00

Fure Financial is an independent, fee-based financial planning firm based in Minneapolis, MN. The company, founded in 1984, offers holistic investment advice to manage client assets with an eye toward fulfilling life goals, a successful strategy that has grown Fure—almost entirely by referrals—into the trusted advisor and wealth manager for 360 families. With its motto of “Keeping you on course… no matter which way the wind blows,” the firm has successfully navigated some choppy seas in recent years, thanks in part to implementing a Laserfiche enterprise content management (ECM) Document Management system to cut paper and storage costs; centralize information management from between its CRM, business records and archived client files; and, perhaps most importantly, to maintain its focus on clients. “Laserfiche has allowed us to spend less time managing our documents and more time working for our clients, which leads directly to higher client retention,” says Grant Meyer, Financial Consulting Assistant. “Since the majority of our business comes from referrals, excellent client service and client retention is a necessity for us.”

Implementing ahead of inclement weather

Meyer says the move toward ECM Document Management was a proactive one. “For us, it was the general idea that we could increase efficiency by saving time and money while continuing to improve client service that first got us interested in an ECM. Also, the disaster recovery aspect really attracted us.”

As both an advisor and the firm’s IT Manager, Meyer brought a unique perspective to the search for an ECM. “Naturally, being in the financial services industry, auditing, security and compliance were simply ‘must haves.’ After that, flexibility and scalability were important to us in an ECM—we wanted a system that could grow with us over time as our business evolved,” he says.

Last, but not least, Meyer adds, Laserfiche is a name synonymous with ECM Document Management Solutions in the financial services industry. “Having a tried-and-true, trusted name in document management was important to us as well,” he says. “The system was already approved by our broker dealer, Commonwealth Financial Network, which was also a plus.”

Soon, hundreds of client files dating back to 1985 were scanned into Laserfiche, eliminating the need for several bookshelves and filing cabinets. While Meyer admits it was “a paradigm shift” for some employees to move from a paper-based system to a paperless one, after they experienced how they could literally file things automatically and then find them instantly, they embraced the concept completely. The transition brought peace of mind—and cost savings.

“There’s a reassurance in knowing that all of our important documents are stored electronically and backed up off-site, ensuring access to the data even if something were to happen to our office,” Meyer says, adding, “employees now have the option of accessing documents remotely [over Fure’s secured network], so they can work from anywhere.”

A key component to true enterprise consolidation of the firm’s information was working with reseller Cities Digital to integrate Laserfiche with CRM Document Management Software Junxure. “Before Laserfiche, we used to have some digital files in the CRM, some paper documents in a large client file and some documents in different filing cabinets; it was very disjointed,” he recalls. “Now, with the two systems integrated, we have one centralized location for statements, account paperwork, estate plans, correspondence and all relevant material related to a client.”

document management - The Value of Truly Agile ECM

2011-05-24T04:05:00.000-07:00

Bremer County, IA, faced a problem not unique to modest-sized municipalities: after making a significant investment in a document management system to manage its land records, users had a hard time letting go of the paper. “Scanning files was a very manual process—it took hours to scan and index even small stacks of paper,” remembers Nate Koehler, Bremer County IT Administrator. “Staff would get frustrated and just not use the system at all.”

Agility in Action, Part 1: A New System for Less Than an Upgrade

“We were looking at a substantial enough reinvestment to retain our current system that it made sense to start looking at other solutions,” he says.

Koehler researched other CLRIS/ILR-approved systems and discovered Laserfiche via Advanced Systems, Inc. (ASI) based nearby in Waterloo, IA, which had a relationship with the county from servicing its printer and copiers. ASI solutions consultant Steve Lewis showed Koehler how Laserfiche’s Quick Fields Zone OCR component could capture and index information from specific areas of land records forms, which could then be used to submit images to ILR utilizing the state’s uploading application.

What’s more, implementing Laserfiche could address all of the county’s information document management software needs in a single system—at less cost than upgrading their existing system.

Agility in Action, Part 2: Deployment to Six Departments in Two Months

In March 2010, Bremer County purchased a 24-user Laserfiche Avante system with Quick Fields advanced capture, Import Agent and SDK. Just two months later, Laserfiche was successfully deployed to six county departments:

Auditor

Treasurer

Attorney

Recorder

Assessor

Building and Zoning

Each department was equipped with a scan station that Shane Peterson, solutions engineer at Advanced Systems, set up to automatically recognize and retrieve index information based on the standard forms used by each department.

The impact on document imaging scanning efficiency was immediate: in the Assessor’s office, four stacks of tax credit forms two feet tall were scanned and indexed within a few days. “Quick Fields automated all our scanning processes in all our departments,” Koehler says.

Agility in Action, Part 3: Six Months of Scanning in Less Than a Week

To illustrate the scale of improvement, Koehler uses the example of Bremer County’s Zoning Department. “Zoning was six months behind on their scanning,” he begins. “It would have taken staff over a month and a half to scan in all those documents using our old system. Instead, using Quick Fields, we were able to get those documents scanned in less than a week.”

The end result of significantly improved document imaging software, Koehler says, is the reclaimed staff time. “We can devote the man hours we save from scanning for other projects.”

Document Management - Shaking Up Shakopee’s Approach to ECM

2011-05-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

City upgrades to Laserfiche Avante to provide instant access to records, streamline business processes and move data across multiple platforms

Organization Profile

Located in the southwest corner of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, Shakopee is home to approximately 35,000 residents. It’s also the county seat of Scott County, one of the fastest growing counties in the United States.

Situation

Shakopee had been using a small, four-user Laserfiche system since 2005 to manage building permits, council agendas and other miscellaneous items with Document Imaging. The city’s IT Department recognized that the benefits of Laserfiche could extend throughout the organization and began pushing for system expansion in 2010.

Solution

After integrating Laserfiche with the Police Department’s New World case management software in October 2010, Shakopee’s IT Department was able to build a strong case for upgrading to a 50-user Laserfiche Avante system.

Benefits

The Finance Department uses Laserfiche Quick Fields to scan barcoded accounts payable documents into the repository, where they’re instantly searchable from the desktop.

Building permits are stored in Laserfiche and made available to the public through Laserfiche WebLink.

The Police Department currently uses Laserfiche to manage evidence photos, but it will soon begin scanning all case files into the system.

After digitizing HR records, the city will use Laserfiche’s Document Management Software Workflow to automate the hiring process.

These benefits, Duckett notes, are vital to Shakopee, which has a two-person IT Department supporting approximately 125 city staff in nine different departments. In fact, if Laserfiche wasn’t easy to use, maintain and integrate, the city wouldn’t have considered shaking up its approach to enterprise content management (ECM) by upgrading from four concurrent users to a 50-user Avante system.

The desire to upgrade the system came last year, when the Police Department hopped on the Laserfiche Document Management bandwagon. “In October 2010,” Duckett says, “the Police Department started using Laserfiche for evidence photos, and we integrated Laserfiche with New World, the PD’s case management system, to enable officers to automatically open photos that pertain to specific cases.”

Jennifer Boudreau, Shakopee’s Police Records Technician, explains that one way the PD leverages the integration is to track graffiti, making it easier for officers to identify all instances of a tagger’s work so the city can recoup clean-up costs.

She also notes that Laserfiche Document Management allows officers to access photos in the field from their squad cars, which is something they couldn’t do in the past. “It’s an officer safety issue,” she says. “For example, if the officers come across a tagger with a known gang affiliation, they can treat that individual with more caution.”

Document Management - Integration Improves Information Flow

2011-04-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

Virginia Port Authority leverages Laserfiche as records Document Management back-end for SharePoint

February 18th, 2011 by Meghann Wooster Comment on this article

“Rodney recognized that although SharePoint could do many great things for our organization, records management wasn’t one of them,” says Ellis, who today is a senior web analyst for the Port Authority.

According to Ellis, the Port Authority didn’t want to lose the collaboration features inherent in SharePoint, nor did it want to take a familiar interface away from the staff, so it needed to make sure that the ECM Document Imaging solution it selected had a seamless SharePoint integration. “I was the lead on the team that built our RFP,” Ellis says. “In the end, we had more than 400 requirements and 24 vendors vying for our business. The SharePoint integration was our top concern.”

Other important selection criteria included:

Robust records management functionality.

The ability to electronically store a wide range of file types, including AutoCAD drawings.

Open architecture allowing integration with line-of-business applications such as CRM.

Availability of workflow functionality for process improvements—and a reduced paper flow.

Laserfiche + SharePoint = Transparency

By integrating Laserfiche with SharePoint, the Port Authority now has the ability to collaborate on Document Management, retain them electronically, and efficiently manage and dispose of digital records—all while giving users access to content through the SharePoint interface.

“Laserfiche has dramatically reduced the flow of paper throughout the organization,” says Ellis. “It’s opened up space for new offices and enabled us to tear down an entire warehouse for profitable use!”

But the cost and space savings aren’t the most significant benefits the Port Authority has realized as a result of its Laserfiche implementation. By acting as integrative middleware, Laserfiche allows users at the organization to access information in the environment with which they’re already familiar: SharePoint.

“The Port Authority’s had SharePoint for close to ten years, so people are pretty familiar with it,” says Ellis. “Most of our users won’t even know they’re using Laserfiche’s Document Imaging Software. With the integration, our content is searchable on an enterprise level, and the results are returned to users transparently through SharePoint. It enables us to access all our information from one central location without having to train our users on a new system.”

document management - Ending the Horror of Heaps

2011-03-29T00:47:00.000-07:00

If Gary Agira’s story were a movie, the story would include the Ugandan IT Systems Analyst navigating government bureaucracy, stubborn workers, and perhaps most dramatically, a national registry and warehouse overflowing with 34 million government documents—to bring them all into the digital world. It’d be a charmingly idiosyncratic story, but still a universal one: document management as a metaphor for progress, with Agira’s unwavering belief in the power of technology as he moves a nation and a workforce into the digital age.

But this isn’t a movie, and the real Gary Agira is the IT Systems Analyst for Uganda’s Privatization & Utility Sector Reform Project (PUSRP). The PUSRP is the department of the Ministry of Finance and Planning charged with the epic task of overhauling the way the African nation archives, stores and perhaps most profoundly of all, actually works with records to support the divestiture and reform of 42 public enterprises. It’s all part of an initiative to move Uganda’s economy forward.

On paper, the PUSRP’s mission was simple: to provide an information management infrastructure to support improved commercial and utility services through divesting and restructuring public enterprises like telecom, energy, water and transport by increasing private sector participation using document imaging software.

But the paper itself that needed to be archived and managed, well, that’s what Agira refers to as “the horror of the heaps.” The national registry overflowed with 10 million documents, which, owing to an inconsistent filing system, led to information silos and misplaced documents. Then there was the massive national warehouse, located 20 minutes away. “That’s 20 minutes on our roads,” Agira laughs. “These aren’t four-lane highways.” There, another 24 million documents were precariously housed, subject to water from burst pipes, exposure, and perhaps most memorably, “vermin damage.” Yes, rats were eating the paper.

In short, there was a need for document management, even if no one knew that’s what it was called yet. “There was a lack of know-how of modern document management techniques,” Agira sighs. Librarians held a monopoly on information. Representatives from the national government viewed document management as a librarian’s task and not a part of business processes. “There was a lack of collective ownership,” he says.

Agira lobbied his administrators with pictures of workers searching for records in the national warehouse, protected by makeshift hazmat suits. Finally, after a few false starts, he secured funding for the much-needed system and, by 2005, the search was on. Agira carefully assembled a team, including government sceptics, as he puts it, “to experience document management as a group.

Agira and his team looked at half a dozen options and agreed on Laserfiche’s document imaging. “It was easier, it was faster and we got more functionality for our money,” he explains.

Special Benefits for Special Education

2011-03-08T03:09:00.000-08:00

College Station Independent School District (CSISD) in College Station, TX, needed a more efficient way to manage content for its Special Services Department to provide students with timely, specialized assistance. “Everything we do is designed to ensure that the special education student is on the same playing field as a regular education student,” stresses Technical Assistant Nancy Boller, who is responsible for maintaining compliant student records.

The confidential information contained in a special education student’s file is vital to CSISD’s special education teachers. “It’s important that those working with students in Special Services understand what modifications need to be in place and what each student needs to succeed in class. That information resides in our students’ files, so maintaining them properly is a top priority for us.”

With an overflowing amount of paperwork, stored offsite as well as taking up space onsite, keeping these confidential records organized, secure and easily accessible was a massive problem. “I used to get paper cuts and a strained neck from sorting through boxes for hours to satisfy a request for information,” says Boller.

Costly Paper Trails

“We’re required to keep our students’ files for seven years after they leave our district,” Boller explains. As a result, the department housed thousands of inactive files in offsite storage—costing several thousand dollars a year instead of using a Document Imaging system.

“Annual placement review meeting reports alone can be anywhere from 10-30 pages long. Some students are in the district from age three until age 22, so they get reviewed 18 or 19 times,” Boller explains. “The bulk of content we have to manage, just in our inactive files, is incredible.”
In addition to yearly placement meeting reports, each student’s file includes federally protected information such as:

Special Education testing (required every three years).

Medical records.

Disciplinary information.

To satisfy requests for information, Special Services staff used to go to the warehouse and search through boxes, or, in some cases, warehouse staff would bring 10-15 boxes from the offsite storage room to the department so that staff could sort through them to find the requested information. Once located, the department made copies of the entire file (sometimes hundreds of pages) and paid to mail it to the requesting school district. “At $5 or $6 a package, the cost adds up,” Boller says.

Transition to Technology

After learning about Laserfiche enterprise content management (ECM) Document Management Software from an employee in the purchasing warehouse, the Special Services Department acquired bids from two other content management providers and then evaluated the software during demos and presentations. “We needed a solution that would not only keep our records safe and accessible, but would also be easy to use for a variety of staff. Laserfiche was the best fit for our needs,” Boller says.

“At first I was a little skeptical,” she admits, explaining that some of the long-time employees were especially hesitant to switch to digitized content. “But we received lots of help from SMARTfiles, our Laserfiche reseller. Scanning in all the files was faster and easier than I expected, and the end results of using Laserfiche’s Document Management make it well worth the investment of both time and money.”

Prepared for the Unexpected

While Laserfiche is able to reduce CSISD’s paper clutter and provide instant, secure access to student records, Boller brings up another interesting benefit of implementation. “In our region, we have to keep in mind that natural disasters occur. For instance, some schools lost all their paper records when Hurricane Ike came though.”

In order to create new or replacement files for special education students, the students must be retested. Retesting can take anywhere from four to 12 hours—not including the time it takes to do the paperwork. To get a child into the Special Services system, Boller says it can take as long as 60 days.

“Digital files aren’t as fragile as paper,” Boller says. “With Laserfiche and Document Management, we don’t have to worry that our students will lose ground after a natural disaster.”

Republican National Committee, Washington, DCs

2011-02-22T20:44:00.000-08:00

The GOP has been around for a long time. There’s a lot of history and tradition there, which brings with it a number of historical documents, confidential letters and public records. In short, a lot of paper!

The Republican Party, organized in 1854, originally came together as a coalition of political groups wanting to abolish slavery. The Republican National Committee (RNC) was formed in Washington, D.C., and keeps all the organization’s records. These records documented a number of historical events, including the GOP’s support for women’s right to vote in 1896 and President Theodore Roosevelt’s difficult decision not to seek a third term.

When historians and staff needed to look at the papers that recorded these and other events, members of the RNC became concerned. Many of the records were over 100 years old. Handling them and even exposing them to light could damage the priceless documents. They needed the help of Laserfiche’s Document Management .

“When our staff and authorized historians need to access Republican Party archives, electronic files are an ideal medium,” says Melissa Price, special projects coordinator at the RNC. “Digital archives allow users to conduct searches for specific information and enable us to study our records without handling documents that become increasingly fragile as they age.”

The RNC asked John Montel of General Dynamics Information Technology, a Virginia-based Laserfiche Reseller, to help. Montel set up the system to allow the RNC to scan, store and retrieve all their important documents with Document Imaging.

The first records the RNC scanned electronically and preserved as digital images with Document management Software were from the 1856 convention, at which John Fremont was nominated for the presidency. Just four years later, the records chronicle the nomination of Abraham Lincoln, who went on to lead the Union through the Civil War.

Included in the RNC’s Laserfiche files are the records of each Republican convention and twice-yearly party meetings.

Price says the document archives are currently accessible over the Internet to Republican Party staff members and authorized scholars. Party records and historic documents, protected by security codes, are searchable remotely with Laserfiche’s Document Management Solutions WebLink. WebLink makes documents available on the Web without HTML coding.

Price says she is honored to be involved in their preservation at the Party headquarters, noting that they will be precious assets to future generations.

Empowering ECM Users

2011-02-02T21:34:00.000-08:00

Managing past and current septic permit applications for areas totaling just over 425,000 residents without an enterprise content management (ECM) Document Management solution meant a lot of paper trails and time-consuming manual processes for Idaho’s Central District Health Department (CDHD). “As each year passed, it became increasingly more difficult to locate documents without spending large amounts of research time to do so,” says Margaret Ross, IT Manager of the Boise-based CDHD.

Serving Ada County, Boise County, Elmore County and Valley County, CDHD manages the Board of Health and the Community Health, Communicable Disease, Immunization, Reproductive Health and WIC Departments in addition to the Environmental Health Department. The planning and zoning authority of each county requires the Environmental Health Department to review every subdivision’s application for sewage permits, which can include:

Test hole inspections for sewage installation.

Plot plans.

Building permits.

Zoning certificates.

“Paper copies of the records were located in each county’s office, which made them difficult for us to access without a lot of copying and faxing,” Ross explains. Efficient storage, Document Imaging, organization and access to the documents crucial to the permit process was compromised until CDHD decided to implement Laserfiche ECM.

Powering Permitting

After the previous director of CDHD saw Laserfiche featured at an environmental health conference in 2004 and was impressed with its agility and Document Management Software, the department decided to implement the software later that same year. The initial objective was to find a program that could scan in past and present septic permits and applications, while providing central access to the records across all the offices in the health district.

Today, CDHD uses Laserfiche not just to scan and store permit documents, but also to enable external clients to access the information themselves using Laserfiche WebLink, which provides read-only access to records stored in the Laserfiche repository. Clients include:

Realtors selling homes that need permit information for potential buyers and appraisers.

Septic pumpers looking to access permit information to find the location of septic tanks for pumping.

Septic installers who are on-site and legally in need of a copy of the permit before proceeding with the installation.

Although clients applying for permits are supposed to provide a copy of their permits to septic installers (permits are required on the job site at all times), this frequently doesn’t happen. In the past, installers would have to come into the department and wait for a copy of the appropriate paperwork to be located and copied, or sometimes faxed over from the appropriate county. “Locating permit information for clients sometimes took hours to accomplish,” says Mike Reno, Supervisor of Land Based Programs for CDHD. “It slowed things down for both us and them.”

He continues, “With Laserfiche, the installers and other external clients can view the permit online and print their own copy if needed. This saves our clerical and field staff a lot of time making copies of permits and faxing them over.”

Ross notes that CDHD saw a significant reduction in information requests from external clients and that they continue to decline—especially from realtors—as clients realize most of their questions can be answered by accessing Document Management Solutions Laserfiche WebLink through the department’s Webpage.

“The ability to access data that resides in other offices is extremely helpful. It’s my favorite feature,” Reno says. If for some reason clients are unable to access the internet and attain records themselves, Reno can pull up the permit information on his desktop and provide the information within minutes.

With secure and easy public access and more efficient staff response time, Ross is pleased to report that CDHD “can concentrate on customer service, not paperwork.”

Document Management for All Company Industries

2011-01-22T02:05:00.000-08:00

Laserfiche has announced the winners of its annual Run Smarter Awards program, including India-based Essar Group. Each year, Laserfiche honors organizations that succeed in promoting organizational agility through innovative use of Laserfiche enterprise content management (ECM) Document Management Software.

Essar Group is a conglomerate of 63 companies in the Steel, Oil & Gas, Power, Communications, Shipping Ports & Logistics, Projects and Minerals sectors with operations in more than 20 countries across five continents and annual revenue of $15 billion.

“We saw Laserfiche as a way to bring visibility, time-bound execution and accountability to our accounting business processes,” said Mandeep Singh, Head of Finance Shared Services at Essar.

Singh estimates that Essar Group has realized a 40% return on its Laserfiche Document Management investment already, but foresees ongoing and expanding operational improvements.

“As our ongoing success has shown, Laserfiche is agile enough as an enterprise solution to manage document-based workflows and accelerate turnaround time. Laserfiche has been a tremendous tool for developing new, more comprehensive business processes that have given Essar Group fresh perspective and improved our overall investment perspective as a company,” said Singh.

Other 2010 Run Smarter winners include: Central District Health Department of Boise, ID; City of Maple Grove, MN; Dallas Associated Dermatologists; Durham County, NC; ECOM Atlantic; Hamilton-Wentworth School Board; London Borough of Tower Hamlets; Long Beach Police Department; Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians; NE Metro Intermediate Schools; Pulte Mortgage; South Essex Partnership NHS Trust; Spire Investment Partners, LLC; Texas A&M University Kingsville; Virginia Port Authority; and Wythe County Community Hospital.

About Laserfiche

Since 1987, Laserfiche® has used its Run Smarter® philosophy to create simple and elegant enterprise content management (ECM) solutions. More than 28,000 organizations worldwide use Laserfiche software to streamline document, records and business process management through Document Imaging Software.

Laserfiche in Hong Kong

2011-01-05T01:22:00.000-08:00

HONG KONG (Laserfiche)—April 26, 2010—Laserfiche International today celebrates the grand opening of Laserfiche International Technology (Shanghai) Ltd. Laserfiche International Technology (LFIT) supports a staff of software engineers who will focus on tailoring the Laserfiche enterprise content management (ECM) Document Management Software suite to the Chinese market through product development, product localization and by providing online technical support to Chinese VARs.

“Laserfiche’s long-term commitment to China began in 2004, when it formed a representative office in Shanghai,” said Phyllis Chen, managing director of Laserfiche International. “Since then, the company’s presence in Shanghai has grown steadily. We’ve established LFIT as its own corporate entity in order to make Laserfiche ECM solutions more accessible to Chinese customers.”

LFIT recruits employees from the top 10 universities in China, including Shanghai Jiaotong University and Fudan University. To accommodate its recent and future growth, LFIT has moved into a 4,000+ square foot executive suite at 2000 Pudong Avenue. The office occupies the penthouse suite and has a panoramic view of the city.

In Hong Kong, Laserfiche International is also expanding rapidly. Opened in October 2009 to capitalize on the enormous potential for growth in the booming Asia Pacific region, Laserfiche International recently acquired an additional 2,000 square feet of office space to accommodate high demand for its Document Management Software products and services.

“We’re proud of the work Laserfiche International has done to bring our agile ECM systems to the Chinese market,” said Tom Wayman, vice president of product strategy at Laserfiche. “We look forward to continued success in Asia as the company expands its presence in both Shanghai and Hong Kong.”

Laserfiche® creates simple and elegant enterprise content management (ECM) Document Imaging solutions that help organizations run smarter. Since 1987, more than 28,000 organizations worldwide—including numerous Fortune 1000 companies and a variety of government agencies—have used Laserfiche software to streamline document, records and business process management.

The Laserfiche ECM system is designed to give IT managers central control over their information infrastructure, including standards, security and auditing, while still offering business units the flexibility to respond quickly to changing conditions with Document Imaging Software. The Laserfiche product suite is built upon Microsoft® technologies to simplify system administration, supports Microsoft SQL and Oracle® platforms and features a seamless integration with Microsoft Office® applications and a two-way integration with SharePoint®.
Laserfiche distributes its software through a worldwide network of value-added resellers (VARs), who tailor solutions to clients’ individual needs. The Laserfiche VAR program has received the Five-Star rating from Computer Reseller News/VARBusiness magazine.

Integrating Document Management Solutions

2010-12-27T23:44:00.001-08:00

When an ECM system is fundamental to the way an organization does business, the issue of integrating that system with other applications is critical. When speaking with clients about this, the first two questions asked are “can my applications be integrated with my ECM” and “how do I do it?”

If you’ve ever tried to answer these questions for clients who aren’t IT specialists or programmers, you know that doing so can be difficult. The specific answers involve abstract concepts and technical jargon that only specialists are familiar with. Speaking about Document Management Software with clients in a way they understand, is important.

At the same time, it’s important for all the stakeholders, not just the technical ones, to understand what is required in order to get a particular integration to work. To that end, I’ve found a particular analogy very helpful, as it renders the main considerations more concrete and understandable. I like to think of an integration of Document Management Software as a conversation.

At the most basic level, what’s needed for two individuals to successfully have a conversation? Assuming a verbal conversation (though the point holds true for any form of conversation), three things are necessary. Both parties need to be able to speak, hear, and understand each other. As it turns out, these requirements map quite nicely to integration considerations.

The essence of an integration is the ability for two applications to send data to each other, receive data from each other, and understand that data in regards to Document Imaging. This becomes the frame for the conversation as you explain to your client how the integration will work, or, in some cases, why it can’t work.

When boiled down to the essentials like this, it’s not an earth shattering revelation. However, it helps a lot when you’re trying to explain to a client that the Document Imaging Software integration is going take a certain number of days because one of the applications doesn’t have, say, a web service and that’s the only API the other one has. In other words, it can’t “hear” what the other application is “saying”. It makes for a much smoother acceptance of the proposal, and the outcome of the project, because the person writing the check appreciates the scope and nature of the project.

Laserfiche Certification Training Now Available at Texas Tech University

2010-12-14T20:56:00.000-08:00

Laserfiche has partnered with Texas Tech, one of only 200 schools across the nation with a financial planning program that’s registered by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (CFP), to provide training and certification for students enrolled in the Professional Technology in Personal Financial Planning course.

Laserfiche is donating the use of its Document Management Software, training materials and instructional resources to Texas Tech’s Personal Financial Planning Division free of charge through its Certified Professional Program (CPP). The CPP is designed to provide comprehensive online training in a number of specific areas, including system administration, business process management, Document Management, Document Imaging, and more.

“By adding Laserfiche to the curriculum, our students will gain a real-world understanding of how to digitize financial planning documents so that they are consistent, reliable, useful and accessible,” said Texas Tech Associate Professor Deena Katz, CFP. “They will also learn how to use Laserfiche to facilitate compliance with regulatory requirements, giving them a concrete advantage when they enter the workforce.”

The first Texas Tech class to incorporate Laserfiche’s Document Imaging Software in the curriculum began this fall. Approximately 100 students will complete the certification program by the end of the school year.

Several other schools have requested similar Laserfiche training programs for their students, so a whole new generation of financial planners will soon enter the workforce with in-depth knowledge of Laserfiche under their belts.

Document Imaging Software Innovation Increases Efficiency

2010-11-25T21:08:00.000-08:00

LONG BEACH, CA (Laserfiche)—November 3, 2010—Chase Bank and Smart Business Journal today presented Laserfiche President and CEO Nien-Ling Wacker with a Smart Leaders 2010 Award in recognition of her innovative leadership during tough economic times.

“To be an innovative leader at a technology company, you have to have your feet on the ground and your eyes on a vision that’s inspired by technology trends,” said Wacker. “Creating a company based on this vision is what has enabled Laserfiche to stay on the leading edge, gaining millions of users at 28,000 customer organizations around the world.

Founded in 1987, Laserfiche is a leading provider of enterprise Document Management Software. The company has been praised by industry analyst firms such as IDC for helping organizations “address the majority of their document and records management issues effectively and within a shorter time frame than other large enterprise content management providers.”

Wacker added, “I’m deeply honored to receive this Smart Leaders Award, and I’d like to give credit to our staff, channel partners and customers for their dedication to Laserfiche’s vision of providing simple and elegant ECM solutions that enhance organizational efficiency.”

Robert LaGace, President of Chase Middle Market Banking, presents Nien-Ling Wacker with her 2010 Smart Leaders Award

Since 1987, Laserfiche® has used its Run Smarter® philosophy to create simple and elegant Document Management Software solutions. More than 28,000 organizations worldwide—including federal, state and local government agencies and Fortune 1000 companies—use Laserfiche software to streamline Document Imaging, records and business process management.

Natural Disaster: Does Your Business Have A Continuity Plan?

2010-11-12T21:44:00.000-08:00

The fifth anniversary of the largest blackout in U.S. history with damage – from spoiled food to lost sales – is estimated at $6 billion.

According to the Wall Street Journal Business Technology blog, a recent Emerson Network Power survey showed that only 31% of the respondents had a business continuity plan to prepare for such disruptions, yet nearly 80% said they had experienced at least one power outage in 2007, and two-thirds said they expected another one to occur within 12 months.

Did you know that you can use Laserfiche’s Document Management Software as the foundation of your organization’s business continuity plan? Despite the recent floods in the Midwest, law firm Arenson & Zimmerman used Laserfiche to continue working with the help of Document Imaging , even though power at their offices would be out for at least four weeks. The weekend after the flooding began, staff set up remote computer connections for all attorneys and support staff so they could work from off-site locations.

Without Laserfiche, staff members would have had to carry large boxes of files down nine flights of stairs while holding flashlights. “Although the stair climbing would have put us all in much better physical shape, Laserfiche has allowed us to spend our time producing billable work,” concluded legal assistant Laurie L. Chappell. “Laserfiche’s Document Management Solutions definitely helped keep us going during this difficult time.”

What if your offices lost power for four weeks? Do you know how you could use Laserfiche to keep working? Download our white paper, “How Digital Document Management Streamlines Business Continuity Planning,” to learn more about how you can better prepare for disaster, whether it’s a power outage, an earthquake or a tornado.

ECM Solutions with Document Management Software and Imaging

2010-10-31T22:05:00.000-07:00

ANAHEIM, CA (Laserfiche)—October 12, 2010—Laserfiche (booth #1876) will exhibit its agile ECM solutions this week at the 2010 EDUCAUSE Conference in Anaheim, and talk to IT leaders about the benefits of adopting enterprise content management (ECM) as part of their IT infrastructure with Document Imaging.

“By standardizing on an agile ECM system from Laserfiche, colleges and universities increase information accessibility and security, eliminate data silos and enable key stakeholders to make better-informed decisions,” said Brian LaPointe, vice president of strategic solutions at Laserfiche. “Agile ECM also gives academic institutions a flexible and secure way to automate business processes in every department.”

With hundreds of higher education customers around the world, Laserfiche has emerged as the leading ECM solution for enhancing efficiency and cutting costs across campus with Document Management Solutions. For example:

Texas A&M’s Department of Entomology expected to receive an initial ROI of $54,000, but actually achieved an ROI of $272,000 within one year of implementing Laserfiche.

The University ofSouthern California has improved faculty records management. The Provost’s Office says, “Something that used to take ten minutes now takes a matter of seconds.”

The University Utah has dramatically accelerated the disbursement of financial aid. According to the university, “In the past, it took us at least six weeks to process a student’s paperwork. Now we process those documents in two weeks.”

LaPointe notes that the benefits of Laserfiche extend across the institution because agile ECM tools can be configured locally yet controlled centrally. “Agile ECM gives individual departments the ability to configure local solutions while helping them to avoid using consultants, programmers and in-house IT staff for all but the most strategic ECM tasks.”

Laserfiche will demo its agile ECM solutions, Document Management, and hand out copies of a new report titled “ECM Agility for Higher Education” throughout the conference at booth #1876.

About Laserfiche

Laserfiche creates simple and elegant enterprise content management (ECM) solutions that help organizations run smarter. Since 1987, more than 28,000 organizations worldwide—including federal, state and local government agencies and Fortune 1000 companies—have used Laserfiche software to streamline document, records and business process management.

The Laserfiche ECM system gives colleges and universities the ability to improve disaster recovery planning, centrally and securely manage records, and deliver shared services such as contract management, grant management and HR onboarding with Document Management Software. It eliminates data silos and integrates easily with other applications, accelerating business processes and making staff more efficient.

Accountants Become Efficient With The Help of Document Imaging

2010-10-13T02:42:00.000-07:00

When Olmsted & Associates, a CPA firm based in Fountain Valley, CA, went looking for a document management system in 2006, its needs were simple: “We needed a program that would allow us to scan multiple sizes and types of documents and then facilitate our search for them later. Security and retention periods were a concern as well,” says Tax Administrator Fernando Rocha. “Basically, we needed to have everything in one place so whomever needed to use it, could.”

Laserfiche was a name Olmsted’s partners were aware other accounting firms were using. And, says firm president Bernie Olmsted, with good reason. “There are a million document management systems out there, but nobody has the security ratings Laserfiche has in terms of being DoD 5015.2-certified,” she says.

Rocha says his fellow Olmsted staffers were particularly impressed by how user-friendly Laserfiche was, because it “had the look and feel of Windows and search engines we were used to using.” Another plus, he adds, was the comprehensive single solution Laserfiche offered. “Other programs you had to buy more products to get to that level of functionality. Laserfiche suited our needs right out of the box.”

The firm purchased document imaging software Laserfiche with Web Access to serve staff internally and remotely, as well as its clients. Implementation began in late 2006 with a backlog conversion of seven years’ worth of paper files. Adjamian and fellow solutions consultant Kristina Yassi worked with Rocha and Olmsted’s staff to set up templates and document types to establish the file structure that, with some enhancements, the firm still uses today. “Allen and Kristina helped us a design a folder and subfolder structure that allowed us get started scanning our documents right away,” Rocha recalls. “We’ve been able to improve on it since then, which is actually something we’ve come to appreciate about Laserfiche: It’s flexible enough to grow with us, without making a big project out of it.”

Rocha also says that Laserfiche’s document imaging interoperability with other programs and file types has brought efficiency and convenience to other business processes. “We transfer all our disparate types of data and document types into Laserfiche—QuickBooks, PDF documents, and Excel,” he says. “We can print directly to Laserfiche, save-to, or just drag-and-drop it. It’s that easy.”

And Rocha says that Olmsted & Associates has found a new way to work. “With Laserfiche we’ve found a document management system that offers us control in terms of securing and centralizing information, but also the flexibility to handle all kinds of content and make it readily available to our staff and clients securely and conveniently.”

What Happens To Your Business In the Event of a Disaster?

2010-09-14T02:50:00.000-07:00

The largest blackout in U.S. history incurred damage – from spoiled food to lost sales – is estimated at $6 billion.

Did you know that you can use Document Management as the foundation of your organization’s business continuity plan? Despite the recent floods in the Midwest, law firm Arenson & Zimmerman used Laserfiche company to continue working, even though power at their offices would be out for at least four weeks. The weekend after the flooding began, staff set up remote computer connections for all attorneys and support staff so they could work from off-site locations.

What if your offices lost power for four weeks? Do you know how you could use Document Imaging to keep working? Learn more about how you can better prepare for disaster, whether it’s a power outage, an earthquake or a tornado as part of your business continuity plan.

Document Management Solutions: Recommending It to Your Colleagues

2010-09-03T23:36:00.000-07:00

With the support of the Eaton County Information Systems Office, the Eaton County Prosecutor’s Office has successfully transitioned from dependence on physical paper file folders. In fact, we are among the first prosecutor offices in the USA to go paperless!

Changing to electronic files isn’t a revolutionary idea; many private industries have already made the switch because Document Management is a priority for all businesses. But our change has been a revolutionary improvement in how we do the People’s business by providing Document Management Solutions, and is a harbinger of the future for many other prosecutor offices and other businesses.

I think it’s important to show my colleagues that there’s a better way to do business. So, on our Website, we include information on why we chose Laserfiche, how it works, the benefits and our tips and suggestions for success. There’s a frequently asked questions section that answers questions like “How do you handle discovery?” and “What happens if your computer crashes?” We had such a positive response to that page that we created and posted videos about how we work and how Document Management can help, so other prosecutors’ offices can see the benefits of Laserfiche first hand.

One of the other things I do is talk about Laserfiche whenever I can. We host on-site visits from other prosecutors’ offices interested in seeing how “paperless” we really are. (Instead of six file cabinets, we now only need a single drawer – and it doesn’t even hold paper. We use it to hold evidence CDs.) The fact that we haven’t lost a single file in over three years is earth-shattering to other prosecutors thanks to Document Imaging Software.

I also present at industry conferences. Last year, I lectured for the National College of District Attorneys (NCDA) and the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) National Advocacy Center about our paperless file management system. During these presentations, I show screenshots of our Laserfiche repository and explain our various work processes. I also like to show photos of the “before” and “after” in our office. It’s a great way to spread the word that there’s a better way to work than with paper.

The Cure for Paperwork Headaches

2010-08-30T03:48:00.000-07:00

Laserfiche Document Management Software saves the Texas A&M University Health Sciences Center time and money

Texas A&M University (TAMU) is one of the largest universities in the U.S., both in terms of enrollment and physical size. With nine system schools and two campuses, as well as a main campus with over 100 buildings on over 5,200 acres, TAMU faces a unique challenge in sharing information.

Relying on paper was an inefficient use of TAMU’s monetary and staff resources. In addition, board requirements frequently limit the amount of office space to conserve space for classroom and labs, so space used for paper storage was at a premium. What little space was available could have been better used for professors’ offices.Beginning in 2004, different programs and departments within TAMU began investigating document management solutions, in order to more efficiently and cost-effectively share information—not to mention save space. Ultimately, they chose a Laserfiche enterprise content management solution to securely store paper, implement business process management and eliminate file cabinets.

Currently, nearly 1,200 staff in 10 departments and divisions within TAMU use Laserfiche document management software. The Health Sciences Center (HSC) reaches across Texas to educate health professionals and researchers through its seven components: the Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas; the College of Medicine in College Station, Round Rock and Houston; the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; the Institute of Biosciences and Technology in Houston; the School of Rural Public Health in College Station and McAllen; the Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy in Kingsville; and the College of Nursing in College Station.

When the HSC was planning to build its 200-acre new central campus, it wasn’t planning on using space that could house students and labs to house file cabinets. Add to that a system that spanned the state and often required costly overnight delivery of paperwork to its central office, then a need to duplicate and store copies of that paperwork, and Laserfiche was just the cure Project Manager Kristin Nace was looking for.

Nace, the director for fiscal services, was formerly in the HSC accounts payable division. While working in that department, she scanned documents into a basic system that used a centralized network drive. In 2007, the HSC formed a committee to find an alternative system and a vendor to provide it.

Because of Laserfiche’s successful implementation in the Texas A&M AgriLife program, it was considered for the HSC, and was ultimately chosen due to ease of use. Nace says that Laserfiche’s document management interface is simple and self-explanatory, and the system’s ability to import and export Microsoft Office documents was critical to its ultimate selection.

Since implementing Laserfiche, the finance office has quit accepting paper documents, and instead requires all internal documents, such as invoices, payroll documents and contracts, to be submitted electronically. They have been able to eliminate most of their 69 file cabinets, which cost $2,100 annually to maintain. And they have been able to adhere to their records retention schedule much more easily.

Even better, the department has eliminated nearly all their overnight shipments from regional locations. Previously, regional offices would overnight documents to the finance department on a daily basis. Because 95% of these overnight shipments were internal, they are now handled electronically through Laserfiche—eliminating nearly $55,000 spent in shipping costs.

Nace has recently created a position to manage the expansion of Laserfiche into new HSC departments. Eventually, every department in the HSC will be using Laserfiche.

“Our largest unexpected benefit came in realizing how popular Laserfiche has become within our organization,” she says. “I’m regularly getting requests from our departments to set up additional folders, processes, or even repositories. I knew people would love the product, I just didn’t expect they would love it this much… As a matter of fact, I’ve not had to convince anyone to use it, if anything I cannot keep up with all of their requests to bring more documents into the system. We are excited it has taken off as quickly and easily as it has.”

Benefits of Document Management

2010-08-13T04:05:00.000-07:00

In this day and age, most forms of communication have gone digital. All major companies have digitized all of their systems and rarely use physical paper for anything. It is easier to have things organized on a computer, to where anyone can access it at anything, without making multiple copies. Filing cabinets and folders used to be the old form of Document Management. This was the way businesses kept track of all the vital information needed to keep the company running efficiently. Today, to keep up with the times, that is simply not good enough. These businesses, whether they be domestically or nationally run, need some sort of Document Management Software.

These management software systems make it possible for the businesses to digitalize all of their records in a clear, concise, and easy to use fashion. It allows multiple users to see the information at once, without having to be in the same place to view it. The systems create a network for the companies to use, which ties everyone into the same stream of information. This will substantially increase the efficiency of the business.

The advantages of digital Document management are clear. It is cost effective in the sense that it saves time. Employees will not have to spend time going and looking for a record. The information is all in the same place, easy to access. The systems also allow the company to back up the information. There is not a need to make multiple copies of the items, they are backed up within the system. You can make it so all of the information is secure. You can set up password protection and limit access of information is necessary.

In order to back up old files that were previously only in paper form, a company may find the need for document imaging. This is a system in which the old documents are taken and scanned in order for them to be placed in the new digital database. This allows for everything to be in one place, making it easier for a company to locate important information. Much like with the systems created for document management, there is document imaging software that allows companies to take large scale physical paper documents, and make them digital for the computer.

These document management systems also tie into features online, allowing them to be stored as a database for the company. This enables the ability for the company to access the information from any location in the world. Imagine the possibilities and the room from growth of a company that is able to operate or access information from any location.

Document management software : Document Management Solutions for the Legal Industry

2010-07-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

Many people would be surprised to hear that one of the best uses of document management software is in the legal system. Not only is document imaging a good way to help the environment by reducing paper waste, but it also is a good way to keep the seemingly endless number of paperwork organized in a law firm.

Document management software generally is most effective in industries with a large amount of paperwork. Law firms definitely fit this criterion. Endless paperwork often has to be organized to find the most relevant information. In fact, law firms often hire people just to sort through the huge amount of information. However, with document management, law firms can be assured that legal documents will be stored in one easily searchable and secure place. With the use of document imaging, a law firm can not only keep all their documents on the computer, but they can password protect it so only authorized personnel can access classified information. This way, the law firm can concentrate on their actual work and not waste time on managing the vast information found on their paper documents and records.

In addition to the obvious organizational benefits of document management in the legal industry, law firms can easily search and comment on certain legal documents. For example, one can organize all forms related to a certain case in a folder specific to said case. Also, document management software often enables chatting and commenting on each document. A lawyer can highlight parts of the document and make comments that other authorized personnel can view. A law firm could have a discussion about the case without even scheduling a meeting. Of course, there will always be face to face interaction, but with document management, one can be assured that everyone will have viewed the same documents and will know the same information.

In addition to document management, law firms are also using technology to manage other aspects of their business. Client information and billing can be easily accessed from one place. By password-protecting these documents, one can be assured that only the right people will see this information. Additionally, one can easily print out any documents that need to be sent to the client or used in a face to face meeting.

Although a law firm must invest initial time and money into starting up a document management system for their practice, it is well worth it in the long run. Initially, the firm must scan all documents that can only be found in paper form. This can be a lengthy process. In addition, organizing the documents once they have been scanned can take some time. However, once this is completed, law firms will be able to save a lot of time and money. According to the many law firms that already use document management software, this initial investment is well worth the eventual benefits!

Document Management – Advances in Technology

2010-07-14T22:10:00.000-07:00

In the 80s and 90s capturing, managing, and sharing documents in the business world meant copying machines, fax machines, and row upon row of file cabinets. Documents were often sent to settle offices and customers via fax or courier service. In today’s high-tech world, documents can be captured via a scanner, saved to a hard drive, and shared all crossed the company via e-mail or online digital documents. Document management software is a term that would have been unheard of just a few short decades ago. Today however, many businesses use software to capture, store, and share important paperwork and other documents.

While document management once just meant copying and filing documents for storage, today businesses can do more with a document than just copy it and file it. Entire groups can collaborate to create a document without ever being in the same room together. A lengthy document can be shared with satellite offices and customers across the globe in a matter of seconds. All of this can be accomplished without ever leaving your desk. This provides a wealth of improvements to business processes. Rather than rummaging through file cabinets, sales staff and other employees can simply click an icon on their computer to locate a particular document.

Part of the revolution behind the improved management of documents in the business world is the advancement in document imaging. The ability to scan a hard copy into a computer and create a digital copy allows or faster sharing of information and less storage space for record-keeping. Additionally, old records and documents are easy to access via a computer. A large amount of document images can be stored in a relatively small space. Likewise, multiple copies can be made so there is no need to be concerned over the degradation of paper documents over time.

Document imaging software has come a long way since the first scanners were introduced to the mass market in the 1990s. Whereas images were once grainy and blurry, thus making them difficult to read and print legible copies, today’s document images boast high-resolution that enables a printed copy to be just as good a quality as the original. Likewise, high-resolution document images are considered in some legal circles to be just as good as originals. Years ago, faxes and photocopies were considered unacceptable as official documents due to their poor quality and the ease with which they could forged.

document management software - Don’t Put the Cart Before the Horse or the Software Before the Plan

2010-06-07T22:46:00.000-07:00

Document management is an ongoing challenge for many businesses. Despite the advances in technologies over the past couple of decades, paper is still an ongoing issue. Many people are used to working with paper in their hands instead of looking solely at electronic screen. Many legal documents still require paper copies. All of this means many new businesses are looking for document management solutions. Document imaging has become a popular solution. Once the business no longer needs a paper copy, the company scans the document into electronic image and destroys the original. To manage these images, many companies use document management software.

Businesses face many legal requirements on retaining documents a certain length of time. Retention of documents can range from months to years to even indefinite periods. If they should fail to retain the document, a business could face stiff fines or legal penalties. That makes document management solutions critical in many businesses. Most jurisdictions allow electronic document imaging in place of retaining the originals. Using document management software, a company can pull up the required documents when needed. That makes document management a much easier than going through hundreds of filing cabinets.

Document management software is not a single solution. There must be a comprehensive document management plan in place as well. The company must identify the document in some way. Many times, it is by customer number or invoice number. That ties the document back to something the company would understand. Once the company no longer needs the original, the company uses document imaging to save the file. For example, if they were looking for particular invoice associated with the customer, they can look up the document by either the customer number or a known invoice number. Document management solutions are growing part of the business world.

Are you investigating document management solutions? Look at your company as a whole. Create a plan before committing to document management software. Purchasing software without a plan is like contracting to have a house built without architectural plans. Don't put the cart before the horse. Another factor to consider is the additional costs involved. Document imaging will probably put be part of that plan. That will require some hardware as well as software. You can drastically reduce the amount of paper required in your business with a little bit of thinking. You should do document management with a bit of planning and lots of thinking.

document management software - Making Your Business Better with Document Management

2010-05-14T23:08:00.000-07:00

If you run any kind of business, you are probably tired of all the content that passes through your hands on a daily basis. You may have piles of paperwork on your desk to sort through, or perhaps it’s all thrown together on your computer. To make your life and the lives of your employees a little easier, you can consider document management software. This allows you to put all of your documents on the computer and share them with your employees whenever you want to. A number of benefits result from there.

By sharing your files through document management, you can get all of your employees on the same page without having a huge meeting. Everything can be done through the internet, and you can all post feedback on the latest discussion topics. Your employees can edit your work if you allow them to, or they can at least see the adjustments that you have made. This is great for businesses that work virtually because it provides an online conference room for feedback and discussion. You can share information and so can they, just like your own little forum for work.

In using document management solutions, you can access your files from any computer. This is great for the times when you left something at the office you can’t go back for. This can make you seem ill prepared in times of need. There are no worries though if everything is online. You simply have to log into the site, pull up the files, and print them if need be. You can show someone something on the fly as long as you have some sort of internet access. This brings work mobility to a whole new level because you can literally be just about anywhere and still be able to do your job.

Document imaging keeps everything organized for you. Piles of desk papers are usually impossible to sort through, as are folders on your computer. With the right software, you will be able to easily search for your files and keep them in their designated areas. You can save a great deal of paper by not having to print off all of your paper work. Thus you will be helping your budget and the environment at the same time. There are a number of benefits to be found with document managing software, so consider getting this for your business.

Benefits of Digital Document Management

2010-05-05T00:11:00.000-07:00

Digital document management is a surprisingly simple concept. It involves the conversion of paper documents into image files that are stored in an electronic repository. Because all the files are in one location, it is possible to find needed information in mere seconds. Document management systems can be used for a single person’s documents or an entire company’s document system. Managing documents is an important aspect of almost any company. Paper documents and filing systems are disorganized and messy but document imaging can help companies to find digital versions of all paper documents quickly and easily. In addition, it is often viewed as a component of enterprise content management (ECM) systems. Paper documents can be scanned into the computer and, using optical character recognition capabilities, the typewritten content can be fully editable and searchable. In addition, combining documents with e-mail messages can make it very easy to organize information as well as share important information throughout a company.

Digital content management can be seen as a digital filing cabinet. Nearly all Americans have big bulky filing cabinets filled with important documents. Most of these people would certainly benefit from putting these documents into an internet filing system. Not only will this reduce the need to search through papers and files, but one can actually search for a specific word or clause in one of their documents! This makes one wonder why everyone hasn’t switched to digital content management. In addition, many document management systems go hand in hand with personal storage and backup services as well as web-based groupware, e-mail, mailing lists, word processing programs or spreadsheet programs. This component of document management software is Personal Knowledge Management. It seems odd that there would be a program to organize one’s own knowledge; however, most Americans are so busy that they need their “knowledge” stored on a system to pull up information when they need it. Personal Knowledge Management is defined as a collection of processes that an individual carries out to gather, classify, store, search, retrieve and share knowledge in his or her daily activities and how these processes support work activities.

Although it is a great way to organize one’s information, document management solutions are not for everyone. Some companies are concerned about personal information being available for everyone. Important data is usually protected by a password but the information is still on a public system. The password can be easily shared and information readily available for anyone. This is especially relevant in the healthcare industry where confidential patient information can be available for an entire office. There are some things that need to be worked out in the document management industry, but overall it is very beneficial for any companies and can reduce disorganization along with paper waste!

Document Management in Education

2010-04-10T00:54:00.000-07:00

If there is one place where document management is important, it is in schools. The administration has so much to keep track of for every student. Transcripts, contact details, personal details, and course and billing details all have to be meticulously recorded and readily available. In addition, if any changes are made in one department, they must be noted in all departments to accurately keep track of the students. For this purpose, an inter-departmental system is vital! Data can be entered in one computer and shared throughout the administration. Password protection is also important in that only authorized people can see the information that they are supposed to have access to. Today, many schools, especially colleges, have campus-wide systems where students can access their records, class schedules, and other information from any computer. In addition, parents can access the information as well to track their child’s progress. Paper documents and physical files have become a thing of the past as most administrations are turning to online document management solutions.

Financial management is another reason why schools turn to document management software. It is very important to have an accurate financial management system. Using an inter-departmental system, everyone in the company can keep track of the budget, what has been ordered and what needs to be ordered. This can help save time and costs. Student billing is one thing which document management has made very easy. The school must keep track of who has paid tuition, or who owes money for other things. The system can automatically generate e-mails to send to students and parents who owe money to the school. With the reduced amount of funding and donations, schools have to keep their budget under tight control. An organized system is imperative to keeping costs as low as possible.

Document imaging is the process of scanning paper documents and converting them to digital images that are then stored in a database. Once the document is scanned, the entire department can easily work with it without making copies. Not only is document imaging efficient but it helps conserve paper. Many schools have already converted to document imaging to store all their important documents, and in the future more and more will also convert. It will probably be a long time before paper becomes obsolete, however, because many people still like to receive paper statements in the mail and send bills in the mail as well. However, the less paper that is used the better for the environment. Companies such as Laserfiche offer simple and elegant solutions to the organizational problems schools often have.

Enterprise Content Management: The Future of Networking

2010-03-16T22:36:00.000-07:00

Document management is arguably one of the most important aspects of an enterprise content management system. The earliest document management systems were developed to manage proprietary file types or a limited number of file formats. Today, document management systems have grown to encompass electronic documents, collaboration tools, security, and auditing capabilities. ECM has been defined as the strategies, methods and tools used to manage, store, preserve and deliver content and documents related to organizational processes. ECM tools and strategies allow the management of an organization’s unstructured information, wherever that information exists. There are several benefits to having a quality document management system as part of a powerful enterprise content management system.

The digital centralized location of the files enables people to obtain files and information without entering a file room or shuffling through a messy filing cabinet.
ECM systems typically use a database to store metadata and administrators can authorize access to authorized personnel.
Document management platforms have different ways of creating documents as well as a simple yet inclusive workflow design. Documents can easily be passed from one person to another. This is very useful when multiple people need to collaborate on a project.

Not only can enterprise content management systems simplify projects and make communication between people much easier, they also reduce paperwork. With the development of these platforms, companies are approaching a paperless office. Proponents of enterprise content management have argued that paperless services are faster, cheaper, more efficient, and more environment-friendly. Society has almost reached the point where computer files are out of date. Endless folders on one’s desktop contain thousands of files which one has to sort through to find needed information. Sharing files on a web workspace will eventually replace storing them on the computer’s hard drive. In addition, a large, powerful database in another location stores files for a company for any authorized user to access without having to hunt down the actual file and the computer which contains the file. The future is unfolding before our eyes. More and more companies are adapting ECM as a way to connect and network among their employees.

Laserfiche Presents on China’s Role in Global Economy

2010-02-28T20:26:00.000-08:00

Laserfiche document management will participate in the UCLA Anderson School of Management’s fourth annual Wilbur K. Woo Greater China Business Conference, titled “China: Driving the Global Economy Recovery.”

Linda Ding, APAC International Territory Manager at Laserfiche, will take part in an afternoon ‘Executive Exchange’ session along with Xun Wang, President of Syngenta Biotechnology Co. Ltd., and Terry Horsmon, Managing Partner of True North Strategies, Metan Media Group. The exchange will be moderated by Allen Shen, producer of KAZN-AM Radio in Los Angeles.

“I’m delighted to join this elite group of thought leaders to explore the impact that China has had on the global economy,” said Ding. “Laserfiche believes that China will play an increasingly important role in the development and dissemination of new technology, and we recently opened an office in Hong Kong to better serve and learn from the Chinese market.”

Over the past several years, the Laserfiche document imaging product suite has been translated into simplified and traditional Chinese versions. To provide stronger local product services and training, the company has also developed professional Presales and Support teams in Shanghai, enabling document management and document imaging to become a full service enterprise content management (ECM) solution provider for the greater China area.

The Value of a Paperless Office

2010-02-02T20:47:00.000-08:00

Avante document management offers a new way to get powerful document and business process management that fits the way people work and at a price that makes sense.

Avante document management gives you the tools you need now and makes it easy to add the ones you want later. Industry-leading document imaging also helps users to store and retrieve information. Avante includes sophisticated workflow tools to automate business processes. Whether you have a staff of one or one hundred, you’ll simplify complex tasks, promote better decision making and keep your organization moving forward.

Avante’s individual user connections include Laserfiche document management, Workflow, Document Imaging, Scanning, Snapshot and E-Mail, and an intuitive pricing structure makes it simple and affordable to add new features and functionality to your Laserfiche system. For a percentage of the price of your user licenses, you can add Web Access or Audit Trail, or for a fixed price, you can add Quick Fields, Plus or fully integrated, DoD 5015.2-certified records management. And when your system grows large enough, it’s simple to upgrade to Rio enterprise content management.

Move Your Organization Beyond Search and Retrieval

2010-01-05T21:03:00.000-08:00

Laserfiche Avante brings together industry-leading document management and powerful, fully integrated Workflow functionality. Whether you have a staff of one or one hundred, you’ll simplify complex tasks, promote better decision making and keep your organization moving forward with document imaging.

Document Management licensing is based on the number of people who will be using the system—which makes it possible to calculate the cost of most systems by doing little more than counting employees.

Named user licenses include document imaging, Workflow, Snapshot and e-mail functionality, all for $500 per license. Servers are sold individually and support industry-standard Microsoft^® and Oracle^® database platforms.

Document Management: Move Your Organization Beyond Search and Retrieval

2009-12-04T21:14:00.000-08:00

Avante brings together an industry-leading document management system with a powerful fully integrated workflow functionality. Whether you have a staff of one or one hundred, document imaging simplifies complex tasks, promote better decision making and keep your organization moving forward.

Avante’s licensing is based on the number of people who will be using the system—which makes it possible to calculate the cost of most systems by doing little more than counting employees.

Named user licenses include document management, Workflow, Snapshot and e-mail functionality, all for $500 per license. Servers are sold individually and support industry-standard Microsoft^® and Oracle^® database platforms.

The Laserfiche Server centralizes management of multiple types of information, including document imaging, electronic documents, e-mail and digital audio and video files.

The desktop-based Laserfiche Client offers users intuitive, instant access to information. Each user has their own connection through the Laserfiche Client, so they are always able to access their information.

Laserfiche Workflow™ promotes constant productivity with rules-based document routing, e-mail notification and activity monitoring.

Laserfiche Scanning is an intuitive scanning interface to add paper documents into your repository. An array of tools enables you to enhance images, so you get the most accurate text capture possible.

Laserfiche Snapshot™ creates archival TIFF images of electronic documents, without repetitive printing and scanning.

Laserfiche E-mail Plug In™ uses any MAPI-compliant e-mail application to distribute documents stored in the repository.

The Laserfiche Software Assurance Plan (LSAP) provides support and training, as well as the software updates, enhancements and forums available on the Laserfiche support site.

Virginia Port Authority Selects Laserfiche as its Enterprise Content Management Solution

2009-11-06T01:27:00.000-08:00

Laserfiche today announced that the Virginia Port Authority has selected Laserfiche to implement an enterprise content management solution that will involve document management, digitizing administrative documents and records and setting up electronic administrative processes. Laserfiche was selected out of 28 vendors that had submitted proposals.

“The Laserfiche solution was selected because of its robust capabilities, which met the stringent requirements of the RFP,” said Carl Long, president and CEO of Unity Business Systems (UBS). UBS is the value-added Laserfiche reseller that submitted the proposal and will implement and oversee the Port project.

“We are pleased to hear that the Port of Virginia has selected document management as its solution for managing its extensive business processes,” said Laserfiche Senior Vice President of Business Development Chris Wacker. “We are confident that Unity Business Systems will implement the document imaging project quickly, smoothly and professionally for this busy Port.”

In 2007, the Port of Virginia handled 2.1 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units). The Port Authority, which employees 140 people (85 police members and 55 administrative staff), was established in 1952 as a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia for the purpose of stimulating commerce in the ports of the Commonwealth, promoting the shipment of goods and cargoes through the ports, improving the navigable tidal waters within the Commonwealth, and in general to perform any act or function which may be useful in developing, improving, or increasing the commerce of the ports of the Commonwealth.

The Authority owns and is responsible for the operations and security of three marine terminals: Norfolk International Terminals (NIT), Portsmouth Marine Terminal (PMT), and Newport News Marine Terminal (NNMT), as well as an inland intermodal facility—the Virginia Inland Port (VIP) located in Front Royal, Virginia. These facilities primarily handle import and export containerized and break-bulk cargoes.

Laserfiche Wins Prestigious Fujitsu ISV Innovative Award

2009-10-05T21:56:00.000-07:00

Laserfiche® announced that Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc., a market leader in document management, document imaging scanners and services, has awarded Laserfiche the quarterly Fujitsu ISV Innovative Award. Laserfiche was selected for creating a powerful Business Process Management (BPM) solution for Daviess County Prosecutor’s Office in Indiana.

Each quarter the Innovative Leadership Award is given to independent software vendors (ISVs) that successfully leverage Fujitsu imaging products to optimize business processes and improve customers’ bottom line results.

Laserfiche value-added reseller and consultant, Nancy Mathes of Paper-Lite, worked with Daviess County employees to create an electronic work process in Laserfiche that mirrors their processes with paper case files. Using Fujitsu fi-6130 scanners, staff scans documents directly into the document management repository, which dynamically creates case folders and places key identifying data such as case numbers and defendant names into template fields. At the end of the day, all document imaging is ready for full-text or template-field search and retrieval.

“We designed the template to enable workflow automation in the future,” Mathes said. “We planned our implementation to do what we needed up front and to make things easier as we move forward.”

“Fujitsu is pleased to present the Innovative Leadership Award to Laserfiche,” said Doug Rudolph, Vice President, Product Management and Business Development, Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc. “At Fujitsu, we look for companies that make significant contributions to content management solutions and help streamline business processes. With Avante, Laserfiche has created a BPM solution that impacts the bottom line for various sectors.”

“We’re excited that Daviess County has seen great success using Laserfiche together with world-class Fujitsu scanners,” said Chris Wacker, Laserfiche Senior Vice President of Business Development. “We’re thrilled that Fujitsu has presented Laserfiche with this award, and we appreciate the company’s ongoing commitment to our partnership.”

Document Management System

2009-09-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

A document management system provides storage, access and control to large information repositories for one or more working groups in an enterprise. The information contained in the document management system is highly unorganised as compared to the other databases available.

Different kind of data is stored in different styles and fonts. A company that deals in document management solutions works on a system that provides access to information to anyone within the workgroup with a click of the mouse. As the members in these workgroups grow, the data also grows.

Users judge the value of good document management software by the accuracy and simplicity of the information access methods that it makes available. Also, most document management systems treat documents as individual data objects. This implies that a system registers information which is available from the operating system of the user. Only those users can register data that have been authorised by the work group manager. The system doesn’t not allow people without proper authentication to view the data.

File management becomes an issue when there are large number of documents are involved. These documents typically have a longer life span as compared to the other data and therefore need to be stored wisely. Some also need document imaging in order to download the complete document.

Another feature of a good document management software is that it should be able to prevent any theft or corruption of the data. In case the data gets corrupt due to external factors, it should be able to restore the lost document without causing any break in the links within the documents.

These systems retrieve the data using two approaches – knowledge based retrieval and key wording. Knowledge based retrieval system collects all the information by structuring into groups bases on words, phrases, functions or any other particular subject. Key wording retrieval identifies the content through specific keywords.

What Is Digital Document Management?

2009-09-05T04:10:00.000-07:00

Document management, or document imaging, is the practice of digitizing, indexing and archiving both paper and electronic documents for easy storage and retrieval.

Quality electronic document management system helps you:

1.) Transform your paper filing system to enable greater information access.
2.) Promote information sharing enterprise-wide.
3.) Optimize your business processes to increase efficiency and productivity.
4.) Demonstrate regulatory compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA and other laws.
5.) Simplify records retention and destruction procedures.

Thousands of organizations around the world use document imaging every day instead of paper filing systems or a shared file server where folders and files provide the only structure. While the file server might be cost effective for backing up documents, it ignores certain document management needs such as: controlling and monitoring changes in documents, making sure everyone is using the most updated templates, locking certain files, locating documents on the corporate network efficiently.

If you are interested in getting more information about document management and document imaging please visit: www.laserfiche.com.

Canon enters document management

2009-08-07T00:42:00.000-07:00

According to New Delhi news, Canon India on Tuesday entered the document management system business primarily aimed at the enterprise market. Initially, the company would be partnering its customers to optimize their print management, which would be followed by digitization of hard copies, archival, indexing, retrieval and workflow to provide end to end document imaging solutions.

Addressing a press conference here, Canon India President and CEO Kensaku Konishi said: “The enterprise segment is one of the crucial engagement areas for Canon and we realized that in the slowdown phase, each enterprise would look at saving costs by bringing in operational excellence. One of the major areas to look at it is the print infrastructure. This is the area where Canon is the technology leader and continues to innovate and deliver what it promises to its customers.” Canon India Senior Vice-President Alok Bharadwaj said that through their new division — Document Management Consulting Services — the company would provide corporate houses and enterprises consultancy and solutions ranging from installing printing devices to managing the entire process of printing more effectively.

“We aim to achieve Rs. 50-crore worth of revenue from the division by next year. Our goal is to handle 500 million documents under the service and expects to garner a share of 25 per cent of the estimated Rs. 150 management printing services in India by 2010. Our services will enable corporate houses to save up to 30 per cent of their costs. We will be working on a contractual basis, provide them with printing devices and consultancy services and we shall earn on per print,” he added.

If you would like more information about document imaging, contact a document software specialist today and get more information.

Document Management: Paper-less, Police-more

2009-07-14T21:38:00.000-07:00

Time was, when an officer from Ontario’s Hamilton Police Service (HPS) responded to investigate a call about an EDP (emotionally disturbed person), they’d have two choices to determine risk factors as they proceeded: Drive back to the station with the EDP to look up past reports - or place a call and wait for a Records Clerk to pull the report and read it to them over the phone. Either way, the officer would be off the street, sometimes for hours, waiting for the necessary information to act on.

These days, however, an officer responding to the same call can pull up reports right in their patrol car, accessing information vital to the safety of the EDP – and the public – using just a name, incident number or other simple keyword.

It’s this kind of progressive approach to information and process management that’s transformed the Hamilton Police Service from a command-and-control police model to a community-based-and-problem-solving service over the last decade. As HPS Records Supervisor Gary Holden puts it, “…document management has allowed us to spend more time in the community and less time travelling back and forth to the station.”

But this progressive approach had to begin somewhere, and it started in 2000 when IT Manager Ross Memmlo began investigating document management to alleviate storage costs and repurpose valuable office space. Franz Gangl of Laserfiche reseller IKON Office Solutions demonstrated Laserfiche’s information management capabilities for Memmolo, IT Administrator Diana Scime, Shari Moore and Holden.

Holden says they chose Laserfiche based on four criteria:

Business Functionality: “It needed to be really user-friendly, no matter how comfortable staff were with computers. Our reseller showed us an example of an agency about our size using a system similar in size and capacity to our proposal.”
System Architecture: “The flexibility and expandability to allow for future development and integration was important.”
Organization/Support Training: “We knew whenever we had a question, all we had to do was make that call to the 1-800 number.”
Project Schedule: “According to our funding cycler, the system needed to be up and running by year’s end.”

In early 2002, the implementation team developed “banner pages” to enable Quick Fields to index various reports, which helped with a massive backlog conversion project that would eventually add 860,000 images to the system. “We were able to scan anything and everything – photographs, willsays, handwritten notes – into folders,” says Holden. By 2004, document imaging repository held over 300,000 active and historical incident reports, DNA records, MVC reports, pardon files and sudden death reports.

“If an officer wants to know more about a rash of Breaking & Enterings where all he knows is a red pick-up that has a unique decal on the side door was involved, he can use document management software search to look up other reports,” he adds. “We can’t possibly index every piece of information within a police report, but OCR and fuzzy search addresses that problem, making it a valuable investigative tool.”

Ultimately, the Hamilton Police Service has realized a significant amount of savings by using Laserfiche to refine its business processes:

$200,000 saved annually, due to downsizing 4 civilian staff in the Records Business Centre, as officers are able to access vital information directly.
Officers spend more time in the community because they no longer need to attend Central Station to view reports.
Clerks save time, because they no longer need to locate reports and read them to officers over the phone.
Valuable floor space has been reclaimed from paper storage.
Redacting documents in Laserfiche saves “a fortune in paper and time,” as Holden puts it, helping staff more easily meet file requests from the Courts and outside agencies.

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Document Management in the Wild

2009-06-10T22:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, TV or movie characters can benefit from document management just as much as the rest of us.

While watching the series finale of “ER” last night, which normally wouldn’t make you think of Laserfiche. But as I watched an intern escort a group of medical students around, and as he stopped at the paper chart holder and explained how their paper-based workflow worked (or didn’t, as the case may be), I couldn’t help but think…wouldn’t this be a lot easier with a document imaging system?

And it isn’t just “ER.” Every time I watch the detectives on “Cold Case” sorting through boxes of documents pulled from cold storage, or Melinda on “Ghost Whisperer” visiting the dusty, jam-packed city archives, it’s hard not to see what a benefit document imaging would be to them.

We’ve already seen how detectives are using document management to work toward solving cold cases. City clerks use document management to provide dust-free access to city records - sometimes even over the Web. There are many emergency rooms that use document imaging to streamline billing - and recapture lost revenue.

Unfortunately, I think that a character sitting at a computer and retrieving the information they need with two or three clicks doesn’t quite have the dramatic value or ambience of a dark, underground document archive filled with boxes - and a few ghosts, too. (Although I’d venture a guess that most of the city archives out there aren’t dark, damp or filled with ghosts. Maybe just filled with boxes of paper.)

Have you seen any scenarios “in the wild” of TV or movies where Laserfiche document imaging would help? Or am I the only one that watches “The Dark Knight,” looks at Harvey Dent’s office, and thinks, “Man, he could really benefit from Laserfiche“?

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Document Management Technology for Financial Advisors

2009-05-07T21:37:00.000-07:00

Document Management Technology takes an in depth look at technology solutions for registered investment advisors (RIAs) in this new era of capital market returns.

Findings conclude that independent investment advisors are quickly becoming the dominant form of advice delivery in the U.S., with more than $2.1 trillion in assets. However, most advisors don’t realize that document management software can help expedite workflow; improve audit, security, and compliance requirements; save money; and even help reduce their carbon footprint.

“RIA advisory firms are seeing declines in revenue from market volatility, along with increased workloads as a result of new client engagements, and added business from disaffected clients of Wall Street firms,” said Tim Welsh, CFP®, President of Nexus Strategy, LLC and Laserfiche financial vertical consultant. “Historically these advisors haven’t invested aggressively in technology; however, today the mandate is clear that in order to stay successful, advisors need to increase their capacity through technology.”

Laserfiche is an advocate for educating advisors to embrace technology and solve their business processing needs. Laserfiche research has found that firms can achieve a 9% reduction in overhead cost through document imaging technology, yet recent industry studies report less than 20% have a system. To bridge this gap, this new report will provide insight and analysis on ways advisors can immediately implement technology to solve their business profitability and growth issues, including:

Solutions are more affordable than most advisors think due to recent enhancements in technology.

Advisors don’t have to be experts—they can rely on local community based solution providers to make training and implementation easy.

There are simple solutions for advisors who are storing documents in a non-compliant manner.

The longer advisors wait to begin with document management technology, the bigger the operational challenge becomes.

This new white paper from Laserfiche provides financial advisors with the key steps they need to take to create a successful financial firm.

Disclaimer: This blog or article is for information purpose only, and should not be treated a professional advise or price protection guarantee. This blog is mainly used for search engine optimization and other commercial purposes and it is advised that readers seek professional consultation in the field of interest for more information.

Document management to the Rescue!

2009-04-02T22:48:00.000-07:00

Today, more than ever before, document management software is a must for most organizations. The Ontario law enforcement agencies are using a document management process that simplifies e-disclosure and converts homicide case documents into digital format.

The Ontario Homicide Investigators Association (OHIA), which is comprised of a couple dozen local police services and government law enforcement agencies across the province, have standardized on document imaging format to manage and distribute case information to prosecutors, defense attorneys, and other applicable court staff. “The average case can be anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 pages,” Ian Grant, detective inspector with the Ontario Provincial Police’s (O.P.P.) organized crime enforcement bureau, said. Hard copy documents can be difficult to cart into court and also take a lot of staff time, effort, and money to compile. Document imaging helps a great deal in moving toward a completely electronic system where no paper is required. Anything seized in paper format are scanned to allow officers to tag photographs, attach had written notes, black out sensitive, privacy-protected information in the document imaging.

While many cases are still using paper documents, document management is growing at a rapid pace. The courts have made it an acceptable method to carry out case management as long as it’s organized, contained in one spot, easy to use for the officers and legal professionals involved and, most importantly, readily searchable. Law enforcement agencies, have found that document management creates a much more efficient and effective work environment.

Disclaimer: This blog or article is for information purpose only, and should not be treated a professional advise or price protection guarantee. This blog is mainly used for search engine optimization and other commercial purposes and it is advised that readers seek professional consultation in the field of interest for more information.

Little Enterprise on the Prairie

2009-03-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

Win-win situations are not good enough for information technology staff in Marshall, part of Minnesota’s Lyon County. They’ve got to have win-win, win-win. That’s because the Marshall school district, its city hall, municipal utility department and the Lyon County government all have built their IT infrastructures around document management with Laserfiche. So when one part of the quartet undertakes improvements to Laserfiche, everybody benefits—and it seems that document images software improvements aren’t stopping any time soon.

“That’s the thing about document management solutions,” says Todd Pickthorn, an IT expert with the Marshall School District. “Once you’ve completed one project with Laserfiche, your eyes open up to the new projects that are possible. That’s been the case with all the agencies we’re working with. When one makes an improvement, everybody reaps the rewards.”

In a world where government bureaucracy is the norm, the Marshall collaboration’s streamlined operations are a remarkable accomplishment which is earning national acclaim—and in an arguably unexpected part of the world.

Marshall, a quiet prairie town, is 40 miles from the nearest interstate and 200 miles from Minneapolis. Yet in the late 1990s, a forward thinking group of residents and elected officials calling themselves “Prairie Net” vowed the information superhighway was going pass a lot closer than Interstate 29 in South Dakota. Monthly meetings were held, resolutions were passed, grants were received and bonds were issued. And with official commitment clear and money in hand, Marshall soon had ISP providers waiting to wire up the community. It took a few years but eventually a brand new fiber optic cable stretched some 75 miles from Sioux Falls, SD, down every street in Marshall.Next step was deciding what to do with that cable. Prairie Net knew it was crucial to provide Web access to serve the whole community, including residents, government and businesses alike. And they knew Laserfiche was going to play a large part in it, they just weren’t sure how to go about it. That’s where planning came in.

“It’s all about planning and having the group meetings where we all talk about our road map for this system and how to plan on using Laserfiche down the road,” Pickthorn says. “We knew that having that new fiber optic cable in place opened a lot of opportunities to us.”

It was in those meetings that the idea surfaced to have a shared document management system connected by the new cable. Prairie Net recognized that different government agencies were responsible for similar tasks in their respective offices—and that duplication of effort would be eliminated by having all their records maintained in a single location.

“In a big city it would be very difficult to get something like this done, simply due to the politics involved,” says Clayton Baer, software designer for Marshall’s Laserfiche reseller Crabtree Companies.

Not to say that there hasn’t been opposition, including intervention by the courts when one judge questioned the legality of the collaboration, says Marshall’s City Director Harry Weilage. However, the system’s success has won over most of the skeptics.

“The last departments in the various agencies that wanted to get into this technology were the financial departments,” Pickthorn says. “Now, it’s staff in those departments who use Laserfiche the most.”

“The initial investment is one-quarter of the price,” says Baer. “That was probably the biggest selling point when it came to getting grants. Why would we build four separate infrastructures when we could just build one? They all serve the same taxpayers.”

Right now, Marshall is in the most ambitious phase of its IT infrastructure project. The Marshall Portal, as it’s being called, is a multi-media interactive website with links to every organization and agency in town. Prairie Net now wants to upload the various Laserfiche repositories onto that portal, so town employees will be able to access their work documents from home and students and taxpayers alike will be able to research public records.

Since, moving forward with Laserfiche, The Marshall Portal has been able to offer a one-stop access to information. The value of moving ahead with this technology has given a quick return on investment, the opportunity to gain experience and level of comfort with document imaging.

For more information of document management software, please visit: www.laserfiche.com

Document Management Company Powers Forward.

2009-01-27T23:03:00.000-08:00

The theme of the 2009 Laserfiche Institute Conference was devoted to, as CEO Nien-Ling Wacker said, “extending your success from your department to your whole organization.”

The Conference’s 153 labs, demos and presentations empowered the Laserfiche community to do just that. Whether by adding additional functionality, new departments or upgrading to new Laserfiche document management products Rio or Avante, nearly one thousand attendees learned strategies to make 2009 even more successful than ever.

In addition to a line-up of classes that covered everything from project planning to systems integration, the conference featured numerous user presentations, where Laserfiche customers explained how their organization uses Laserfiche to optimize workflow, eliminate redundancy and cut costs. Each of these sessions was followed by a lively Q and A session, as audience members joined the presenter in discussing how other organizations could realize the same success.

Communicating and inspiring solutions to shared problems was central to the success of the Conference, so much so that questions not directly answered in classes could be brought to the Office Hours Room, where Development, Support, User Education, and Presales staff could address specific areas of concern with attendees one-on-one.

For more information, please visit

http://www.laserfiche.com/events/conferences/uc2009/recap/2009-recap.html

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