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Document
Image Management
Imaging
101
In the Beginning
Personal computers first emerged at the
onset of the 1980s, many thought they would quickly usher
in the era of the paperless office. Currently over 300 million
tons of paper per year is used. Offices are drowning in paperwork
that sometimes even impedes their ability to compete. One
potential solution: computerize the paper, which means
to turn pages into computer image documents and then use computers
to maintain the information contained therein.
Understanding
Document Images
Document images are the computer-file equivalent
to paper documents. In other words, paper documents are scanned
by computer scanners, these pictures (images) of pages is
then captured in computer memory. These captured pictures
(images) are then stored in electronic form as computer files
which can be viewed on PC monitors, printed, archived electronically
(put in long-term computer storage) or retrieved electronically,
virtually instantaneously, via a number of computerized methods.
Document images differ, for example, from
word processed documents, in that image documents are essentially
computerized images made up of patterns of tiny dots, whereas
word-processed documents code all the numbers and alphabetic
letters used in text, so the text can be edited. With image
documents, at least initially, any text on a page is handled,
as a picture of text, not coded text that can be easily edited.
Some of the potential
benefits of image document processing include:
- Automation of
some of the endless flow of paperwork that passes through
every office
- Reduction of paper
piles on people's desks (and associated problems)
- A logical method
of organizing the papers that everyone uses
- Reduction of time
spent transporting documents from one desk or office to
another plus the time it takes for documents to move from
point to point
- Reduction of time
spent looking for lost and archive documents.
Using
document image systems to create a totally paperless
office is expensive and could very well be counter productive.
There will always be some paper, but using document image
systems to manage certain types of documents for specific
applications can be highly rewarding.
Document Image processing is not a panacea,
however buyers must consider not only whether upfront and
ongoing costs are justified, but also must make sure that
the systems truly provide the benefits they claim to provide.
After all, one doesn't replace one, or even twenty $500 file
cabinets with a $10,000 image document processing system without
good, solid reasoning. The real payoffs of document image
processing are as follows:
- An existing
workforce can handle a larger workload by automating certain
aspects. Sometimes, where the burden of processing paper
documents has become unmanageable and is having an adverse
affect on business operation, image processing can bring
the situation back under control.
- A reduced
workforce can handle existing workloads (i.e., enabling
the dreaded "downsizing").
- Business,
cycles can be accelerated so that certain transactions are
completed more quickly. In some cases, businesses can gain
competitive advantages over their rivals by using image
processing systems to speed customer service.
- Space
can be saved because image document processing systems take
up less room than any physical file cabinets they replace.
- Customer
satisfaction can be greatly increased, as the documents
necessary to respond to requests are made instantly available.
Elements of Document
Image Systems
Document image systems consist of a number
of elements:
- Scanners
to start the process of turning paper documents into electronic
images
- Software
to process and manage image files
- General?purpose
PCs or specially?equipped image processing scan stations
- Monitors
suitable for handling image documents
- Storage
systems, ranging from hard disk drives to optical?disk drives
and CD Jukeboxes
- Miscellaneous
capabilities, such as duplexing (the ability to process
both sides of scanned pages at once); scanning of color
documents; book scanning mode (flatbed scanning) and the
ability to link multiple scanners to a single system.
Computers
Computers are required to run document image
systems. Some systems may require centralized computers, called
servers, where most actual document storage will be located,
but all systems require end?user computers where documents
are indexed, viewed, printed, faxed or otherwise processed.
Originally computers were always bundled
in with turnkey document image processing systems, because
the integrating of various hardware and software was difficult.
Now vendors of document image processing systems offer software
only and leave the rest up to the MIS department of the organization.
There is now a trend to revert back to the turnkey systems
as organizations find this to be less expensive than have
specially trained MIS staff and so that there is only one
place to point to when problems occur.
Monitors
No longer are special monitors required
to deal with images. Monitors used to be a major issue for
document image processing systems but now a regular 17"
monitor is acceptable, however 19" or larger monitor
is preferred only because it provides more area to view multiple
images.
Storage Systems
Storage systems consist of:
- Storage
hardware, which may be comprised of hard drives, optical?disk
drives, other types of computer storage or some hierarchical
mix of all types of storage.
- Software
that manages the storage of image files so they are retrievable
and all files can be backed up.
In
the early days of image document processing systems, optical?disk
drives were the premier choice for system storage because
they alone offered very high capacity storage and random access
for virtually instantaneous retrieval of stored documents.
Today, hard?disk drives have caught up to
optical disks in terms of capacity, plus they tend to provide
even speedier random access to image files. Moreover, hard
drives offer a much better price and performance. For these
reasons, hard disk drives are now becoming widely used for
document image processing.
There is one excellent reason, however,
to work with CD-ROM or optical drives that use write?once,
read?many (WORM) technology and that reason is image document
security. Because of the nature of the ways hard drives work…anything
on them can be erased and replaced with new data in a split?second.
WORM drives, in contrast, allow a file to be "written"
on them only once, and then those files cannot be erased.
They can be "read" unlimited times, which means
they can be retrieved, viewed, printed and so on, but never
natively edited or modified. Thus, when image documents must
be archived and their "integrity" never compromised,
WORM storage is the preferred solution.
Whether choosing fixed or removable storage
technology, it's critical that buyers make certain they can
always allow for enough storage to meet their growing needs.
Having an image document system that runs out of storage space
is like having a car that runs out of gas…you have to
stop until you get some more.
There is a technology, which uses the best
of both worlds. It is writing the files onto CD-ROM as a way
of permanent record and then moving the files to a special
area on the hard disk that is not backed up on tape. If for
some reason the hard disk fails the images can easily be restored
from the permanent CD's. Incidentally, most hard disk storage
uses a RAID technique that allows one disk drive to fail without
any loss of data. A new drive is inserted and the RAID system
automatically loads up (from the other drives) what was missing
on the drive that failed.
Printers
Laser and Inkjet printers are used to print
images. Be aware that even though you have a 20 page a minute
laser printer, when you print images you will probably only
get 4 to 5 pages per minute. This is because an average business
page is made up of over 300,000 bits and these have to be
transmitted to the printer. There are special boards installed
on printers that receive the image in compressed mode (like
on your hard disks) and explode them inside the printer allowing
the printer to print at printer speed.
Software
Imaging software provides a broad range
of functionality supporting such processes as document entry
and indexing, information storage and retrieval, business
form creation, workflow routing and communications. Moreover,
it's the software that provides the visual interface through
which end users execute the all-important functions and system
administrators manage overall system functions. Prospective
buyers should understand the use of the software before buying.
Remember, the reason for archiving a document is so that you
will be able to retrieve it when you want. There are four
basic ways documents are located:
1. By looking in the
folder.
2. By searching for the document by name.
3. By searching on a field with an indexing system to find
the document.
4. By searching for a word or words in the document. This
can only be done if the images have previously been OCR'd.
Here are areas of
software that need to be considered:
Ease of Use
The software should be so easy to use; it
should require very little training for the average user.
Software that requires extensive training for the casual user,
can take away from many of the benefits of the imaging system.
Consider how easily and intuitively the software lets users
retrieve image document files. For example, do people have
to work their way through numerous layers of drop?down menus
and then work their way answering crowded dialog boxes?
- How many
retrieval methods are available?
- Can users
leaf quickly through documents in a file folder or just
see a list of file names?
- Can they
search for indexed key words (which support quick searching)?
- Can they
initiate full-text key-word searches?
Filing
Many systems use the same terminology as
with manual filing cabinets (i.e. filing cabinets, folders,
documents). It should be easy to create Folders and to insert
a Document into them. Documents may need to be cross-referenced,
similar to index cards in a library (i.e. Invoice Number;
Purchase Order; Policy Number; Effective Date; etc.).
OCR
Optical Character Recognition software scans
an image and converts the alphanumeric to computer?coded text.
This text can then be stored in a search software database.
Then the image software can perform full?text key?word searches
of the text to find the document with the matching words.
Annotation Tools
The system should not let users edit or
change the original content of image documents, thus providing
the confidence that these are the unchanged originals. Annotations
might include highlighting, redacting (blacking out), stick'em
notes, etc. For this, the software needs to provide on?screen
annotation tools and it's critical that such tools be convenient
and easy to use. Make sure the annotations do not affect the
original image.
Workflow
When the document image processing system
is connected to a network, it is then possible to create computerized
workflows for document images. Workflow is software that allows
for the preprogrammed routing of documents to the workstations
of the various workers. An example is when a worker needs
an item purchased. They fill out a purchase request form.
This form is sent to the supervisor for approval. It is then
sent to accounting for budget approval. From there, it goes
to purchasing where it is attached to a purchase order that
is sent to the warehouse for receiving. When it is received
the receiving documents are attached and it is sent to accounting.
It is finally paid and all the documents are attached to a
copy of the voucher check. In such a situation, workflow would
automatically route the document without the need of physically
moving paper. BIG saving. Some companies have reported clerical
savings of 70% because of the efficiencies and reduction of
mistakes.
Network Communications
Many document image systems operate on a
CFC Standalone basis. For example, when workers need to retrieve
archived documents, calls are placed to document image system
operators who retrieve the files, print a copy and deliver
them to requesting parties. On the other hand, it increasingly
makes sense for document image processing systems to connect
to LANs and corporate networks so managers, users and other
authorized parties can access them. This is especially true
where document image systems are used, not just to put files
into deep archives, but to move them through a processing
cycle, as with the workflow systems described above. It is
important for the buyer to make sure that all the filing structures,
cross references and filing systems are the same for the CFC
Standalone and the network version of the document image software,
if they plan to start with the CFC Standalone and later migrate
to the network.
What happens to
the paper?
When an organization first installs a document
image system normally they are afraid to destroy the scanned
paper. There is the fear that they will need it and worry
that the computer will lose the scanned image. Since good
systems have total backup, most fears are quickly relieved
about a computer's loss of images. Soon the employees become
comfortable in the retrieving of images and they no longer
fear the loss of paper…because with a click, they can
print it. Now, what about the pages that legally say you MUST
keep the original. Even though the courts and Congress are
eliminating more and more barriers of "legal requirements",
there are some remaining where the "original" must
be produced.
Let's see if a live example can show a solution
to the "original" requirement. An insurance company
gets signed applications with eight or so supporting pages.
They scan in the signed application and the supporting papers.
They separate the signed application from the rest of the
papers. The "rest of the papers" are destroyed at
the end of the day when the backups are completed. The signed
applications are then filed as a group by the date scanned.
The scanning software automatically saves the scan-date with
the image. If ever in the future (1 in 100,000) requires the
signed original they need only check for the date scanned,
go to that box and search through the stack for the paper.
As you can see it is much easier to file by date scanned than
putting into folders, particularly when the original very
rarely is required.
Intangibles
The best use of document image systems is
to automate one or more aspects of the processing of specific
sets of documents. Which documents these are may vary from
business to business and department to department. They can
be sales orders, purchasing, accounting, claims processing,
support, etc. Often, these documents, once filed, will rarely
be retrieved. However, when they are needed efficient retrieval
can greatly increase the efficiency of an operation. Whatever
the application the organization should move slowly into the
various aspects of imaging, letting the employees become comfortable
with this new medium. You will be surprised at the new ways
to benefit your origination your people will discover.
Graduation
Congratulations, you have completed Imaging
101. By now you should at least understand a little bit more
as to a document image system is. When PC's first appeared
people were heard to say, "You don't really believe there
will be a PC on every desk…besides there is just enough
room for the typewriter and you'll never replace that."
We believe that in not too many years people will look back
and try to remember what filing cabinets looked like. Or in
a museum see "IN and OUT" boxes. Think, less than
10 years ago only a very few knew what voicemail was. Less
than 5 years ago who would of thought of sending grandma an
email. Get your feet wet, come join the revolution…Scan
it!
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