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By Tom Beasley
At this time of year, we’re reminded of all the things we’re thankful for – and for business executives reflecting on the things they’re thankful for, continued success, hardworking employees and vendors, and loyal customers top the list.
This issue of The AccuView focuses on “going green” through ECM technologies and solutions. Going green has obvious benefits to the sustainability of our planet, including saving paper and energy, but going green can also help you show your thankfulness and appreciation for ...
- employees – give them tools for productivity!
- customers – service their needs faster!
- vendors – make timely payments!
A key tenet of going green with enterprise content management technologies is that the sooner you convert paper documents into digital ones, the greater the savings; and if you can avoid paper entirely, that’s the way to go. There are a variety of components to the ECM suite that can get you there. They’re spotlighted in this issue of The AccuView. And remember, you don’t have to go green simply for the sake of going green. There are many bottom-line benefits to your business that can be achieved through green ECM ... and that’s certainly something to be thankful for!
Interested in learning more? Please call us at 615.242.7226. In the meantime, allow me to thank you for being a valued subscriber to The AccuView!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tom Beasley
tom.beasley@accuimagellc.com
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This Month’s Topic: Green ECM
The True Cost of Paper
Businesses’ dependence on and use of paper is extremely high. But many businesses are attempting to minimize the use and reliance on paper for two reasons: the effect on the environment and the shear costs associated with handling paper documents. This article analyzes the true cost of paper – the cost of handling, storing and finding paper to the business and the cost of businesses’ paper reliance on the environment.
Green. Schmeen!
“Who cares if the average document is photocopied 19 times? Not my problem. I’ve got more important things to worry about!” Have you said this (or thought it)? If so, you’re certainly not alone. This is a common excuse for not going green through enterprise content management solutions. This article seeks to debunk the typical roadblock excuse and outlines the top six reasons businesses should go green with ECM solutions.
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Maintenance on Existing Products
When we design, develop and deploy business process management solutions for our customers, we help to ensure the longevity of the system and its components by supporting and maintaining the hardware and software. We offer all of our customers a variety of service and support options.
But did you know that we can maintain your systems even if you didn’t purchase the hardware or software from us? We support a variety of products from all the leading vendors, including ...
- AnyDoc
- ApplicationXtender
- FileBound
- Kofax Capture
- LiquidOffice
- Open Text (RightFax)
- And More!
Our software support services include on-call assistance, upgrades, training and much more. Not getting the service you deserve from your current provider? AccuImage can support you today!
We are committed to providing the very best customer service and technical support available to all of our customers, regardless of where you purchased your technology. We welcome the opportunity to provide you with a competitive quote, based on your specific needs. Please call 615.242.7226 or e-mail ps@accuimagellc.com.
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Product Introduction – Cabinet NG
In this issue of The AccuView, we’ve strayed from our typical introduction of an AccuImage employee to introduce a new product instead. We’re really excited about Cabinet NG and all the benefits it can provide to AccuImage customers who want to automate, accelerate and advance their documents, content and processes – without breaking the bank.
AccuImage is pleased to introduce a document management suite from Cabinet NG that transforms the way documents are filed, stored and retrieved. Cabinet NG creates a business environment where document management is part of your work process, not a filing afterthought. You get all of the truly valuable features of document management at an exceptional price.
Electronic file management enables companies to manage large volumes of documents, track and enforce privacy, and automate workflow to improve business process efficiency. Electronic filing cabinets form the core of Cabinet NG’s shared access filing environment, from which documents can be accessed, managed and shared.
Key Features and Benefits
- File Management organizes files and data in a way that works with your established business practices, processes and rules.
- Document Imaging is included. Capture and route scanned paperwork, faxes and more. Take the paperwork out of the cost equation!
- E-Forms remove paperwork from your organization and bring significant cost savings. With Cabinet NG, users can fill, route and approve all of the forms necessary to complete business-critical tasks.
- Format Independence is transparent and compatible with your existing programs and document types. CAD files, spreadsheets, word processing files and e-mail all work within the Cabinet NG environment.
- Workflow Management is the key to improving accountability and productivity. And with Cabinet NG, workflow is included!
- Security safeguards the integrity of data and documents by assigning access rights at the cabinet, folder and file level, and tracking usage in log form.
- Retention Policies ensure compliance with contracts and government mandates.
- Tracking improves process management and visibility, and ensures accountability.
- Integration between existing business applications and Cabinet NG is seamless.
Want to learn more about Cabinet NG and the benefits it can bring to your organization? Please call 615.242.7226 to speak with a sales specialist.
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The ECM Toolkit for Going Green
A fully integrated ECM architecture provides businesses with a solid foundation to reap the benefits associated with electronic document and records management. Specific components of a comprehensive ECM suite that provides the tools required for green deployment include:
Enterprise Content Management
ECM improves a business’ ability to manage, find and share information. ECM allows all relevant employees and departments to share and access information from numerous repositories. Further, it federates critical information to provide a single source for content – providing employees with visibility and access to all available information, thereby allowing for more accurate and timely information management. By scanning paper documents and managing information in electronic form, paper can be recycled more quickly and the total use of paper is greatly reduced.
Business Process Management
BPM creates, manages and enforces a unified process management infrastructure that connects employees and decision-makers to one another and to applications. BPM controls the flow of work throughout an organization by streamlining, automating and optimizing processes. These refinements create the opportunity to save work-hours and free staff to focus on higher-value tasks. Beyond its individual benefits, BPM works hand-in-hand with ECM solutions to activate content throughout the enterprise – making documents and content immediately available. Ultimately, BPM eliminates the need for the use, production and handling of physical documentation.
Records Management
Records management is critical for information management and mitigating risk associated with the potential for lost or misplaced information. A robust RM capability is a key component of any ECM suite. RM ensures compliance with regulatory, legislative and organizational policies by easily capturing, archiving and retrieving designated records. RM not only allows businesses to meet records retention requirements, but also provides a means to quickly respond to inquiries. To be truly effective, an RM solution should enforce RM policies at the technology layer, eliminating user-related error by removing the burden of records declaration from the individual. By letting the system manage creation, storage, usage and destruction of records, businesses can reduce risk, lower operational costs and improve productivity. Electronic records management also minimizes the reliance upon long-term storage facilities, which benefits the environment through reduced electricity and fossil fuels.
E-mail Management
Businesses increasingly rely on e-mail as the communications tool of choice for rapid information sharing. However, workers still print e-mail. Without effective management, e-mail can quickly become a liability or security issue. The e-mail management component of an ECM suite automatically indexes and archives e-mail and attachments to a repository – removing any need for the end user to allocate time and energy to e-mail filing, and therefore, reducing the chance of error along with reducing the end user workload. An EM system should automate the process of capturing e-mail messages as official records, simplify the retrieval of messages and effectively solve e-mail storage issues. At the same time, it should offer significant opportunities for improving business processes and access to information.
Forms Management
Electronic forms should replace physical forms and do so in a way that end users are comfortable to ensure they do not print e-forms, thereby reducing the use of paper. Forms management technologies reduce an organization’s paperwork burden by facilitating the design and deployment of electronic forms. E-forms speed operations by transforming cumbersome paperwork into fully interactive documents. E-forms let users view any form, anytime, at any given point in a process. In addition, e-forms support digital signatures and tracking for audit trails to meet compliance requirements. A robust FM solution must provide data validation that ensures that users fill out forms with the proper data, in the proper format. In addition, lookups must minimize errors by reducing the amount of data that must be entered manually.
AccuImage can help you determine the ECM technologies and solutions that are best for your business and support your goals of going green. Call AccuImage at 615.242.7226 for a consultation.
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Products that Support Green ECM
AccuImage offers a variety of products that can support your Green ECM initiatives, including ...
EMC Documentum ApplicationXtender
ApplicationXtender electronically stores, organizes and manages virtually any kind of business content. ApplicationXtender is easy to implement, integrate and manage, providing instant, role-based access to content from either a desktop interface or web browser. As a result, you gain better decision-making, improved service levels and increased productivity, while reducing the amount of physical paper documents used throughout your enterprise.
AnyDoc Advanced Capture
Automate document and data capture and classification with advanced capture products from AnyDoc. AnyDoc’s suite of products eliminates the need to manually enter the valuable data off the millions of paper documents – forms, invoices, remittances and more – received daily at organizations worldwide. AnyDoc solutions include scanning, forms processing, automated recognition, and document classification software.
Autonomy Cardiff LiquidOffice
LiquidOffice redefines business process management in the enterprise by accelerating cycles, ensuring compliance, and connecting people with information and processes, regardless of location. Plus, its integration of Autonomy’s market-leading enterprise search makes LiquidOffice the first and only business process management and workflow-enhancing solution that enables real-time access to, and use of, time-sensitive content throughout the process lifecycle.
Open Text Fax Server, RightFax Edition
Open Text Fax Server automates both inbound and outbound faxing and integrates with your existing systems to provide powerful electronic document delivery capabilities that reach beyond traditional faxing. It enables organizations to distribute nearly any document from any application, using a central server integrated in the company network. Users can send and receive documents directly from any desktop application. And it works with virtually any back-office application to automate the delivery of business-critical documents.
For more information about these and other Green ECM products, call AccuImage at 615.242.7226.
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Green Computer Tips
1. Like anything else, only buy what you need. You can be excessive about computers, just like a house or car. Bigger monitors, special add-ons and better-than-average processors create energy drains that someone who uses a computer infrequently shouldn’t have.
2. Turn it off! Leaving your computer on all night or weekend is a total waste of energy. Keep this in mind particularly during the holidays, when you’re going to be away from the office for extended periods of time.
3. In case you forget to turn off your computer, make sure you have all the power saving options, in your control panel, set correctly.
4. Recycle your computer items. Tossing them in the trash is terribly sinful – it does not break down in your local landfill.
5. Don’t forget to recycle all that packaging from the computer and all related equipment, too!
6. Buy used or recycled computer equipment like discs, paper, printers, etc., whenever possible.
7. Research! Buy a computer with a good track record. You want your computer to last.
8. Get a laptop. Laptops generally use less energy, up to 50 percent less in some cases.
9. Avoid recklessly using the printer! Reduce the amount of paper you use at home and work by considering the environment before you print.
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What We’ve Seen and Heard
Content management is dovetailing off the green IT push in corporations everywhere, giving new life to the notion of going paperless. And with an expanded eye on social responsibility programs, vendors and businesses alike are emphasizing how digital content enables their green strategies.
- George Dearing, Information Management Blog
Did you know that one ream (500 sheets) of copy paper uses six percent of a tree?
ECM solutions can have a drastic reduction in the use and the costs associated with paper documents, thereby supporting a more “green” business.
Don’t trash it ... recycle it! Electronic waste is the world’s fastest-growing waste stream. Americans throw out about 130,000 computers every day and over 100 million cell phones annually.
Windows 7 became available on October 22nd. Please contact us to inquire about compatibility and support with your existing hardware and software.
AccuImage End of Support Schedule
www.accuimagellc.com/eos.html
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