Top 10 Excuses to Remain in a Paper-Mess

For many of us, top ten lists have been a part of our late night routine.  We stayed up to watch David Letterman’s monologue because it was alway funny and entertaining.

I have found a top ten list developed by a non-profit organization, AIIM, that helps people find, control, and optimize their information.  It gives the top 10 excuses for not considering a document imaging system this year.

If you have been looking at implementing a document imaging system such as Laserfiche, you may be asking, will this technology help my business be more efficient?  How do I justify this expense at this time?  What is my return on investment (ROI)?

I think that AIIM’s short videos will help answer all of these questions and more:

Excuse 1:

Excuse 2:

Excuse 3:

Excuse 4:

Excuse 5:

Excuse 6:

Excuse 7:

Excuse 8:

Excuse 9:

Excuse 10:

If you would like more info on AIMM.org and the answer to these excuses click here.

I hope you find this helpful in considering if now is a good time to implement Laserfiche document imaging and management software.

Larry Phelps

Solbrekk

Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Draining the Paper Pool

Rice Creek Watershed District uses Laserfiche to stem the flow of paper
April 15th, 2009 by Danielle Leong

Rice Creek was among the first watershed districts to look into Laserfiche after hearing rave reviews from City of Shoreview‘s IS Manager, Dick Crumb. Crumb contacted Laserfiche reseller Larry Phelps from Solbrekk and suggested Phelps introduce Rice Creek’s staff to Laserfiche. (Check out a video of Crumb demonstrating Laserfiche to over 40 employees from 18 Minnesota cities here).

Now staff can’t imagine life without Laserfiche. “Just today, I had a call about a project in 1990,” says Thomas. “I was able to go into Laserfiche and find the engineer’s report for that project and use Laserfiche to e-mail the file directly to that person in 5 minutes.

“I can’t imagine how many hours would have gone into trying to find that same record if it were stored in files and boxes somewhere,” he adds.

To read complete article click here

Using Laserfiche Workflow Data To Eliminate Bottlenecks

RMS specializes in the contract manufacturing of complex, tight-tolerance medical device implants and surgical instruments related to: spine fracture, reconstructive orthopedics, cardiovascular components,  neurological stimulation components, drug delivery systems, and endoscopy devices.  The Minneapolis, Minnesota headquarters 154,000 square foot facilities focused on the manufacture of implants and endoscopy devices. The Memphis, Tennessee 21,000 square foot facility is dedicated solely to the manufacture of orthopedic instruments.  RMS manufacturing equipment includes over 300 highly-sophisticated CNC machines organized to utilize cellular workflow principles to achieve the lowest total cost. 

 RMS staff realized that it was getting more and more difficult to predict the order ship date as the number of orders grew to over one thousand a month.  They would have to continually notify customers of changes in ship dates.

RMS staff set out on a mission to determine the bottlenecks in their order entry/scheduling process and set goals to have firm order ship dates confirmed to the customer within 72 hours of receiving the order, reducing it from the average 7 weeks it was currently taking.

Vicky Benz, RMS’s CFO, said:  “When we had meeting to discuss what our bottlenecks were and how to improve our numbers, we had only people’s perception of what the problems were.  What they seemed to remember most were the jobs that had certain exceptions or issues.  We had a lot of data and reports to look at, but it was too much to even begin to analyze.”

“Luckily, we used Laserfiche Workflow to control every aspect of tracking and routing our jobs through our manufacturing process.  Laserfiche Workflow recorded every transaction in a SQL database.  We had three years of production data sitting in SQL that had all the detailed transactions; we just didn’t know to make sense out of the data.”

RMS hired Solbrack, a local Microsoft partner and Laserfiche VAR to assist with this project.  Chad Brinkman, Solbrekk’s SQL and Laserfiche expert, quickly realized that SQL 2005 Reporting Services was the tool  they needed to analyze the data and help determine the actual facts related to the manufacturing process.  Chad said, “ I used  the audit trail information stored in a couple of SQL tables in the LaserFiche SQL 2000 server, written a couple of stored procedures to compile the audit trails on the SQL 2000 server, calculated timing information, and stored them in SQL 2005 on another server .  Then I designed some SQL 2005 Reporting Services reports modeled after the business processes work flow RMS described for me based on the timing information r and rendered it to charts and graphs to help identify bottlenecks as the parts move from department to department.  Now, RMS has the ability to display a graph showing how each department, individual, part type, or job performed.“

 

When looking at the new reporting tool RMS has, Vicky Benz said,  “I am completely in awe of what Chad can do and what he can pull out of all  our raw data.”   We now have the tools to determine our bottlenecks. We can  make changes to our processes and track the results.  We now are able to work on achieving our goals and objectives.”

Larry Phelps

PS: – Free Document Imaging and Management Overview go to: www.larry-phelps.com

 

 

 

Now that’s a great question!

I was recently asked an interesting question “Is it unusual that we are using Laserfiche Workflow, because it seems that many organizations similar to ours are not?”  Here was my response to her:

“I would say that you are ahead of many organizations your size.  They are just starting to realize that they need to work on their business processes, automating as many as possible.  I am working with a few clients similar to you and they are in the most difficult phase:  the definition phase.  During this phase, we found that the processes that management put in place were not often what was happening on a day-to-day basis.  It is quite time-consuming to follow the process, document what is actually happening, and then define what the correct process should be.  You have already done.

“Many organizations have not taken the steps you have because; they think it is too time consuming to define the process, the software is too expensive, and their staff does not have time to learn something new.

“But the organizations that have implemented Laserfiche Workflow have found that saving time is just one of the benefits they received.  Other benefits are:

1.       Management now knows exactly what the business process (workflow) is and that it was being followed each and every time.

2.       Training of new employees is easier because they don’t have to learn the business process rules, they just need to complete their part of the process, and Laserfiche Workflow takes care of the rest.

3.       Management can be alerted when a certain process is not completed in a timely manner.

4.       It is much easier to find where a file is in the process, rather than physically searching the office to find who has the file.

5.       The organization is less dependent on key employees who know the business process.

6.       The workflow does not stop if an employee is on vacation or leaves the organization.

 

“So, you are on the right track using Laserfiche Workflow.  And, in the near future, many organizations similar to yours will be doing the same.”

Larry Phelps

PS for more articles like this to to:  www.larry-phelps.com

Scanning and Storing PDF’s can be a Dangerous Practice

I think scanning your paperwork and storing them as PDF’s on your server isn’t much better than just keeping the paper!  Now, many of you who have read other articles I have written or who have talked to me, know that I am totally sold on document imaging technology.  So, why am I saying that scanning isn’t a whole lot better?  Because the reason we store documents, either paper or digitally, is so that we can find them when we need them.

Can’t find the file:

If you are scanning and storing PDF’s on a drive, it often becomes difficult to find the document you want.  You have to know the name of the document you need.  This is not evident at first when you begin scanning, because you have only a few documents.  But, as time goes on, you have many documents, and not knowing the exact name, you may have to open each one at a time until you find the one you want.  This is not much different that rummaging through a four-drawer filing cabinet and it is just as time- consuming.

PDF’s can be a security risk:

I think using PDF’s as your archival format is not a good business decision because your PDF’s may contain dangerous code execution vulnerability or malware.  For example, a flaw in Adobe 8.1 could allow hackers to include dangerous code in PDF files to take control of Window XP computers.  For more details see:  http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=566  If you think this is an isolated case where PDF’s may be a risk, read this article:  http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=605&tag=nl.e622

Can’t open PDF file:

Not long ago, I tried to open a PDF that was an important contract a client sent me.  I got the following message on my computer monitor:  “There was an error opening this document. The file is damaged and could not be repaired.”  I did a Google search on “corrupt PDF” and found nearly 1,000,000 hits.  I found that there are programs to repair corrupt files and even companies that specialize in attempting to recover severely corrupted files.  Luckily, the client was able to find a copy of the PDF that was not corrupt; otherwise, the details of the contract could have been permanently lost.

Can’t secure the PDF files:

Storing your important documents on your network seems very easy.  You can even develop a good directory structure that makes storing and filing PDF’s a snap.  But, securing it is much more difficult.  How do you keep someone from renaming, moving, viewing (if they shouldn’t have access), or editing archived PDF documents? 

I recently met with an organization that had done a wonderful job scanning their important documents and storing them in a very organized manner on their network.  They had a new employee who was assigned the task of scanning.  Everything was going just fine until someone could not find an important document.  It was then that they noticed that many files had been inadvertently moved to the wrong directories.  They didn’t have a naming convention, index, or anything that could help them determine which files were in wrong directories.  They had a mess on their hands.

So, what is the answer?

I don’t know how many times I have been told “I don’t need a document imaging system, I store my documents on PDF’s on my network.”  Remember, the reason you are storing documents is to find them when you need them!  Document imaging systems allow you to find a document quickly without knowing the name or where it is stored.  With indexes and full-text search capability, in just seconds you have the document you need. 

Sincerely,

Larry Phelps

Solbrekk, Inc

Minneapolis, Minnesota

612-382-4069

 

PS:  Free Consultation:  If you would like to see how Laserfiche Document Imaging software would help you store your important documents, please contact me at 612-382-4069 or email me at larry.phelps@solbrekk.com

 

 

In this economy…

If your organization is anything like our company and I think it is.
You are experiencing the uncertainty of this economy like never
before.  You may be also feeling this competitive pressure from large
corporations that invest millions in marketing, small business that
is using technology in to make it more competitive than you, a
small independent that is working out of their home to keep their
overhead low, or a foreign company that has extremely inexpensive
labor force.

Would you be able to compete in today market if:
1.  The only way you had to create a letter was type it on an IBM
typewriter.
2.  Your accounting system was a paper base ledger system.
3.  The only way someone could leave you a message when they called
you was for someone to take a message and write on a pink message
pad.
4.  The only way you could send a quick follow-up note to a
customer was to send it by the US Postal Service.
5.  Your customer and prospect list was on index cards.
6.  The only way your office could get a hold of you was to call
your pager.
7.  When you are out of the office, the only way you could call
your office was to find a pay phone.
8.  Your products were designed using pencil and paper on a
drafting table.
9.  The only way a prospect could see your marketing literature was
for you to mail them a packet.
10.  If your customer called with a question, it would take several
days for you to find the information and get hold of the on the
phone.

You probably could not be in business today if you were using
business practices and technology that was ten to twenty years old.
BUT, I WOULD BET YOU LUNCH, THAT YOU ARE DOING JUST THAT IN AT
LEAST ONE AREA OF YOUR BUSINESS.

Contact me about my free lunch offer, I will show you how using Laserfiche can help you in this uncertainty of this economy.

Sincerely,

Larry Phelps
larry.phelps@solbrekk.com
612-382-4069

7 Flawed Assumptions:

I found these statements on another blog ₁ that I thought were very enlightening and very relevant to the topic of my blog.

 

1.     “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” ~Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

2.     “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” ~Ken Olson, president and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

3.     “This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. ~Western Union internal memo, 1876.

4.     “640K ought to be enough for anybody.” ~Bill Gates, 1981.

5.     “What would I do? I’d shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders.” ~Michael Dell on Apple, 1997.

6.     “Everything that can be invented has been invented.” ~Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

7.       “We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” ~Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962

 

When you read these statements, you may wonder how these experts could make such foolish statement.  It is easy to criticize these people, but we too must be mindful of our assumptions.

 

People have said to me, “Document imaging technology is too expensive for a company like mine.”  Or “I don’t need something like Laserfiche; I can just store PDF’s in a folder or attach them to my business application.”  I believe these assumptions are also flawed.

 

We recently installed Laserfiche for a client that had a system as described above and found that they had 25,000 orphaned documents that were not linked to any record in their business application.  Each of these document represented contracts and important documents that were “lost” prior to installing Laserfiche.  Our client thought they made a wise business decision, it was cheap and easy to attach PDF’s to their business application, but they now realize that their assumption was flawed.

 

 

Source:  http://www.copyblogger.com

Go Green!

We hear a lot these days about our environment and how we should be more “green.”  Normally, we think of recycling, emissions, and use of chemicals, but have you heard one of the new buzz-words, “Green IT?”  Here is the definition I found on Webopedia:  “Green IT:  also called green computing, Green IT describes the study and the using of computer resources in an efficient way. Green IT starts with manufacturers producing environmentally-friendly products and encouraging IT departments to consider more friendly options like virtualization, power management, and proper recycling habits.  The government has also recently proposed new compliance regulations which would work toward certifying data centers as green.  Some criteria include using low-emission building materials, recycling, using alternative energy technologies, and other green technologies.”

 

If you are concerned about the environment, there is a technology that is making huge strides to help the environment, but it is probably not something you would normally think of.  Here is a good article describing how Laserfiche document imaging is helping our environment.  See:  http://www.laserfiche.com/newsroom/pressrelease/2008/040208_trees_saved.html

 

If you have not implemented document imaging into your organization, maybe now is the time to “go green.”

My friends laughed at me when they heard I was being audited!

Several years ago, I got a letter that my business was going to be audited.  When I shared my news with several of my friends that we business owners also, they laugh and predicted that auditors would find all kinds of things that would cost me additional taxes and fines.  To say the least, I was worried even more after talking to them.

 

Well, when the day the audit was to begin, it was one on those days when you just knew nothing was going to go right.  It had snowed the night before, and then the wind had come up.  So, traffic was miserable.  And, the wind chill and traffic delays had put everyone in a bad mood, including the person who showed up at my office two hours late to start the audit.

 

She sat down and started by telling me for a company my size this would be a two or three day process and she would start out by looking at copies of our invoices for the past 3 years.   Well, when I told her that I got rid of all my paper invoices after I had scanned them into my Laserfiche document imaging system and that we would have to look them up on-line.  Now, that put her even in a worse mood.  She said in her twenty years of being an auditor for the state, she had never hear of such a foolish thing, everyone know you need to keep paper copies of all your important paperwork.   I assured her that I would assist her and that she had nothing to worry about.

 

I don’t think she was convinced.  So, we started the process, 1^st she asked for a list of AR and AP for a certain period and she watched and with in a few seconds I had searched Laserfiche and had the info on the screen but she was not satisfied because she didn’t have a piece of paper with the information on.  I hit the print button and quickly got the reports into her hands.  Then she demanded that I show her a certain item that was purchased and the proof that it was sold to a customer.  Well, for me it was a simple search and I had the information in seconds, she was amazed but not happy until she had piece of paper so I happily printed it for her.

 

Then I think it became a game, she asked me for the all kinds of things.  One in particular she picked a serial number of a computer we purchased and wanted to know who it was sold to, well, that was no problem for me I just did a quick full text search on the serial number and on my screen was all the documents related to that serial number, I was able to show not just the one document she was looking for, but every document with that serial number on, such as the packing slip, bill from vendor, work order to install, invoice billing the client, and even service orders that we had worked on that item.

 

After a few hours of this and the game was over.  She was convinced and said that in 20 years of auditing she had never experienced anything like this. 

 

Later, my friends hit me up hoping for a nice juicy story of how miserable the auditor had made my life.  They were shocked and maybe a little sadden when I told them that it was a really great experience and it over before I knew it.  Not long after that some of those friends became customers and now use the Laserfiche document imaging system I sold them and can’t wait for an auditor to show up at their door step, because they are prepared to play the game.

 

If this sounds like something you are interested in, just let me know I would be happy to give you a free demo of Laserfiche document imaging and document management software.

Larry Phelps

Solbrekk Inc

612-382-4069

larry.phelps@solbrekk.com