Imaging Office Systems

Beth Schrader Named LLS Fort Wayne's Woman of the Year

2013-04-29T11:02:00.000-04:00

Beth & her daughter Liv at the Gala

Each year, in communities across the country, dynamic and passionate candidates engage in a spirited 10-week fundraising competition to earn The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's 'Man & Woman of the Year' titles by raising funds for blood cancer research.

This year the Fort Wayne chapter's fundraising goal was $175,000 and the 6 candidates apparently thought that wasn't good enough going on to raise $287,100 breaking records and hopefully starting a tradition.

IOS's Beth Schrader was one of the 6 candidates. She raised $76,663, another Fort Wayne record, and was named Fort Wayne's Woman of the Year. It was an emotional and exhausting journey for Beth, a Leukemia survivor, and a chance to put more money in the hands of researchers on the path to a cure.

Although someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer every 4 minutes, there is great hope for the future. LLS is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to curing leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and to improving the quality of life of patients and their families. This is done through research, patient aid, education and advocacy with the funds raised by generous supporters.

As Beth said at the end of her speech at Friday night's gala "Cancer will eventually retreat… because it knows by now, as this evening shows, that we will never give up."

Are you a paper enabler?

2013-04-16T00:30:00.000-04:00

By Angela Childs

Our last post was about faxes being sent…in 2013.    Hang on...my pager just buzzed, except that it didn't...because it's not 1995. We've moved on.

I love this time that we’re living in. I’m addicted to my iPhone, iPad, MacBook. You name it, I want it. Why? Everything is at our fingertips. From researching new technologies to finding out if Amy Adams was really on an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.    It’s all right there.   I can access anything, anywhere, anytime.

The sales manager for our western region sent me a link to a video on a new scanner, the Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500. I was smitten instantly. Connect it to your office Wi-Fi and you can scan with an App on your phone.

Received the scanner last week and in minutes I had it connected to our Wi-Fi and had the App installed on my phone.

Launch App, scan packing slip, e-mail to purchasing, toss the paper.   Perfect.

This idea of capturing and routing paper immediately is something that we work with clients everyday to achieve.   When information is only on paper, it’s trapped. You can get to it unless you have that piece of paper in front of you. Crazy.

One of the ways our clients capture paper immediately is using a multi-function copier/scanner. With my new scanner I started thinking about those multi-function copiers.

Why are there still so many copiers? How long has everyone been saying they want to be paperless? Copier.   Paperless. Copier.   Paperless. You see why this is a problem, right?

A copier encourages the exact behavior you’re trying to discourage. I’m trying to figure out why I’d ever want to take a paper document and make a copy that’s also a paper document.   I’ve had clients want to take away printing rights to curb dependency on paper but there’s that copier beckoning – “Go on…what’s a few more paper documents going to hurt. No one has to know.”

Don’t fall for it. You can have that uncluttered desk and have everything with you all time on a little 1 lb. laptop. I do. If you’re ready, we can help.

Dear DocuSign, You won't believe this one...

2013-04-03T07:43:00.000-04:00

By Brian Kopack

It isn’t a story I normally pay attention to.

Player released – contract faxed too late. What?

Again, a professional football player was released by his team because he faxed his signed contract to the team offices too late. The player had trouble finding a Kinko’s in Miami where he could fax his contract.

Seriously.

A contract worth $20+ million was faxed from a Kinko’s. Read that again, slowly. It is 2013. People still send faxes? From Miami?

Am I surprised a professional football player doesn’t know that the technology exists for documents to be signed digitally and transmitted electronically? Nope. Am I surprised a professional sports agent doesn’t know about the same technology? Absolutely. Signed contracts are his business and besides, football players are really big people who get paid to collide with other people. It is in his best interest to know.

I don’t know that I can get to the agent to tell him about DocuSign. If I could, I would tell him how great the technology is. How safe and secure it makes doing business. That his business needs it – a lot.

Here is an open invitation to meet me in Miami.

Imaging Office Systems - We remove barriers to business (and faxes).

Stop me if you've heard this one before...

2013-03-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

By Brian Kopack

Recently, I attended a fundraiser at my high school honoring our former basketball coach. Coach R was 100% teacher. It seemed like he was always talking. He told a lot of jokes (most bad, but expertly delivered), so we had a hard time knowing when to take him seriously. Here’s a Coach R classic I heard hundreds of times:

Coach R: "Kopack, (insert random question)?"

Me: Most likely a brilliant answer.

Coach R: "Do you want to change your mind?"

Me: "No."

Coach R: "So you’re happy with the one you have?" (Hear rim-shot in the background)

He loved that joke. I hated it, every time.

The joke is poor, the message isn’t – you can be decisive if you are confident.

If you’re confident, you can concentrate on doing, excelling. When you understand the need for change and you commit to that change, you can concentrate on the doing, the improving.

Admitting an issue exists is the first step toward improvement. Indecision masks insecurity.

If an IOS consultant were to ask you, “Are you great at managing the power of your information?” Could you honestly say yes?

If not, we should talk.

Content management, document conversion, records storage. Individually or in any combination.
Imaging Office Systems – experts driving business process improvement.

We remove barriers to business.

A Champion of Hope

2013-02-13T05:00:00.000-05:00

By Angela Childs

IOS's Beth Schrader, pictured with her daughter Liv, has agreed to take on a tremendous challenge. She was asked to participate in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's annual Man & Woman of the Year campaign. For Fort Wayne, she is one of six connected community members that have accepted a challenge to raise thousands of dollars to support research and treatment for blood cancers. Candidates are asked to join this elite group by local Nominating Committee and LLS staff members.

For Beth, it's both an honor and deeply personal. She joined IOS in 1997 and in 1998 was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. At that time the options available to her were - have a bone marrow transplant or don't. Her daughter was not quite 2 years old and without the treatment, she would not have been able to be her mother for the last 14 years.

Today she's on a mission to raise $100,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Why that number? Because it matters. Because with that amount of money, more treatments like those which did not exist when she was sick can be found through R&D - and eventually, a cure.

More than one million North Americans are fighting blood cancers; the third leading cause of cancer deaths.
Leukemia still causes more deaths among children and young adults under 20 than any other cancer.
LLS is the largest non-profit contributor to blood cancer research, funding nearly 320 projects across the globe.
78.1% of all funding goes directly toward research to find a cure for blood-related and other cancers.

LLS, her efforts, and the help that we can give makes a difference:

40 years ago, a child’s chance of surviving leukemia was 3%; today 9 out of 10 live.
Hodgkin lymphoma patient survival rates have more than doubled to 88% since the 1960’s.
Survival rates for myeloma patients tripled in the past decade.

Every dollar counts. To find out more, visit Beth's site at www.beth4lls.com, and consider helping in our battle against cancer.

Confessions of a Salesaholic - Thinking Inside the Box?

2013-02-01T05:00:00.000-05:00

By Beth Schrader

Don’t put me in a box. I don’t look good all wrapped up in frill, nor will I enjoy being confined. But maybe you will…read on.

In a recent article by Steve Rolla of Pros Elite Group entitled BPO In a Box: Business Process Optimization (published in Image Source), it was identified that the new frontier in our industry is Services. No doubt about it. And within this brave yet familiar new world, the focus is three-fold: Document Management Solutions, Business Process Optimization, and Managed Network Services. Yes, we do all three and do all three well if I do say so myself – and I do.

In today’s world, it seemingly should be harder and harder to differentiate between “solutions.” At times, they all look and feel the same. So how do you decide? How do you pick the best solution? By first realizing the solution doesn’t matter until the process is identified. We reinvent ourselves every day, every time our cheese moves, every time a new year rolls around (at least for that first week). Our thoughts change, our goals change, our focus changes. So it should stand to reason that if this is the case within our personal lives, it ought to hold true within our professional lives as well.

When I change my hat from a salesperson to a consumer, here’s what I care about: how am I going to use something I’m about to purchase. What is my process for utilizing that which I am about to buy? Do I stop to think about how I’m going to use Greek Yogurt? Habitually, I eat it every morning so it deserves not much thought other than the expiration date. It is a consumable to me.

However, do I stop to think about how I’m going to use a new bathroom which is in the process of being renovated/updated? Absolutely. Not only does it cost way more than $1.29, but it will last much longer, be utilized over and over again, others will see it and need to use it in a meaningful way, and it will also have a direct impact on the future resale of my home.

Business Process Optimization in a box is the same idea. Your organization is either using or is about to be using a solution which will impact the bottom line now and for years to come. It is a decision which should not be made lightly or on price alone. It is a decision which should invoke deep introspection within your organization, much like when we make changes in our personal lives.

Should you care what multi-function device you purchase? Sure, a little. For the most part MFD’s are a commodity and serve one (multi is kind of a stretch if you think about it) purpose. But if you plan to ask us if they can be used as part of the bigger picture – part of the process – then that is a different conversation. We will undoubtedly still tell you a production scanner is a better way to go (and it is), but that is one example of the kinds of discussions which should be occurring every time you are in the process of thinking about implementing or changing an ECM Solution. No matter how small the purchasing decision may seem, it’s worth the conversation.

So what’s inside that box? A gift. It’s the gift of expertise from an organization that is a strategic partner, not just a commodity. We have the expertise to either know or learn very quickly the process surrounding the management of everything which keeps you in business. And your solution will reflect it.

What's Holding You Down?

2013-01-14T09:09:00.000-05:00

By Brian Kopack

Romantically, the turn of the calendar page from December to January signifies new beginnings. Every infomercial televangelist will have you believe you can re-chart the course of your human history in one sleep. Start over and lose all of your bad habits.

If you bought the miracle workout DVD, mattress, food processor, whatever, stop reading now. Best of luck to you.

Resolutions are everywhere – for businesses too.

More customers, better products, more profits. Overcome barriers – not enough: time, money, expertise. Same issues just different flavors.

The word resolve comes from the Latin “to untie”.

Resolve to be free yourself and your business to move forward.

The new year is about reassessment and re-commitment. Decide what you want to do and get to work. Action. More Nike (“Just Do It”) than Anthony Robbins (whatever he talks about).

No business can do everything, so the trick is recruiting experts to help.

Imaging Office Systems – we are the experts for business process improvement.

We remove barriers to business.

Tackle Your Regulatory Requirements Head-On

2013-01-07T15:59:00.000-05:00

By Angela Childs

The first step in ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements for your company is to understand all that apply to you. It can be a daunting task. Regulations can be confusing and burdensome, but they can’t be ignored. Non-compliance can be a costly mistake – both financially and legally – to your organization.

How can an Enterprise Content Management (ECM) System help keep you in compliance?

Retention Management
You determine what documents are retained and for how long. Retention periods can be as important as the documents themselves. Be sure you know what’s required and for what period of time. Put procedures in place for destroying documents at the appropriate times.

ECM systems with a retention management module can:

Enforce a structured retention policy for document destruction consistently across the enterprise
Proactively send alerts when documents are eligible for destruction
Minimize legal risks associated with accumulation of expired records
Document processes by creating an audit trail

Quick, Easy Access
Documents deemed critical can be identified as such, so that they can be archived for easy access during audits.

ECM systems allow users to:

Classify documents using multiple keywords making them accessible many different ways
Add tools like full-text indexing to pull together relevant content, i.e., all documents with a confidentiality clause
Quickly assemble related documents, i.e., checks, invoices, purchase orders, packing slips without manual matching and filing

Control and Oversight
With an ECM, you can add many layers of access security making the though of storing documents on a shared drive or in a filing cabinet terrifying. You can control document permissions all the way down to the individual keyword level.

You have the ability to track and control document revisions within an ECM along with a detailed history on who accessed, what, when. This provides an important audit trail for your organization.

Workflow
Standardizing your business processes is an important step in ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

With workflow as part of your ECM:

Optimize business processes by providing a framework of rules to efficiently route electronic documents and data
Promote accountability by providing detailed auditable history to monitor security and employee performance
Enforce consistent business practices, reducing process variance and associated risk
Proactively engage users with automatic e-mail notifications so they participate in workflow when needed
Provide automation with configurable timers and unattended document processing
Ensure documents are processed most efficiently by available users role-based calendars and load balancing

According to studies, about 3% of all paper documents get misfiled and 7.5% of all paper documents end up lost or missing. What happens if one of these lost or misfiled documents is needed for an audit? Storing these business critical documents in an ECM will eliminate this potential disaster.

Contact us for more information on compliance solutions. We’ll help you tackle your regulatory requirements head-on.

Six Simple Steps for a Successful ECM Program in 2013

2012-12-21T12:55:00.002-05:00

By Thomas Jenkins, Hyland Software

As we quickly approach the end of 2012, we will soon reflect on what we accomplished (or didn’t accomplish) in 2012. Perhaps our successes were on par with the Mars Rover Curiosity or winning six Olympic medals like Michael Phelps in the London Olympics. Or maybe things didn’t go quite as planned, much like Apple’s maps debut, Facebook’s IPO, or the Detroit Tigers performance in the World Series (sorry Tigers fans).

If you’re not holding your breath on December 21, 2012, you might look ahead and consider how to turn your ECM projects into an strategic ECM program in 2013. Our advice? Start simple with these six steps:

Re-evaluate old strategies. Organizational priorities and initiatives are always evolving year-over-year. You may have a project list 100 rows long that you’ve been working since 2011, but start by assessing how relevant that list really is. If you find that funding, project results and sponsorship are falling flat, perhaps you’re taking the wrong approach.
Think program, not projects. Maybe it’s best to stop thinking about content management in terms of projects and short term gains, but as a program. A program you can start in 2013. This begins with ensuring you’ve got commitment from people: a dedicated team, a combination of technical resources and/or business analysts, and sponsorship (maybe even a steering committee) at the top-level.
Find your tribe. Those people who share a grassroots or passionate interest in seeing the program’s success (kudos @ThisIsSethsBlog). Scott Webb, project manager for Hospice of the Western Reserve, said it best when he described their tribes’ mantra and their passion for the program, “People don’t want to do bad work.” His thoughts echo those of David Wilson, CEO, Mutual of Enumclaw, “Every team has individuals who are passionate about doing things better, and what we want to do is make them more powerful.”
Do your homework. A program is different than a project and if you want to get more done, you’ll need to invest more in your program (ergo projects). Start with asking questions across all layers of the organization. Define the current state of affairs. Detail what you’d like your solutions to look like in the future. Outline what it will take to get it done, including hardware, software, services, training, and resource requirements.
Chart out your roadmap and content management program with a pencil. Flexibility and evolution is key. Be prepared to make adjustments as needed and remain agile throughout the process.
Be patient.Long-term program success doesn’t happen with one hit wonders like PSY’s “Gangnam Style,” no matter how successful (and catchy) they might be in the short-term. That is of course, unless you can name one other song recorded by Los del Rio. Doesn’t ring a bell? Remember the “Macarena,” circa 1995.That’s what I thought. Continue to build upon your successes no matter how big or small certain projects are within your program. Give sponsorship and executive teams regular updates. Report on actuals versus budget. Put it in an internal newsletter or blog about it. Celebrate and carry on. The sustained wins will create true program success.

Regardless of what happens or trends in the remainder of 2012, remember there’s still a lot to accomplish in 2013. So let’s say goodbye to skinny jeans and Honey Boo-Boo, and get ready to start 2013 strong.

Unrecognized Heroes

2012-11-14T16:51:00.003-05:00

By Brian Kopack

Control.

Lately, control has seemingly been elusive. Superstorm Sandy brought chaos and continues to stress the Northeast. Election 2012, its run-up and its remnants brought different uncertainties and issues.

We spend a lot of energy trying to either stay “in” control or keep from getting “out” of control.

We equate control with success, with power.

In business, the same holds. And, of everything a business needs to control, information is the most critical. In information management, control denotes reliability.

Of all of the benefits of a comprehensive document conversion and records management program, control over information doesn’t grab the headlines. At the party, control is usually the “+ 1 guest” of efficiency, security and cost effectiveness. Businesses can’t put a value on control – only on not having it.

In business, heroes recognize the importance of controlling the controllable. Imaging Office Systems is expert at creating heroes – in information management.

Call us to find out how.

Achieve Straight-Through Processing to Increase Customer and Member Satisfaction with Electronic Signatures

2012-10-22T15:49:00.000-04:00

By Michelle Shapiro, Hyland Software

Consumers are becoming more and more tech-savvy. To win or keep their business, you need to offer the cutting-edge services they expect, like e-signatures.

When a co-signer for a loan is offsite, e-signatures offer a way to complete the transaction from wherever they are, as long as they have access to a computer. Using e-signatures also ensures that you take care of every initial and signature in one meeting, so customers and members don’t have to do things like make repeat trips to your credit union or bank to complete a single transaction.

Enable straight-through processing for increased speed and accuracy
Because they ensure authenticity, integrity and accuracy, e-signatures have been legal in the United States since 2000. When compliance requirements mandate a handwritten signature, you can capture and apply signatures electronically to documents and forms with a signature pad. It’s that simple.

While using e-signatures is a giant step in the right direction, to be the most effective, they need to be a seamless part of your processes. For example, with e-signatures and ECM capturing signatures and documents electronically, you practice straight-through processing, so your employees don’t have to manually print and scan copies into your line-of-business systems. In addition, employees won’t have to comb through documents to make sure they’re 100 percent accurate and complete, further improving productivity.

Using e-signature solutions that integrate with an ECM system also gives you the ability to sign documents and then store, access and manage them electronically. Once you’ve obtained a member or customer’s signature, documents don’t have to be printed, mailed or emailed. Instead, they immediately go into an electronic document workflow that automatically forwards them through processes, alerting key stakeholders along the way.

The increased speed and accuracy of your processes gives you a competitive advantage in the marketplace, as your staff is empowered to give answers like loan approvals to prospective customers or members quicker than competitors who rely on paper-based processes.

Use ECM to unleash the power of e-signatures
Although e-signatures are an important piece that helps you deliver exceptional service, to achieve maximum efficiency, you need ECM. Using ECM, you connect primary applications like your core banking system or LOS with your documents. Without ECM, you don’t have classification, structure or retention for your documents – all important elements that help your employees immediately find the information they’re looking for.

Combining the speed of e-signatures with the power of ECM:

Decreases your reliance on paper to save money, costs and time
Increases the speed and accuracy of your processes
Allows you to stop printing contracts just to obtain a physical signature

Using e-signatures and ECM, you also eliminate the risk of fraudulent document alteration and guarantee your signed documents remain protected and unaltered. And you efficiently track electronic acknowledgements of documents. That helps you proactively comply with evolving local, state and federal regulations. It also makes it easy to prepare for audits. With e-signatures and ECM, you shorten the revenue cycle and reduce the cost and risk of paper-driven processes.

Tips for choosing an e-signature vendor
Today, most ECM vendors don’t develop their own e-signature solutions; they partner with companies that specialize in that technology. So it’s key to choose an e-signature vendor and solution that will easily integrate with your current or planned ECM solution.

When choosing an e-signature vendor, it’s important to make sure you choose one that upgrades its product on a regular basis and gives you choices. For example, does the vendor offer both a premises-based solution as well as a cloud offering? Additionally, you want to make sure to find a reputable vendor with a proven track record. Talk to your peers, send out requests for proposals (RFPs) and ask questions until you find a provider that can deliver exactly what you need.

By using e-signatures with ECM, your increased speed and accuracy will make you an easy choice for all those tech-savvy people looking for innovative banking alternatives.

Contact us to learn more about ECM and e-signatures.

System Conversions - What to look for in a vendor

2012-10-01T00:30:00.000-04:00

by Angela Childs

With so many IT / imaging service providers out there, how do you select the right one when you have an imaging system you need converted? You need a partner who has the experience to handle everything, but what’s everything?

There are a lot of players in the content management space.   Literally thousands of different software packages used for storage and retrieval of content – images, COLD (green bar reports, statements, etc.), electronic documents, etc.   Everyone is unique.

The variety of products, versions, resellers, operating environments, etc. is what led Imaging Office Systems to develop a platform independent process. You need a partner that looks beyond the pretty wrapping to the underlying database and repository. Once you peel back the covers, the various imaging systems start to look the same.

You need to ask your prospective partner to describe first how they determine that they are qualified to handle the conversion.

There should always be an in depth system review before you are given a proposal or any pricing. Even two companies with the same software will have systems that are different and each must be treated as a unique system, just as no two companies are exactly the same.

Our first step with any project is analysis followed by design so we can provide a specific project plan with timeframes, any assumptions/constraints, and associated pricing.   IOS’s Professional Services Group won’t provide a scope document, or any pricing, for a system conversion prior to confirming that the project will be a success.

Always require a detailed scope of work document prior to purchase. This document should outline the structure of the system to be converted:

How are the documents stored in the software?
What is the underlying database?
How are the images and other electronic documents stored? Are they in a proprietary format? Are they on platters?
What are the index points?
Are there annotations and, if yes, how will they be handled?
What are the document and image counts?
How will the documents be mapped from the structure of the source system to the structure of the destination system?
What will your responsibilities be?

Ask to see a list of the systems that the vendor has converted. What are you looking for in this list? Because of the variety of products, versions, resellers, operating environments, etc., and the fact that even two systems with the same product may be vastly different, the vendor’s experience with your software is not as relevant as:

Review their conversions experience: You’re looking for a vendor with a breadth of experience.
Examine their process: They should have an outline of their due diligence review and not want to engage with you until they are certain they can do work.
Require a scope of work: They should give you detail about your current system, the new system, volumes, tasks for conversion, and anything they expect you to do to make the project as a success.

Finally, what do you do when one of your prospective vendors is internal IT?

All the same questions need to be asked whether it’s an internal service provider or an outside service provider. You have a project, the system conversion, that must be completed accurately and within a fixed timeframe.

You still need the project documented and you need to see a few sample images and their associated indexes. Simply ask your internal IT department to perform a test, and, if successful, provide a scope of work outlining their role, and yours, the tasks, and a timeline – when could they start, how many hours will be required, and when will the project end.

From this you will know the internal costs, timeframes, and resource availability within internal IT. And, finally, ask yourself about the competing internal projects the IT staff has on their plate. Where does your project fall? Often there isn't the luxury of time and a system must be converted before a support contract expires, or the hardware fails, or before auditors arrive.

Click here to learn more about IOS's conversion experience.

Beth Schrader Invited to Join Leadership Fort Wayne

2012-09-16T05:00:00.000-04:00

IOS congratulates Beth Schrader on being invited to join the 2013 class of Leadership Fort Wayne and for her on-going efforts to give back to her community.

Leadership Fort Wayne (LFW) was founded in 1983 by the Fort Wayne Corporate Council and Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne with seed funding provided by Lilly Endowment, Inc. The purpose was to ensure high quality leadership and active involvement of informed and dedicated citizens to meet the present and future challenges that face the Fort Wayne community. Since 1983, over 1,000 participants, reflecting a cross section of the community, have completed the programs and are now taking an active role as community trustees.

The mission of Leadership Fort Wayne is to train, prepare and inspire individuals to positively impact the community through meaningful engagement.

Outcome Goals

To instill an understanding of community trusteeship and a life-long commitment to community service.
To provide information about the community–its history, people, strengths, challenges and opportunities.
To develop 21st century leadership skills and capacities.
To provide opportunities to practice leadership skills and utilize knowledge gained.

E-Image Expands Imaging Office Systems ScanPro Territory in Illinois

2012-09-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

Effective August 11th 2012, E-Image has authorized Imaging Office Systems (IOS) to be the exclusive ScanPro dealership for the northern half of Illinois.

This expands the IOS ScanPro territory coverage to include all of Northern and Central Illinois’ fifty-one counties, going as far south as Springfield.

Additionally IOS will be the sole entity for E-Image in servicing existing clients in this same region.
IOS currently is the exclusive re-seller of ScanPro for all of Indiana, all of Kentucky as well as territory in both Kansas and Missouri.

E-Image is the manufacturer of the industry leading digital microfilm conversion equipment, the ScanPro 2000 and 800 and is revolutionizing the way microfilm is being used.

With the ScanPro 2000’s OCR technology microfilm can be converted to word searchable text, edited, linked to other information sources and saved to any output with just a single click. No other microfilm equipment offers this capability.

Want to learn more about the ScanPro, check out the content in the Scanners folder in our Resources area.

Jim Reed Tapped to Oversee Records Management

2012-08-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

Jim Reed, Director of Customer Service, has managed IOS's hardware and software support teams for many years. Under his guidance, the teams support multiple hardware and software products for our installations in 31 states as well as Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, the UK and Costa Rica. His experience handling customer needs with a robust product set with a distributed team covering a large territory make him a natural fit as IOS looked to offer the same level of responsiveness to our records management customers.

New installations and training projects were transitioned from Jim to IOS's Professional Services Group to free time for him to lend his expertise as IOS continues to grow the records management arm. He now oversees the facilities, records storage operations, on-demand web access site, certified destruction services, and the entire team from warehouse personnel, technical support, request fulfillment, and project management.

We're excited that Jim’s demonstrated talents in customer service, as well as his background in training and program development, will benefit records management like they have software and hardware support.

Aaron Sarber Obtains AP Certification

2012-07-23T09:02:00.000-04:00

Imaging Office Systems congratulates Aaron Sarber on passing the Accounts Payable Certification Program's Specialist examination “with Distinction”. The “with Distinction” designation goes to those who perform at an excellent level on the examination. The "with distinction" score has been set through a rigorous scoring methodology.

Aaron took the certification exam after attending training in June. The Accounts Payable Certification program is the largest and most successful AP certification program due to its high quality and rigorous standards. Over 5,000 AP professionals, accounting and finance staff, procurement specialists, and solution providers have participated in the program.

The training and exam covered:

Processing Functions
Controls-cash management/fraud
Technology
Tax & Regulatory
T&E
Customer Relations
P-cards
Other
Ethics and Professionalism
Management

Aaron is now an Accredited Payables Specialist.

"It's Hard Copy Box Storage on line 1. They're calling to apologize."

2012-07-02T05:00:00.000-04:00

By John Trimble

Box Storage companies until recently are like the guy who shows us at an AA intervention meeting with a cocktails cart and informs the assembled that there is a two drink minimum. They are enablers.

The mission of modern Records Management is to move at whatever speed possible away from paper…beyond paper. There is no issue with long term hard copy storage per se, it fulfills a very necessary function. The problem involves storage companies that have not moved past old world, 1950’s methods of fulfilling retrieval requests by merely schlepping boxes back and forth.

This is not green, this is not progressive or even modern nor even remotely efficient in either cost or time. In fact it is extremely slow and expensive.

But because this is where so many storage companies make their money this delivery method is preferred (hence the enabling and the owed apology) because they can nickel and dime their clients to death.

Old world storage companies (particularly those that mix metallurgy with glaciers) charge for the box pull, they charge for the physical delivery and subsequent return to the facility, they charge for the refiling of the box or file. They charge for the reporting of that box movement and they charge if you pull out that box early.
It is bad file management and it is a bad deal for the client. Financially benefiting from enabling the paper addiction is bringing cocktails to rehab - it’s also bad juju.

Progressive hard copy storage companies such as IOS tend to come from an imaging and scanning skill set background with those disciplines and protocols firmly in place. Our value proposition and R.O.I. is quite simple: store it and when you need it request it electronically and quickly receive back the scanned images you need. All secure, all SAAS 70 compliant and no boxes or files being shuffled back and forth, it sounds almost…modern.

And yes, someone should be apologizing to you, so take that call on line one.

Click here to learn more about hard copy records management with IOS.

Angela Childs Promoted to Vice President, Professional Services

2012-06-19T17:01:00.000-04:00

COLUMBIA CITY, Ind., June 15, 2012 -- Imaging Office Systems, Inc. (IOS) a leading provider of content management systems, scanning and data capture services, systems integration, and custom software development has promoted Angela Childs to Vice President of Professional Services.

Angela, a certified Project Manager, has been with IOS since 1999 serving the Company in various capacities, most recently as the Director, Professional Services. Angela has demonstrated exceptional performance through her service to IOS customers across a broad spectrum of industries. She brings a dynamic energy to her work, effectively solving problems that create value for her customers.

Her new role will allow her expand the breadth of services IOS offers to a wider range of customers.

Find out more about Professional Services at IOS.

Sometimes It's More Than A Document

2012-06-04T10:55:00.000-04:00

By Brian Kopack

Some people just can’t understand. Some think it’s creepy. Others find it offensive. I think cemeteries are a great place to run. In the winter, the roads are usually cleared of snow before the city streets and all of the old trees are good shelter from the wind. In the summer, you get shade from those same trees and there is usually water available. And year-round, it’s quiet – really quiet.

Except on holidays.

We observed Memorial Day last month. For one day at least, the local cemetery had a good deal of activity. Several aged men in full uniform converged for a memorial to all of the fallen service people. Flags, flowers and music were everywhere. I didn’t mind sharing the place for a little while, but I have to admit to feeling a bit like an intruder while I cruise the perimeter of the grounds just watching the goings-on.

Coincidentally, later that day I had an opportunity to talk with a member of the cemetery’s Board of Directors. He explained that the Board had decided to archive the cemetery’s records and he asked that Imaging Office Systems help. We talked briefly about the process to go from their index-card record keeping system to an electronic archive.

Converting documents isn’t new to Imaging Office Systems. Helping our customers be more efficient and secure, we handle millions of images per month, and have for years. Banking documents, government documents, quality documents, commercial documents – we have probably seen it all. This project wouldn’t be too out of the ordinary.

But it seems different somehow – probably because of what the records represent.

Those index-cards aren’t just records – names and dates. They are memories. They are history. Simultaneously - courageous, heroic and tragic. And even though they are about more than Imaging Office Systems will ever to be able to capture with a scanner and software, it’s exactly why the preservation is necessary.

Information Management - An Olympic-esque Effort

2012-05-24T08:51:00.000-04:00

By Brian Kopack

I love the Summer Olympics. Not the Ballroom Dancing / Rhythmic Gymnastics / professionals-turned-amateurs-for-two-weeks part of the Games - the pure competition in the individual, “as the Games were intended” sports – swimming, boxing and running. I am captivated by everything that goes into the effort it takes to prepare for that singular moment of competitive greatness.

What’s it take to be an Olympian? Attention to minor details, the willingness to change to improve and the courage to chase the extraordinary.

What’s it take to be “Olympic caliber” in information management? Exactly the same things.

Doing the little things to be successful every day, every month, every year isn’t sexy. It’s just necessary. Regulatory requirements are everywhere and ever-expanding. So how do you streamline compliance? With a customized, records management program you can store your records, hard copy or electronic, securely, access them quickly and allow technology to monitor retention.

Paper to microfilm to digital images. Mainframes to personal computers to tablets and the Cloud. Information management isn’t like fashion where what’s old eventually becomes “new” again. Holding on to “the old way” doesn’t make you better. It makes you irrelevant. New, best practices in data capture, retrieval and dissemination allow you the flexibility to evolve without sacrificing your company’s character and values.

Optical character recognition, business process outsourcing and workflow customization – all business elevating ideas. Sound complicated? Maybe. Excellence doesn’t just happen. Technology exists, so does the ability to harness its power to move your company forward. Successful athletes / businesses have to decide if they are more afraid of success or failure.

The future belongs to the bold.

Be extraordinary.

Let Imaging Office Systems help.

Crushing on DocuSign

2012-05-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

By Angela Childs

For the past 6 months or so, I’ve used DocuSign to sign everything – scope documents, partner agreements, contracts, etc. I find it ridiculously convenient.

When you boil it down, my job is basically finding the most efficient way to do things. I learn how a department at a client is doing X and how it could be better. I had a client recently describe me as a “business therapist” which I have to say I loved. When I dive into one of these projects it’s to find the thing or things that will make a real difference to that client and business therapy is exactly how I’d want them to think of it.

Back to DocuSign…

The work we do for clients is all over the map. It all depends on what they need and that can be really different from one client to the next. For Crate & Barrel, we helped them automate their freight bill auditing so they could catch errors before they paid instead of continuing to pay their freight bill auditing company to tell them what they overpaid (for a fee) and send them a refund. For Cook, they wanted us to design a global approval system. They wanted workflow that handled requisition creation/approval, receiving functions, and invoice entry and approval that would work throughout the US and Europe. The resulting product allows for variations in currency, allows them to tick and off which fields are required from country to country, and set approval levels with the system automatically doing currency conversions to determine approvers.

These projects, like most that we do, start with a client vision and then our job is to flesh them out and make them a reality.

WHAT ABOUT DOCUSIGN? I really was going somewhere with all this. I want to find a client with a vision that needs DocuSign. I’ll keep looking. It’s going to make someone really happy someday I just need to find the right fit at the right time.

Have some ideas? I need to hear them. Click my name on our Meet the People page and send me an email.

Let's Talk About The 'Enterprise' in ECM

2012-05-01T05:00:00.000-04:00

By Thomas Jenkins, Hyland Software

We say it every day: “Enterprise Content Management” or “ECM.” We hear folks throw out words like “enterprise” records management strategy, “enterprise” document management, and “enterprise” capture or delivery models.

But despite all the “enterprise” jargon out there, organizations often find themselves taking a less than enterprise approach. That is, they immediately start off on an initiative of strategy limited to one office, department or division. They make the argument, “We need to increase productivity and see these efficiencies yesterday.”

So we put a solution in place and let it be. But in the long run, the organization or a project management office fails to convey the results to the larger enterprise because they’ve got little invested interest from others outside of their office, department or division – or at the enterprise level.

What happens next? Someone in another office, department or division fails to get their face-time with the project, results aren’t communicated, value isn’t seen, and then they go out and seek an alternative solution or strategy to hopefully realize the same enhancements and see such efficiencies. IT is left supporting multiple applications and different platforms. We hire people to manage individual solutions. We custom code. We pay for maintenance, upgrades and support on several systems. We bring on a business analyst to find out why we’re doing all this. Systems fail, products are sunset. And we’ve now got complex and over-engineered processes and tools cluttering up our day-to-day transactions.

Whoa!? What happened to our enterprise approach?

And in terms of ECM deployments, now you’ve got multiple ECM systems. And if you haven’t seen it before, now you’ve got multiple lines of business processing and capturing similar documentation in totally different methods. Some users are capturing and classifying directly via Microsoft Outlook. Others are dragging and dropping all over the place. Some are using SharePoint. Remote users still prefer to save documents to their local or shared network drives. And some users are even printing and scanning images back into the ECM system.

If we’re going to talk about streamlining operations and improving efficiencies; tying business and technology together end-to-end; and improving an organization’s ability to collaborate more effectively – those are bigger concepts than just one or two office, departments or divisions can solve. They require participation and a vested interest by all parties. You need to understand the overarching and individual goals across the “enterprise.” Not just wherever the hot button is right now, because with as quickly as markets and strategies can shift, so can enterprise priorities.

So start by taking a more pragmatic, “yes,” “enterprise” approach. Believe it or not, you can always make a new investment in the latest and greatest product or service. However, if you buy into a system or strategy without taking a comprehensive 360 view of how (or if) your users will adopt it, use it, and/or react to it – the benefits and your hard or soft investment in terms of cost and time – may never be realized.

Follow an approach that engages either the entire organization or a select population. Engage more than just local technical experts. Bring in business and subject matter experts, executive or senior leadership, and the frontline employees. Understand what each office, department or division is working on today and what they need to deliver tomorrow. What’s prohibiting them from doing so? What are their challenges? Their goals? And what does long-term program success look like?

So the next time you say “Enterprise Content Management,” or “ECM,” think to yourself are you really talking about Enterprise Content Management? And what can you do to ensure you and your organization are getting the most out of your investment? My answer: think about your approach. Define a strategy and a path for who, what and where to engage. And then you’ll realize the real benefits of what Enterprise Content Management and OnBase can be.

Brian Kopack Named as IOS's New President

2012-04-19T05:00:00.000-04:00

Gary Gushard, owner and president of Imaging Office Systems, announced that Brian Kopack would step into the role of president. In his announcement to the company, Gary assured the employees that he would still be very involved, that the move was to position the company for growth and allow him to focus on special projects. Gary said that “Change, the right change, can be extremely productive.”

Brian joined IOS in 2005 as Controller and has been very impactful, in that position, and throughout the company. Through different projects, including the adoption of IOS’s quality system, he learned in great detail the functions of every department at IOS. Brian’s strategic vision and leadership has been clear since he joined the company, and that coupled with his very analytical approach makes him ideally suited to take on and succeed in this new role which took effect April 9th, 2012.

Before making the decision, Gary consulted with IOS’s senior management, Bob Barkley and John Trimble, and they were equally as enthusiastic about the proposed change.

Click here to check out the IOS team

Imaging Office Systems, Inc.
Deriving 100% of its revenue from content management, IOS has installed over 600 imaging systems in the Midwest. In addition to its records storage and destruction services, it provides document management solutions from its partners Hyland, PSIGen, Canon, FileBound, and Fujitsu, plus IOS has an in-house Professional Services Group that performs system integrations and conversion, workflow and custom programming. With its multiple facilities IOS is also one of the largest document conversion service bureaus in the United States converting more than 5 million pages a month.

IOS's Angela Childs Obtains BPM Certification from AIIM

2012-04-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

Imaging Office Systems congratulates Angela Childs on obtaining AIIM’S Business Process Management Specialist certification. The BPM Specialist program covers best practices to implement BPM, such as project planning, defining business requirements, and developing the business case and implementation plan including change management.

Covered within the 11 courses are the following concepts and technologies:

Streamlining and re-engineering
Requirements gathering and analysis
Application integration
Process design and modeling
Monitoring and process analysis
Managing change

AIIM is the Association for Information and Image Management and is a global, non-profit organization that provides independent research, education, and certification programs to information professionals. The Business Process Management (BPM) Certificate Program is designed from global best practices
among our 50,000 members and the course objectives and content is defined and reviewed by AIIM Education Advisory Groups in the US and Europe.

IOS's Lisa Johnson Obtains Quality Engineer Certificates

2012-04-02T07:00:00.000-04:00

Imaging Office Systems congratulates Lisa Johnson on obtaining two Quality Engineer Certificates – medical device and non-automotive. The certificate programs were offered through Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne and had seven areas of study:

Understanding ISO 13485:2003 and 9001:2008 - Addressed the intent of the requirements with concentration on customer satisfaction, practical application and case studies.
Internal Auditing for the Medical Device Industry - Participants learned to facilitate the continual improvement of the quality management system through an effective internal audit process.
Failure Mode & Effects - Participants learned how FMEAs and control plans work together to address potential failure modes and to focus on high-risk areas.
Statistical Process Control - Topics included control charting for attributes and variables, histograms, scatter diagrams, and interpretation of various charts.
Measurement System Analysis - This program introduced participants to measuring and gauging systems with the concepts of bias, repeatability, reproducibility, stability, and linearity.
Mistake Proofing – This course examined defect prevention techniques, explored zero-defect measures, covered various mistake-proofing techniques, and how to deploy practical mistake-proofing measures.
Effective Problem Solving - The course emphasized the process of root cause analysis and 8-D or team-oriented problem solving.

IOS’s quality system governs all aspects of our scanning processes, custodianship, client acceptance, and documentation of change. This training and subsequent certifications are part of the continuous improvement efforts and we thank Lisa for her hard work and congratulate her on her achievement.