CaseStudy

From Document Manager Magazine Vol 19 No 05 - September/October

TechTrek, a global document management services company, has installed Kodak Capture Pro Network Edition software to standardise image capture throughout the business and put in place a common platform to underpin operations…

As supplied by Kodak partner, Scansation, TechTrek selected server-based Capture Pro Network Edition Software as it required a high quality, feature-rich, cost effective imaging solution - with no click charges - which would support scanning equipment from multiple hardware vendors and allow centralised control and easy management. TechTrek offers data hosting, conversion, migration and capture services for enterprise customers, and is the European arm of docHarbor, the largest multi-tenanted document repository in the world which hosts around 25 billion images. The company employs 250 staff and has revenues of $20 million with the majority of work involving processing commercial paperwork such as invoices, credit notes, pay slips and proof of delivery notices.

With secure private cloud, 'Software as a Service' solutions available to its customers, TechTrek scans 2 to 3 million images per month in Europe and needed a software solution which was scalable and flexible enough to cope with the peaks and troughs of demand. Rob Allen, TechTrek's head of professional services & operations, explains, "Scanning is a lumpy batch business. Capture Pro licenses are sold on a concurrent user basis which is fundamentally important to us. It means we can 'load balance' between sites moving them around on a daily basis. So, if we get a big job in France we can use all the licenses there, and then shift them throughout the day or a night to Italy or the UK to cater for other projects."

The installation of Kodak Capture Pro Network Edition software means that TechTrek has standardised on one solution for the business moving away from using various capture products from different vendors - some of which are out-of-date in terms of features - to minimise maintenance, support and training costs, and therefore realise economies of scale. The adoption of a common platform for the company is key as the business expects to expand in the next two years through acquisition.

Allen says, "Scalability is a key driver. We needed software which could be run on a multi-location basis and cater for the fast integration of different size businesses irrespective of whether they are small or production level bureaus. The Network Edition version of Capture Pro is ideal to do this."

Support for scanners from various manufacturers was also important to TechTrek as it operates a mixed environment and has equipment from, not only Kodak, but Canon, Fujitsu and Böwe Bell + Howell. Allen says. "There's tight integration with them all and the software actually drives all the scanners very quickly, such that operators have commented that old machines have been given a new lease of life."

Features such as rescanning during a batch have been particularly helpful to TechTrek so that issues can be addressed immediately, with the company estimating - even using its existing scanner fleet - a 20% increase in productivity and throughput.

Intuitive to use, Kodak Capture Pro Network Edition has been easy to set up and has even surprised TechTrek staff who say its OCR features are better than competitive products it has used in the past. The software runs on a server in TechTrek's UK data centre with all staff accessing it through a web browser. A service and support contract purchased means the latest software version is always available, with technical support provided by specialists at Kodak. Sid Sutherland, Scansation's managing director, says, "Given it is server-based, Capture Pro Network Edition's centralised management is a big plus for TechTrek and was why it was presented as a solution to them. It means administrators can fix the settings for specific jobs so that local operators can't fiddle with them and affect quality."

Quality is vital as TechTrek's service level agreements are typically set to ensure 99.95% accuracy in terms of what is delivered to clients, defined as the number of images viewed with the right metadata and which meet customers' specific requirements. Rob Allen concludes, "The nature of our business is such that at an operator level, there's regular staff churn. With the new Capture Pro solution, quality levels are now up compared to the situation before with Kodak very much playing a key part in enabling us to meet our tight quality targets."

Colin Labrum, Kodak's Northern Cluster software sales manager, says, "With immediate performance benefits and rapid ROI, Capture Pro is the perfect fit for all scanning operations. Along with industry leading productivity comes support for more than 160 scanners from all the main manufacturers, direct output to over 40 back end systems along with ability to customise and create new ones. This makes a compelling business case for BPO and service bureau organisations where the flexibility to meet their customer needs is paramount. With centralised batch reporting, administration and setup the new Capture Pro Network Edition makes delivery, deployment, operation and compliance a breeze."

More Info: www.kodak.com/go/pro

CaseStudy