Paper Cut:
Document Delivery Boosts Office Efficiency
eCopy PaperWorks organizes information and allows content searches in documents
Converting paper records to electronic files with Nuance’s eCopy PaperWorks speeds delivery of documents and creates easier access to information, thereby increasing contractors’ productivity in the office and at jobsites.
“It’s a great piece of software,” says Rob Slaughter, information technology director at the general engineering contractor J.R. Filanc Construction Co. in Escondido, Calif., an AGC of California member that has used eCopy PaperWorks for more than a year. “It has cut out a huge amount of work, and it makes people more efficient.”
eCopy PaperWorks allows Filanc personnel to scan and digitize a paper document and save it as a PDF or TIF file. The information can then be merged with other files, presentations or e-mails.
Users can rearrange pages and add bookmarks or headers. The files are modifiable, allowing the user to mark up the page, sign the document and highlight or redact certain sections.
The resulting document is fully searchable, encryptable and can be integrated with existing construction management software systems used to operate the business. The user can fax or e-mail it. “In one product, I have a PDF reader and writer, an OCR (optical character recognition) reader and writer, and I can save a color document with high compression, so it doesn’t take up too much space,” Slaughter says. “eCopy will monitor a scanned folder for a user, so if someone scans something of interest to another employee, eCopy notifies them of the new scan.”
eCopy can connect with Microsoft SharePoint, Autonomy Interwoven iManage and other programs. Filanc stores its documents in SharePoint, with each department having its own SharePoint libraries.
More than half of Filanc’s employees work in the field, constructing, renovating and expanding water and wastewater treatment facilities. Project managers at any worksite can receive e-mails with links to scanned paperwork, including invoices, job plans and specifications.
They can check the documents, act on them using eCopy annotation tools and forward them to the appropriate department, improving workflow. The company no longer uses couriers to send and retrieve paper documents.
“Paper acts like shackles around the legs,” says Bill Brikiatis, Nuance marketing manager. It holds the business back because it cannot move as quickly or cost effectively. When all the documents are online, you can search for a document by a text string.”
Slaughter calls the ability to search content within a document “invaluable.” He also appreciates that he can complete scanning, modification and sending within one product.
“It has all of the things necessary for a digital office to be a reality,” Slaughter says.
eCopy PaperWorks creates a more energy-efficient business by eliminating the need for printing or courier services, and “paperless processes contribute to a greener planet,” Brikiatis says.
A single eCopy PaperWorks license retails for $179. It is compatible with Intel Pentium-based PCs running Microsoft Windows Vista Business and Enterprise editions, or Microsoft Windows XP or Windows 2003 with the latest service pack. It is not available for Macs.
Nuance Communications
1 Wayside Road
Burlington, MA 01803
781-565-5000
www.ecopy.com
