Page 1 Copyright Jill M. Forrester This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non- commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.
Winning the Paper War: Tales from a Document Imaging Implementation Educause 2007 Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference Jill M. Forrester Director, Institutional Systems Dickinson College Library and Information Services
Page 3 Overview About Dickinson College About the Admissions Imaging Project Lessons Learned What’s Next Questions
Page 4 About Dickinson College 4-year, private liberal arts college in Carlisle, PA Admissions Staff 12 Counseling 9 Operational 1 Technical Support Over 5,000 applications received per year Recruitment Plus client since 2001
About the Admissions Imaging Project
Page 6 About the Project: Why the Admissions Office? The Great Paper Chase 80,000+ documents 5,000+ applicant files 25 staff members spread over 4 floors Impact Missing applicant files and filing delays Recruitment Plus missing items out of synch Counseling staff filing instead of reviewing applicant materials
Page 7 About the Project: Our Goals Provide more accurate and timely record of applicant’s submitted materials Provide electronic availability of applicant materials for both counseling and operational staff Provide better information security Utilize the availability of electronic application and supplement submissions through Common App Online
Page 8 About the Project: Our Timeline Vendor Selection (NolijWeb) Configuration of software and hardware Development of integration components System testing Staff training Process improvement meeting Development of bar code module Development of Common App Online integration System testing Staff training Process improvement meeting Refine Common App Online integration Staff training Nov 1, 2004 – Go Live for Fall 2005 Applications Oct 1, 2005 – Version 2 released for Fall 2006 Applications Aug 15, 2006 – Version 3 released for Fall 2007 Applications
Page 9 About the Project: Our Difficulties Underestimated time and effort required for scanning and indexing Scanning equipment Manual indexing Lack of quality control Staff adjustment to new processes All new workflow and process for operational staff Adjustment to reviewing electronic documents Trusting the system accuracy Off-campus access
Page 10 About the Project: Our Accomplishments Developed integration with Common App Online (CAO) Over 65% of applications and supplement forms are submitted through CAO Reduced paper consumption by approximately 40,000 pages Increased data entry and review efficiency Paper: 10+ minutes per application Electronic: <1 minute per application Result: All applications and supplements submitted through CAO are imported, indexed, and reviewed within 24 hours of submission.
Page 11 About the Project: Our Accomplishments Developed bar code based scanning and indexing application Automates image indexing Utilizes bar coded cover sheets for each document type and applicant Provides image quality control User must verify quality of scanned images before they are imported Result: Efficiency of indexing process as well as the quality and accuracy of scanned images has greatly increased.
Page 12 About the Project: Our Accomplishments Purchased better quality scanners Original equipment: Kodak i65 Slow throughput Poor reliability (pulled multiple pages) New equipment: Canon DR 9080C Greater throughput and reliability Result: Scanning quality has improved which has resulted in increased staff trust in system accuracy.
Lessons Learned
Page 14 Lessons Learned Understand the business process Involve the office staff Allow time for new processes to “sink-in” Provide feed-back sessions Have a back-up plan Provide just-in-time training
Page 15 Lessons Learned Keep an open relationship with your vendors Don’t underestimate the effort to properly scan Take advantage of electronic data and images Think creatively Celebrate your accomplishments as a team
Next Steps
Page 17 Next Steps Integrating additional electronic documents as they become available through Common App Online Continued implementation of NolijWeb in other administrative offices Registrar’s Office – Summer 2007 Financial Aid - TBD Human Resources – TBD Accounts Receivable - TBD
Questions Jill M. Forrester Director, Institutional Systems Dickinson College Library and Information Services