Document Distribution; Save Time and Money, go digital
Document Distribution; Don't Let it Interfere With Your Plans…

By implementing a document management solution that supports Web access, the This particular DOT Department of Transportation saved $1.7 million in 2001 and slashed overtime costs.

Integrated Solutions, March 2003

They say everything is bigger in this state, and that may well include the stack of documents handled by its transportation department. In 2002, for example, the Department of Transportation (DOT) handled 1,400 highway construction and maintenance projects, in addition to projects for airports and other facilities. This particular division of DOT maintains the preliminary documentation for the bidding processes as well as an archive for final as-built plans. Prior to adopting a digital document management solution, this division’s Plans Printing operation was producing as many as 26 copies of each project plan, 15 for use by DOT offices and the remaining for 3,000 qualified bidders, 5 reproduction companies, and other concerned parties.

Between 1997 and 2001, spending on highway projects increased from $2 billion to $3 billion, and the labor and distribution costs associated with producing millions of documents each year were becoming prohibitive. The vast quantity of these documents was becoming difficult to store, and enlarging the facility wasn't an option, prompting a search for an EDMS (electronic document management system).

Oversee Phased Deployment In-House And Cut Costs Originally produced in an engineering design platform software, the project plans are scanned using an Oce 9800 series MFP (multifunction peripheral) to create an unalterable TIFF (tagged image file format) 4 image. The MFP provides high-speed, large-format scanning and printing required by engineering applications. The images are indexed, stored in a repository, and retrieved using This document management software

This document management software Premium is used in DOT's production environment on the LAN to create/maintain its databases. This document management software Web is used to publish the databases on both the Internet site and the intranet site. Plans for projects put out to bid are online for two months prior to the bid. They remain online for an additional three months as a reference for subcontractors and suppliers. This document management software supports searches based on key words, file types, the date a file was created, or other criteria.

this particular division uses a number of indexing methods, including Data Grabber module. this particular division runs a report on a mainframe system and downloads the report data from the mainframe to a PC. DataGrabber uses the downloaded information to index the folder profiles.

"We chose This document management software because of price and implementation ease," says this systems analyst for this particular division. "Because of budget and labor constraints, we had to phase in the project over several years. The software is competitively priced and offered enough functionality out of the box that we were able to oversee the project ourselves, so we didn't have to pay for a lot of expensive professional services." this particular division began using This document management software internally and creating CDs in 1999. The Internet site went live in August 2000, and statewide intranet access became available in June 2001.

Drive Down Distribution, Labor Costs With Web Access According to its own calculations, DOT saved $1.7 million in 2001 by replacing the manual distribution process with online access. That savings is in addition to a decrease in overtime costs. "Working at the last minute was affecting our ability to get good bids. Now contractors have more time to prepare their bids, and we are seeing better bids as a result," says this person. DOT was also able to cancel a plan room services contract with this company which was costing the department about $75,000 annually. Not a bad payoff for an investment of just under $100,000 in software over a three-year period and an annual maintenance contract for $18,000.

Another goal of DOT's document management system was to improve service to its constituents, and that initiative seems to be successful as well. The Web site receives approximately 400 hits per day, and DOT has been able to increase the number of authorized reproduction companies from 5 to 20. "Potential bidders can view or download the plans in the This document management software database application or go to an FTP [file transfer protocol] site to download a complete plan set," says this person. "If they want to purchase a PC and a printer, they can print or download at no charge instead of paying a reproduction company for plans for a project they might not even choose to bid on. This expands our responsiveness to the taxpayers, and if we can help contractors realize cost reductions, that is passed down to us in the bidding process. Some contractors were spending as much as $60,000 to $70,000 a year purchasing plans for DOT projects."

This document management software implementation has also allowed greater flexibility for employees in the field. "Self-reading CDs enabled us to move our archives from microfilm to CD media," comments this person. "When an agent takes that CD out in the field with a laptop, it provides the functionality of a database application in a stand-alone environment." The original document without editing that is outlined above will provided to you upon request. Original written by J M, this version edited by Kathy Land

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Document Imaging, Document Scanning, microfilm, microfiche, large format, drawings, maps aperture cards, roll film, 35mm 16mm, manuals, marketing literature, research, and R & D, Document Imaging... New York, New Jersey, PA, CT ...Scanning Onsite or mail them to SI!! HIPAA, DARM, OPRA, you have lots of filing cabinets, then going paperless is the answer...and have most of your documents on your computer!