MARKET RESEARCH | |
THE CHALLENGEIn an attempt to drive down costs and project turnaround times without jeopardising data capture quality, our customer embarked on an investigation into alternative data processing solutions. They wanted, as far as possible, to avoid a massive upfront outlay of capital whilst at the same time finding a solution that was scalable and resilient, with increased efficiency. Our customer conducts large volumes of paper-based customer surveys (questionnaires) on a weekly basis. These questionnaires would return from field, be back-checked and edited, then captured from paper and coded where relevant. Throughout this process the original paper questionnaires were being moved from in-tray to in-tray and would finally end up being archived for the required period of time at a further cost. Our customer wanted a solution that could address the following key challenges:
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THE SOLUTIONOutProsys first invested time in understanding the current work-flow processes and then designed, developed and implemented a bespoke document scanning and data capture from image solution using their experience, capabilities and leading edge technology with no upfront costs. The impact on efficiencies was dramatic. Our scan application, which is developed in Python (Qt) and runs on a Debian GNU/Linux operating system, was customized for the exact needs of scanning large volumes of questionnaires by project by week using the latest model production scanners from Fujitsu. In order to minimize the risk associated with couriering the questionnaires around the country, more than was currently the case, a document scanning environment was setup on-site at our customer's premises. The on-site scan application offers our customer a real time insight into the status of the scanning in terms of what projects have been scanned, how many pages were scanned per questionnaire, how many questionnaires were scanned per batch as well as confirmation of the time the scanned images successfully synchronised with our production facility in Cape Town. All image file uploads are managed via a secure encrypted connection (https). As soon as the scanned images have successfully synchronised with our production facility, they are first copied onto backup servers on-site and then copied off-site to our disaster recovery site. Whilst maintaining their original unique file names the images then go through an image enhancement before being pre-processed for capture. Utilising a combination of our leading edge recognition technologies, highly trained & experienced data capture operators, only images with responses are double captured by means of a unique method that provides dramatic gains in efficiency. Images with open-ended questionnaires are routed through to our coding department where coding is performed in a more streamlined and systematic manner than can be achieved by coding on paper questionnaires. This double capture process combined with matching processes, predefined business rules, code sheets, lookup tables and validation routines, ensures that our captured data is accurate, complete and valid. Within 6 to 72 hours, depending on our customer's project priorities, the validated electronic information is then post processed into our customers required format and uploaded via the secure encrypted connection to servers at their offices in Johannesburg ready for import into their Information Management System. Our online statistics via the document management Web Portal, provides 24 x 7 secure real time visibility to our customer of all their projects in the system including detailed statistics on receipts, returns and backlogs as well as user defined access to their electronic documents with full search, view and download capability. All coded data is also available alongside the relevant image of the open-ended questions for authorised staff to review. Our solution not only addressed the key challenges, but in most cases, surpassed expectation as demonstrated below:
As we become more familiar with our customer's business and gain further insight we are able to identify further areas that require improvement. We have recently designed, developed and hosted an online survey platform for our customer as a result of us continually striving to innovate and improve our services whilst always doing what is in the best long term interest of our customers. BACK |
In an attempt to drive down costs and project turnaround times without jeopardising data capture quality, our customer embarked on an investigation into alternative data processing solutions. They wanted, as far as possible, to avoid a massive upfront outlay of capital whilst at the same time finding a solution that was scalable and resilient, with increased efficiency. Our customer conducts large volumes of paper-based customer surveys (questionnaires) on a weekly basis. These questionnaires would return from field, be back-checked and edited, then captured from paper and coded where relevant. Throughout this process the original paper questionnaires were being moved from in-tray to in-tray and would finally end up being archived for the required period of time at a further cost.
Our customer wanted a solution that could address the following key challenges:
OutProsys first invested time in understanding the current work-flow processes and then designed, developed and implemented a bespoke document scanning and data capture from image solution using their experience, capabilities and leading edge technology with no upfront costs.
The impact on efficiencies was dramatic. Our scan application, which is developed in Python (Qt) and runs on a Debian GNU/Linux operating system, was customized for the exact needs of scanning large volumes of questionnaires by project by week using the latest model production scanners from Fujitsu.
In order to minimize the risk associated with couriering the questionnaires around the country, more than was currently the case, a document scanning environment was setup on-site at our customer's premises. The on-site scan application offers our customer a real time insight into the status of the scanning in terms of what projects have been scanned, how many pages were scanned per questionnaire, how many questionnaires were scanned per batch as well as confirmation of the time the scanned images successfully synchronised with our production facility in Cape Town. All image file uploads are managed via a secure encrypted connection (https).
As soon as the scanned images have successfully synchronised with our production facility, they are first copied onto backup servers on-site and then copied off-site to our disaster recovery site. Whilst maintaining their original unique file names the images then go through an image enhancement before being pre-processed for capture. Utilising a combination of our leading edge recognition technologies, highly trained & experienced data capture operators, only images with responses are double captured by means of a unique method that provides dramatic gains in efficiency. Images with open-ended questionnaires are routed through to our coding department where coding is performed in a more streamlined and systematic manner than can be achieved by coding on paper questionnaires. This double capture process combined with matching processes, predefined business rules, code sheets, lookup tables and validation routines, ensures that our captured data is accurate, complete and valid.
Within 6 to 72 hours, depending on our customer's project priorities, the validated electronic information is then post processed into our customers required format and uploaded via the secure encrypted connection to servers at their offices in Johannesburg ready for import into their Information Management System. Our online statistics via the document management Web Portal, provides 24 x 7 secure real time visibility to our customer of all their projects in the system including detailed statistics on receipts, returns and backlogs as well as user defined access to their electronic documents with full search, view and download capability. All coded data is also available alongside the relevant image of the open-ended questions for authorised staff to review.
Our solution not only addressed the key challenges, but in most cases, surpassed expectation as demonstrated below:
As we become more familiar with our customer's business and gain further insight we are able to identify further areas that require improvement. We have recently designed, developed and hosted an online survey platform for our customer as a result of us continually striving to innovate and improve our services whilst always doing what is in the best long term interest of our customers.
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