Making scanning and sharing documents easier
Sometimes it's impossible to completely eliminate paper forms. But you can help make sure those documents are easy to retrieve using capture-and-archive technology.
In summary:
| • | Paper forms are likely to remain part of many business environments for a long time to come. |
| • | Scanning documents can produce electronic clutter that's almost as bad as dealing with the original records. |
| • | Introgen Therapeutics found a solution combining Microsoft SharePoint with data-capture applications from eCopy. |
For manufacturing and product development organizations, keeping records and managing data are important but time-consuming jobs. Despite lofty plans for a "paperless office," in many companies shop floor or research data often starts out on paper and may need to be scanned and entered manually into computer systems.
Introgen Therapeutics, a 13-year-old biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of targeted molecular therapies, found itself in that situation. Detailed case report forms must be filed and maintained during clinical trials in order for new drugs to meet government regulations. Sean McNelis, associate vice president of operations, says that when he joined the company about two years ago, researchers relied on a manual scanning process and each employee was expected to properly file the resulting Adobe Acrobat PDFs using a system of files and folders. Not only was the system labor-intensive and cumbersome, involving the creation of lengthy file names, but access was difficult or impossible for people not on-site. In fact, says McNelis, there were some 10,000 records in regular use, and month-long scanning backlogs had become common.
Building on Microsoft SharePoint
According to McNelis, the documents needing to be scanned and recorded typically originated in a physician's office. They were categorized by data, investigator, patient number, and site, all of which was embedded in the file name. McNelis sat down with IT to try to come up with something better. The result was a two-part process.
"First and foremost we decided Microsoft SharePoint would be a good platform upon which to build," he explains. SharePoint could support people working remotely, and, just as important, it could help manage the large amount of information that had already been scanned and filed in Introgen's folder system.
The second part of the effort involved adopting document imaging solutions from eCopy, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner based in Nashua, New Hampshire. eCopy's expertise is in integrating paper-based information with existing business processes and applications. Introgen used eCopy Connector for SharePoint, document imaging software that mirrors the Microsoft SharePoint user experience at the capture device, making the scanning process intuitive and easy. eCopy's ScanStation, incorporating eCopy ShareScan software and a touch screen, keyboard, and PC, makes it simple and easy for users to capture document-specific data.
Microsoft SharePoint 2007 lets Introgen employees navigate through their available sites, libraries, and lists when storing scanned documents. eCopy also supports multiple content types and real-time integration for accurate indexing of scanned documents in Microsoft SharePoint, where they can be accessed immediately by authorized personnel.
Simplified search and compliance
Today, Introgen uses the ScanStation's touch screen to quickly scan documents into a SharePoint repository and index them by drug name, treating physician, and patient name. By ensuring that documents are maintained in the correct location within SharePoint, this process helps Introgen comply with rules from the Food and Drug Administration. When someone needs to find a document, instead of trying to decipher a long, coded file name, "they can simply search by a doctor or patient name," says McNelis.
Introgen isn't alone in seeking to modernize document handling. SharePoint increasingly is being deployed as a content management application by midsize companies. In fact, some of the enhanced content management features in SharePoint Server 2007 focus on document and records management. For instance, SharePoint Server 2007 provides out-of-the-box search capabilities for common enterprise repositories and file types. Furthermore, the enterprise search functionality is integrated with all the features of SharePoint Server 2007, and can work with other Microsoft Office 2007 system products to help users easily find, use, and share information and increase productivity.
eCopy Connector for Microsoft SharePoint presents a consistent interface across all eCopy-supported multifunction printers, and the software has been designed to work directly with the back-end system (SharePoint) without complex steps for integration.
"It is easy to scan and easy to use," explains application specialist Sheila Rangel. "The primary concern before, was how long it took to scan and then find documents. It used to be that you had to be very knowledgeable in order to be successful. Now, with SharePoint and the eCopy touchscreen interface, we have a simple online form that the investigator fills out, so the learning curve is not very steep."
Finally, she notes, the whole process was easy to install in that "SharePoint only required a little bit of programming and eCopy was very easy."
Now, armed with a smarter way to handle paper, Introgen can get back to its business—developing products and therapies that can help prolong and improve lives.
 | Alan R. Earls is a contributing writer for Momentum, the Microsoft Midsize Business Center newsletter. |
