Kent County, Michigan
Imaging and Capture Cuts Costs and Improves Customer Service
Kent County, Michigan, is the fourth-largest population center in the state, with about 600,000 people and its county seat in Grand Rapids. Aside from having former President Gerald Ford as its native son, Kent County is similar to most U.S. counties in terms of government functions, goals and needs. About 2,000 government employees provide the growing county population diverse services, including law enforcement, justice, fire and safety, social services, public health and public works. A correctional center, three court systems, an airport, a park system and a zoo are among county-managed facilities. |
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The Challenge
Like all government entities, Kent County runs on documents – incoming and outgoing, in all sizes and shapes. Until recently, manual data entry and paper prevailed, and customer service was less than optimal.
In 2003, the county’s IT team developed a vision: to convert from manual, paper-based document processing to a county-wide enterprise content management (ECM) solution that would automate data capture and workflow. The County’s IT architects identified a “people issue” – internal resistance to change and new technology – as the top challenge.
The Solution
Working with DatabankIMX, a national imaging and information solutions provider and Datacap channel partner, the IT team devised a phased transformation to gain rapid internal acceptance of digital imaging.
The launch pad was the County’s Accounts Payable group in the Fiscal Services Department – a high-profile organization with paper-intensive processes likely to show immediate, significant benefits. Soon after AP was targeted, Purchasing was added to the mix .
Fiscal Services annually processes about 67,000 invoices, along with supporting documents, such as purchase orders, contracts, quotes and copies of checks. Manual, decentralized operations had led to excessive staff work, late fees, duplicate payments, errors, delays, and extensive physical storage.
In 2006, DatabankIMX installed Datacap Taskmaster for Invoices, integrated with a Hyland OnBase® ECM system, PeopleSoft accounting software and Fujitsu fi-5750c scanners.
By automating data entry of AP documents, scanning all Purchasing records and centralizing document processing to one scanning center, Kent County has seen dramatic improvements in process, cost reduction and customer service.The Result
According to the project team, the initial roll-out was aggressive, with a purpose – and paid off. The rapid success of the implementation fueled enthusiasm and helped them achieve overwhelming acceptance by County workers.
Furthermore, Kent County estimates the solution has enabled it to eliminate 4,200 hours of manual work a year. Projections by Kent County include $366,000 in annual savings and a 40 percent return on investment in less than three years. Reductions in staff, late fees, invoice duplication, storage space, and supplies have contributed to the bottom line.
The effects of faster, more efficient, more accurate document handling are impressive. The Purchasing Division has become 95 percent “paperless,” and the OnBase system has been set up to discourage printing of images unless absolutely necessary. Most importantly, the county’s AP department is more responsive to its vendors.
“We’ve seen a huge improvement in customer service,” says Steve Duarte, Deputy Director of Fiscal Services. “Most issues are resolved in two to three minutes – down from two to three days. People who call us can’t believe they are no longer put on hold.”
The outstanding outcomes earned Kent County the State of Michigan’s 2007 Best of Michigan Technology Award for “the best application serving a public organization’s business needs.”
With such striking results, automated imaging and capture are extending to additional county departments . The IT team points to excellent early benefits for the paper-intensive Court Services and the Sheriff’s departments . The county’s Human Resources and Health departments also are great prospects.