Distributed Capture Checklist for Evaluating a Distributed Capture Solution

Today Distributed Capture has different definitions to different people in the industry. Banks, Merchants and Corporate Treasurers look at distributed capture as scanning checks remotely via a small desktop scanner and electronically sending the check image through an exchange network and onto their respective bank.

Others in the capture industry view Distributed Capture as scanning documents via an MFP remotely and distributing those images to the locations where documents once originated. Looking at the latter in the case TAWPI, Datacap Inc. and Canon USA conducted a Distributed Capture Survey to 328 individuals, of these 164 employed production scanning at remote distributed locations. Among the 328 respondents, 36% classified themselves as high volume users. Our study identified quite a few interesting findings looking at ROI, success factors, scanning applications, etc.

The study also created a Checklist for Evaluating A Distributed Capture Solution which according to those surveyed below were conditions to assure the success of a distributed capture solution which hopefully will help you in your quest in evaluating a solution for your operation.

The checklist below will not guarantee success but the more times you ca answer yes the more likely the solution will deliver satisfaction to you:

1. Browser Based Scanning? yes/no

2. Is the solution easily scalable? yes/no

3. Automated validations of data? yes/no

4. Easy to use edit screen for correction and rapid indexing? yes/no

5. Robust central administration? yes/no

6. Real-time monitoring of work in progress? yes/no

7. On-line scanning? yes/no

8. Encryption and other security features? yes/no

9. Does the "duty cycle" of scanning device match the document volume at each remote site? yes/no

10. Enabling of clearly defined business rules regarding scanning and indexing of documents? yes/no

11. Flexibility to easily adapt change? yes/no

12. Good customer references? yes/no

13. Implementation 3 - 6 months? yes/no

14. Reasonable implementation costs? (i.e. professional services cost less than 33% of software cost)? yes/no