FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Hosted Web-Based Document Imaging Technology Saves Berlex Time and Money
Fairfield, NJ (April 22, 2002) - Berlex, Inc., a
Member of the Schering AG, Germany Group (NYSE: SHR) selected Archive Systems, Inc.
(ASI) to provide instant Web-based access to its paper intensive Accounts Payable
documentation. ASI provides Web-based hosted imaging services powered by its DocuLogic
Technology, converting paper based payable and receivable information into electronic
images that Berlex employees can access via a web browser.
"We became corporate filing clerks," recalled Holly Marcello, the Accounts Payable Manager
for Berlex, Inc. headquartered in Montville, NJ. The steady flow of people needing access
to the A/P documents was daunting. The A/P staff was spending an inordinate amount of time
satisfying requests for documentation from the Finance Group, Accounting, State Tax
Auditors, and the Tax Department, not to mention all the other departments in search of
information pertaining to their own budget preparations. The process was paper-based and
labor intensive. A request for documentation was followed by a manual search, usually a
photocopy and then re-filing of the document. To compound the problem, all documents were
filed alphabetically by vendor per year, which required a part time employee dedicated
solely to filing.
The A/P department decided that imaging was going to be a vital part of
its work process. However, they did not want to be left purchasing and maintaining hardware
and software in order to accomplish their goals. There was concern that deploying an
imaging solution was going to require involvement from the IT staff, which was already
overburdened, and they knew that buying a conventional imaging solution would be expensive
and require regular and costly upgrades. Marcello adds, "We wanted an imaging solution that
would ensure that Berlex would remain on the cutting-edge of technology. We knew what we
needed was a hosted web-based solution."
Enter Archive Systems and its DocuLogic hosted imaging technology. By
imaging their A/P documentation, Berlex is able to do more with less. End users now have
the ability to perform their own research. Filing is batched by the day, eliminating the
need to sort alphabetically by vendor, which eliminated the need to carry extra help
dedicated to filing. Misfiling is now a thing of the past.
The thin-client DocuLogic technology eliminates the need for Berlex IT
staff involvement. There was no software to install, no disks to load and no internal
support required. All the computing is performed in the ASI Data Centers where Berlex
benefits from 24x7x365 access and support. All future improvements and upgrades to the
DocuLogic system are added at no additional cost to Berlex.
How it works:
All Berlex A/P information resides securely in the Archive Systems redundant storage area
network comprised of the latest EMC2 hardware and technology. Archive Systems is converting
weekly volumes of documents that are received in folders batched by posting date into
images in non-proprietary Tagged Image File Format (TIFF). The images are initially linked
to the mirrored database using the ten-digit SAP Document Number. Once scanned, additional
index and lookup fields are imported using a Berlex supplied data file. This file allows
end users to search the image repository by multiple fields such as Invoice Dates, Company
Codes, Posting Dates, Vendor Names, Numbers and more. All images are scanned, quality
controlled and available to Berlex users in as little as a 48-hour time period.
Utilizing the DocuLogic Technology, Berlex immediately extended access
their documentation to 50 users in multiple locations across the country. Through the
browser, designated Berlex System Administrators can control user access to the imaging
system, assigning passwords and access levels as well as adding and removing users as
needed. Quality control is maintained through a customized on-line reporting system
developed specifically to meet Berlex’s needs. Marcello concludes "Work that was completed
over a span of a few days is now completed in a few hours."
About Berlex, Inc.
Committed to developing novel diagnostics and therapeutics that address unmet medical
needs, Berlex, Inc., the U.S. affiliate of Schering AG, Germany (NYSE:SHR), researches,
develops, manufactures, and markets ethical pharmaceuticals in five strategic areas: Female
Healthcare, Diagnostic Imaging, Oncology, and Therapeutics for life-threatening and
disabling diseases. Berlex, Inc. has business operations in Montville and Wayne, New Jersey
and in Richmond, California. For more information about Berlex and its products, you may
visit their Web site at www.berlex.com.
About Archive Systems, Inc.
Archive Systems, Inc. flagship solution, ASPEN 360 Accounts Payable Edition, combines best practices AP Automation with ZeroTouch AP imaging and workflow. The product increases efficiencies and reduces costs with features such as straight through processing, which uses automated three-way matching to auto match invoices to PO and receipt line items without AP processor intervention. It includes the ASPEN 360 Invoice Virtualization Center, which removes from the client all tasks associated with document imaging, data capture, document classification, indexing, and OCR. The company also provides physical records management services such as business records storage, document shredding, and offsite data storage, through a number of Record Center locations. For more information, please visit www.archivesystems.com.
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