Training document data to behave

What if you could train your document data to behave? A new solution from Lexmark could help you manage key information during the pre- and post-scanning of hardcopy documents more efficiently than your current process.

Lexmark’s AccuRead Automate, a serverless application residing on a Lexmark Smart multifunction printer (MFP), helps ensure documents are routed properly and are easily available to those who need them.

“The AccuRead Automate solution trains the MFP to classify and preprocess hardcopy documents and extract data before they ever reach an ERP or accounting system,” said Rick Kallop, process improvement consultant for Lexmark. “For what this serverless solution can do, it’s a real game changer,” Kallop added.

The result is a simpler and easier serverless capture process, requiring little user training. Plus, it runs on your Lexmark MFP, saving the cost and management of an additional server, keeping all activity within your network and behind your firewall.

“Lexmark’s AccuRead Automate solution can be used in horizontal applications across multiple departments such as accounts payable and human resources,” said Doug Frazier, solutions business development manager for Lexmark. “This serverless solution is embedded on the Lexmark device, which helps automate processes and frees up valuable IT resources.”

Lexmark customer Dave Bell, executive director of the Greater Louisville YMCA, has been using the solution and is impressed with its functionality.

“This is one of the most amazing solutions we have implemented,” said Bell. “It will save us hours of time in the processing of our invoices.”

The application has several features to help speed processes and improve efficiencies, and can also be customized to fit a company’s specific data capture needs.

• Document classification: Identifies and automatically classifies the scanned images of documents loaded in the MFP’s automatic document feeder

• Data extraction: Locates and extracts up to four individual fields of data on a page and includes the data in an index file and/or the image file name

• Document routing: Sends images of documents to pre-defined network folders

• Notifications: Communicates job status, required actions or important messages on the MFP touch screen or via email

• Manual review: Lets user verify and edit extracted data at the MFP prior to routing

• Smart file names: Uses extracted data from a document with a time stamp to create dynamic file names and image indexing metadata

• Self-learning technology: Recognizes and automatically classifies new documents without requiring templates

• Searchable PDF creation: Uses AccuRead optical character recognition to make any scanned text-based document searchable

For more information about Lexmark’s AccuRead Automate, click here.

Going green: How Lexmark recycles your toner cartridges

Since 1991, Lexmark has offered its customers free and easy to use methods of recycling their empty toner cartridges through the Lexmark Cartridge Collection Program (LCCP). But what happens once Lexmark receives those cartridges?

To gather more intelligence about LCCP, and to find out what the program offers our customers and how it helps the environment, we talked to Rob Burkholder, program manager of supplies sustainability for Lexmark.

Lexmark: What is the Lexmark Cartridge Collection Program?  

Burkholder: At Lexmark we are dedicated to environmentally friendly business practices and since our inception, have been encouraging customers to do their part by sending us their used toner cartridges.

The LCCP program incents customers to recycle in several ways:

1. Lexmark provides free customer return methods for toner cartridges
2. Lexmark offers various incentive programs that make it easier to do the right thing
3. Lexmark reuses or recycles the components and parts of the toner cartridges, adhering to a zero landfill and incineration policy

With the help of our customers, the number of cartridges returned per year has increased more than 25 times since 1996, with more than 20 million pounds of material saved from landfills worldwide last year alone.

Lexmark: What are some of the goals of LCCP?

Burkholder: There are two specific supplies sustainability goals related to LCCP.

The first is to increase the amount of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic in newly produced parts to 25 percent by 2018. What does this mean? After first sorting through the materials returned via LCCP to recover components that can be reused, some of the remaining plastic is then separated and shredded into flakes. The flakes are then either re-compounded into pellets or used as is. This material is referred to as PCR plastic. The PCR plastic is then combined with new plastic material during the injection molding process to create new components for our toner cartridges.

What previously could have been considered waste contributes to the production of a new product. As more PCR plastic is used, less new material is required, resulting in positive benefits for the environment.

Our second goal is to increase the reuse of cartridge material, by weight, to 50 percent by 2018. For materials returned through the program, reuse has the greatest sustainability benefit for the environment.

In the last 10 years alone, Lexmark has been able to incorporate more than 40 million pounds of material (select components recovered through the LCCP) into the new production of toner cartridges across our line of monochrome printers. These cartridges are produced on the same production lines and are subject to the same rigorous quality tests as cartridges built with all new components. Recent research and development efforts have aided this goal by focusing on the creation of even more robust, durable cartridge designs in conjunction with more energy-efficient printers. The more durable product enables a greater percentage of designated toner cartridge components to be reused after recovery through the LCCP.

Lexmark: How long does the recycling process take?

Burkholder: It could take as little as one month for the transformation from used cartridge to a cartridge ready to print again – from customer replacement to return shipment to receiving, sorting, cleaning, production, testing, distribution, customer receipt, installation and finally printing.

Lexmark: Where in the world can you recycle a Lexmark toner cartridge?

Burkholder: Our collection programs are currently available in more than 60 countries, which represent approximately 90% of our global market. You can go to lexmark.com to find out how you can specifically recycle your toner cartridge in your country.

Lexmark’s Perceptive Software positioned in Leaders Quadrant of Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for enterprise search

Lexmark announced that Perceptive Software has been positioned by Gartner, Inc. in the Leaders Quadrant for enterprise search solutions, published July 16, 2014. Gartner evaluated 17 vendors in their most recent iteration of the annual Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Search.

“Enterprise search technology enables organizations to make their information, typically from multiple sources, searchable to authorized users in a single user interface,” said Scott Coons, President and CEO, Perceptive Software. “The value of information increases when it is immediately accessible, from any location, on any device and at the precise time it’s needed.”

Perceptive Enterprise Search makes locating key information simple, straightforward and quick. With enterprise search, users can rapidly access the information they need and then take action — completing a task, solving a problem or advancing a business process. And with faceted navigation, entity extraction, natural language support and other intuitive features, users don’t have to enter perfect queries to get the right results.

Perceptive enterprise search products offer class-leading content discovery and output technology that unlocks valuable content regardless of where it exists — enterprise systems, SharePoint, email systems, network shares, websites, databases, social media and any other source. Users also can analyze and explore the relationships between disparate pieces of information.

Perceptive Document Filters, a component of the Perceptive Search product group, is a single product that gives software developers the power of deep inspection, format conversion, output manipulation and viewing for virtually any type of document. It enables you to work directly with extracted content in memory and choose the output modes that fit the diverse needs of your applications—TXT, HTML5, structured XML, searchable PDF or image (JPG, PDF, PNG, BMP or TIFF).

To learn more about what makes Perceptive Software an ECM leader, download the Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Search, Whit Andrews, Hanns Koehler-Kruener, July 16, 2014.

My SignShop creates high quality retail signs, labels, tags and more

In many cases, retail businesses rely on a local print shop or corporate headquarters to print their in-store signage. Corporate offices print the signage based on the following week’s sales, then sort, package and send the signage through the mail in bulky, expensive-to-ship containers to franchise stores across the country. The signs are then unloaded, sorted and placed on merchandise throughout the store.

Often times, these signs arrive late, damaged or both, among a host of other issues. This method of distributing signage also leaves the retail manager unable to respond to local price actions, which is key in today’s retail marketplace.

Lexmark is solving the need of retail stores to print signage on demand and on site with the announcement of the Lexmark mySignShop application. MySignShop dynamically builds professional looking signs in a variety of sizes and styles incorporating the customer’s brand and source data from a repository of product details. Combined with Lexmark color single function or multifunction printing devices, this application provides quality high impact signs on demand and in-house.

“This SMB solution delivers the capability to take a unique solution into a new vertical market for our authorized dealers,” said Doug Frazier, manager of Solutions Engagement, North America Channel Business Development, Lexmark. “MySignShop gives dealers a targeted and proven platform to gain entry into the retail environment.”

Because mySignShop is a hosted solution, there’s no server to set up or software to install. You just need a computer with Internet access and a printer.

License, maintenance, setup and a selection of sign templates are included with your subscription. Select from predesigned layouts of branded sign templates in various types and sizes. You can retrieve product information and “point and click” to print signs on demand.

Lexmark adds four new A3/ledger-capable devices to portfolio

Lexmark announced the addition of four new A3/ledger-capable devices to our portfolio of smart MFPs and printers. The Lexmark MS911 monochrome laser printer and Lexmark MX910 series of monochrome laser MFPs replace the previous Lexmark W850 and X860 series, providing a new design and more competitive A3 offerings to complete our enterprise portfolio.

Among the enhancements:

•All of the devices have a tilting eTask touch screen – 4.3-inch on the printer and 10-inch screen on the MFPs – enabling easy access to Lexmark solutions.

•The series reduces downtime with quick time to first print (as fast as 5.2 seconds), “shake-free” toner for fewer user interventions, high capacity input of up to 6,650 sheets and long-life components that require fewer interventions.

•Optional finishing features such as multi-position stapling and hole punching as well as automated folding functionality with saddle stitch binding simplify professional presentation.

•The ability to centrally manage device settings, even from a remote location, provides added security.

"Cost and size advantages of A4/letter devices often make them the best fit in most enterprise environments; however, having A3/ledger devices that can print on 11-inch by 17-inch media can be crucial for certain business applications," said Marty Canning, Lexmark executive vice president and president, ISS. "For those instances, the Lexmark MS911 and MX910 series products are excellent choices, providing simple and consistent user experiences across the fleet with productivity-enhancing solutions that bridge the paper and digital worlds across the enterprise."
 

Four reasons to bank on optimized workflow

What should your company look for in an optimized workflow solution? Perceptive Software’s InContext Magazine examines the benefits and defines the results to aspire to.

Information may be power, but it can also be a complex mess. That’s why organizations across the world and in all types of industries identify better information management as one of their most important goals today.

For example, when asked to name their current top priorities, more than half of the U.S. firms in a recent survey chose the ability to effectively make content available to their staffs when and where they needed it. 

While many workflow solutions are now available, not all of them provide the optimization and comprehensive range of capabilities organizations require. How can decision makers be sure they’re getting the best solution for their needs? 

Read the rest of the article on InContext’s blog, to learn more on how optimized workflow solutions can help streamline your business.

Five steps to effective MPS assessments in large enterprises

Managed Print Services (MPS) allows for the operational management of enterprise output devices. What goals should IT professionals have on their bucket list when looking to complete an effective MPS assessment? Read the article from Perceptive Software‘s InContext Magazine on the five steps that are must have’s when your company looks to reach output nirvana.

This essential steps can help enterprise managers tailor an MPS solution to their needs, define key performance indicators to keep the strategy on track, and create a framework for continuous improvement that guarantees MPS will remain a valuable resource for years to come.

Step 1: Define Business Goals
Step 2: Understand the Current Print Environment
Step 3: Identify Opportunities for Improvement
Step 4: Manage Change
Step 5: Prepare for Continuous Improvement

Lexmark’s corporate social responsibility spans the globe

Lexmark continues to receive accolades for its commitment to corporate social responsibility. In Mexico, Lexmark recently received the 2014 Empresa Socialmente Responsible (ESR) award (“Socially Responsible Company” award) from the Mexican Center for Philanthropy.

Known in Mexico as the Centro Mexicano para la Filantropía (CEMEFI), the center is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1988, that aims to promote a culture of philanthropy and social responsibility in Mexico and strengthen the organized participation of Mexican society.

“Lexmark Mexico is dedicated to being a good corporate citizen,” said Mario Pedreros, general manager of Lexmark Mexico. “In producing Lexmark products, we have committed to respect, conserve and restore the ecological environments in which we live and work. This commitment to our employees, customers and sustainability initiatives has led us to be recognized along with some of the top companies in Mexico with the ESR award.”

Lexmark was judged on four main criteria:

* Quality life in the enterprise
* Business ethics
* Enterprise/Community commitments
* Environmental preservation

Within these criteria, companies were judged on several other measurements including environmental codes and guidelines, certifications, and third-party acknowledgements, among others.

 

 

Top 10 reasons why savvy enterprises need smart MFPs

Smart multifunction printers? What are they and how do they work? Are you using them in your office to maximize efficiencies and help reduce workflows in your enterprise environment? If not, you need to read the following article, featured inInContext Magazine's

The best multifunction products go beyond output efficiency to become key components for enhancing business processes and managing valuable enterprise information. It’s no secret that multifunction products (MFPs) deliver efficiency in a box. The compact devices combine printer, scanner, copier and fax machine functionality in single networked units to serve a variety of workgroup and departmental needs. When one MFP does the work formerly done by four discrete devices, enterprises shrink hardware footprints and the costs and management overhead that come with running multiple machines. 

SMFPs are becoming onramps to larger information ecosystems that enable enterprises to replace paper with electronic documents and optimize business processes throughout their organizations. 

What makes SMFPs so smart? Industry research points to 10 core characteristics:

1.  Integrated tools for productivity and business process efficiency
2. Support for structured and unstructured information 
3. Programmable interfaces to third-party solutions
4. Flexible touch screen displays
5. Easy upgrades
6. Centralized management
7. Flexible replenishment options
8. Information integrity
9. Information and network security
10. Support for a diverse workforce