Source: Direction Magazine, September 2003 issue:

Compusource Corporation, La Palma Calif., recently announced their new Imaging Document Management System (DMS), an enhanced imaging system that is fully integrated with their VanS accounting, operations, and move management software system for the moving and storage industry.

The DMS module provides the user with access to a paperless shipment file that can be accessed by multiple users simultaneously. The resulting business benefits include no more misplaced shipment files, multiple employees can access files at the same time, and enhanced customer service, the company said.

In addition, the user can transmit these documents as email attachments eliminating the need to copy and then manually fax them.

As a result of installing this new Compusource offering, Chip and Rick Dircks at Dircks Moving Services, Inc., an Allied Van Lines agent in Phoenix, reported, “the office of the future has now arrived.� By installing DMS, the Dircks have now removed all shipment folder related file cabinets from their office. They are now paperless!

The byproduct of installing this new and exciting technology from Compusource is enhanced efficiency throughout their office, the company said. Now all documents related to a move are scanned and then indexed to the order reference number on the VanS main shipment entry screen.

Chip Dircks said, “Anyone who has access to the order entry screen can immediately display from their desk, any scanned document relating to a move. Once the document is viewed on the screen, it can then be emailed as an attachment, faxed, or printed directly from that user’s computer. This product has dramatically increased our efficiency and allows us to eliminate hours of unproductive work.�

He also was quoted as saying. “While we have always wanted to have our computer system reduce the amount of paper in the office, the DMS offering has now made this a reality. It truly leverages today’s technology to meet our business needs.�

From an investment standpoint, the requirements are a scanner, a server for the imaged documents, and the VanS Document Management System. The normal return on investment for this capability ranges from a couple of months to a year. Rick Dircks added, “The DMS product has proven to be easy to learn, taking little training resources.�

Among the many capabilities of DMS is the flexibility to index documents using several fields, including national accounts, Compusource said. Using this flexibility, the Dircks said they can now easily, from their desk, access bills of lading from any national account for any period of time.

Rick Dircks observed, “This allows us to easily respond to our national account inquiries on a timely and inexpensive basis.�

He also said, “I am excited to know that this imaging capability extends through most every master file in the VanS system. This includes accounts payable (vendor file), payroll (employee file), accounts receivable (customer file), driver file, etc. This has given us the ability to truly operate now in a paperless environment.�

Ron Shea, senior vice president of Compusource, said, “In the next release of DMS, we plan to enhance the document types that can be attached to an order. This will include Word documents, Excel documents, PDF documents, etc. This will give our customers even greater flexibility and more time savings.�

Marilee Garbison of Dircks noted, “As one of our sales managers, it is wonderful for me to be able to pull up paperwork through VanS and our new Imaging system. When we have a customer on hold and don’t have to stir a step to pull a file, we know that imaging is well worth it.

“We are able to avoid excessive hold time, calls back to the customer, archiving, etc., thus providing better and quicker service to our customers by resolving problems immediately with the paperwork on the screen in front of us.�