Data Capture Finds New Flexibility

by Doug Henschen

To paraphrase Mark Twain, the predictions of paper's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Just ask the executives at Wisconsin Physician Services (WPS) or Prodata. WPS, a Madison, WI-based insurance company, processes as many as 40,000 claims per day, while Prodata builds marketing databases from thousands of customer registration forms and marketing surveys.

Both companies have invested in FormWare 4.0, a data capture system from Captiva Software, San Diego, to deal with the paper onslaught.

WPS was using FormWare to automate data capture with its standard recognition (OCR, ICR, barcode, etc.), edit, and data export modules. The company is now upgrading to the optional database-driven workflow module available in version 4.0.

WPS carries a line of health insurance, but also processes claims for TriCare, the government's health care program for military personnel, as well as for Medicaid programs in four Midwestern states. Prompt turnaround is stipulated by contract and insurance regulation, so WPS needed performance advantages.

The Database Module allows batches to be broken down to into eight levels of hierarchy, which offers a more granular, flexible approach to everything from routing and tracking to querying and reporting.

"When we have a batch of 100 claims, it's hard to break that up for specialized processing," says WPS imaging manager, Robert Schultz. "With the Database Module, a single document image can be routed to an expert in, say, provider coding. Now we can do [the coding] on the front end in a single process without having to train every operator. This means less processing time and faster payment of claims."

Built on SQL, the new module also affords faster and easier reporting with industry-standard database tools. A separate statistical database delivers in-depth reports on scanning, recognition and data completion throughput. Specific in-progress work items can be tracked easily. You can search for specific documents using keywords and determine exactly where they are in production.

The Database module allows direct access to 10 user-definable fields in the main SQL database in order to initiate event or data-driven workflows. A mutual fund company, for example, could use this feature to quickly grab the key data needed to execute a deposit or fund purchase without having to wait for all data to be completed and sent to a back-end database. Similarly, tax agencies could initiate deposits and refunds before completing an entire return.

Industry-standard databases such as SQL have only recently been improved enough to support the rigors of data and image transaction processing, according to Captiva. The vendor says the Database Module has been tested to sustain production processing in excess of 400,000 pages per day.

Prodata has also implemented the Database Module, but it is also using FormWare 4.0's distributed scanning and data completion features. The technology has united the company's headquarters in Karlsruhe, Germany, with a satellite office in Leipzig, in the former East Germany.

"We use distributed validation and completion because of the differences in eastern and western Germany," says company CEO Wolfram Eberitzsch, adding that data entry is 20 percent less expensive in Leipzig. "We're talking about [entering] 15,000 addresses per day, mostly from customer response cards and marketing game entries. That will grow to 25,000 later this year."

Distributed operation is supported through the FormWare Internet Server, which relies on HTTP and XML-formatted procedure calls to request and return data. The server can run on IIS or Apache operating over the Internet, intranets or virtual private networks. SSL and proprietary encryption can be used for security.

While Prodata is distributing to a single remote office, it can also send work to multiple offices or home workers. Users check out batches containing images or image zones, recognition results, up-to-date processing rules and client-side edits needed for data completion. (DSL-speed connections are recommended as a minimum.)

Only the data entered or revised is checked back in, saving bandwidth and download time. Images and data cached on the local client are automatically deleted for security and ease of remote operation.

The FormWare Internet Server also supports remote batch scanning and data collection through Web-based and electronic forms. Remote scanning is performed using a conventional Windows-based FormWare client. A transfer utility ensures that batches are successfully received at the server, and transfers can be scheduled to take place during off hours.

FormWare's Internet Forms module converts the templates you've designed for paper-based forms into Web-based forms presented in DHTML. Upgrades in 4.0 improve support for variations among browsers, but this system is intended for simple forms. It lacks form versioning, routing and support for electronic signatures. To support mobile workers, you can combine FormWare's Filler client with electronic forms and later synchronize data collected remotely through the Internet Server.

FormWare's new workflow and distributed processing capabilities are not unique. Action Point, San Jose, CA, pioneered flexible workflows and distributed capture with its InputAccel product. More direct competitors, such as Top Image Systems, Carlsbad, CA, and Readsoft, San Diego, CA, also now have distributed offerings, and the latter is using SQL for workflow in its Eyes & Hands data capture software.

Nonetheless, Captiva has vast experience with high-volume deployments including big-league health care providers, state tax agencies and financial services. FormWare 4.0's upgrades are aimed squarely at these high-level users. Processing flexibility, advanced tracking and reporting, and potential labor cost savings have a lot of appeal in large-scale deployments.