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Sarbanes Oxley : Technology : Document Management
Westbrook Technologies: Document Management Case Study
By
Tara Lallo
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Tara Lallo
Corporate Communications Manager
Westbrook Technologies
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By 2006, public companies that do not adopt compliance management architecture will spend 50 percent more annually to achieve Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, according to Gartner, Inc.
Gartner analysts said that enterprises with good security and business continuity planning, a document management system and a business process management system already have the foundation for compliance architecture.
One company whose compliancy goals were achieved as a result of implementing a document management system for other initiatives is global footwear maker Saucony, Inc. Saucony needed to replace their outdated microfilm system as service was no longer available. Thanks to Westbrook Technologies? Fortis document management software solution, the staff at Saucony now sprints through processes that used to take weeks and a marathon's worth of effort.
Since implementing Fortis in December 2003, Saucony is experiencing a surge in customer service by gaining access to invoices and other records within 15 seconds since replacing their microfilm system, which included a three-week development process from start to finish. With Fortis eliminating microfilm licenses, processing fees and the need for pre-printed invoices, Saucony?s enjoying a savings of over $20,000 per year.
The invoicing process quickly streamlined by Fortis included phasing out the lengthy microfilm processing system that kept scanned images of the invoices out of the hands of Saucony staff for about two weeks. Over 900 pre-printed, three-part invoices - which cost the company about $4,400 a year to produce - were scanned weekly by staff after being separated by a bursting machine. Each batched film, holding 3,000 images, was then mailed to the processor. Two weeks later, the film was mailed back and archivist Mary Ellen Clark spent another week visually inspecting all 3,000 images before placing the tapes in storage.
Now, the A/S 400 sends the scanned images to Planet Watch, which uses the header information to automatically index invoice images and convert them to a PDF format. From there, the images are input automatically into the Fortis database and are available on staff members? desktops. They can then view, print, e-mail and fax the invoice through their fax server. Invoices are now created by combining data with electronic Planet Press forms stored on their Canon MFP scanners. Invoices are printed on plain, white paper for mailing replacing the costly pre-printed forms.
?This wasn?t the only lengthy process. Retrieving a copy of an invoice also took time,? says Clark. When a retrieval request for an invoice was received, a staff member would head across the building to the microfiche storage area, retrieve the tape, place it in the reader, print a copy, send it to the requestor then return the tape to the storage area.
Clark also credits Fortis as a tool in aiding Saucony in complying with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which requires larger publicly-owned U.S. companies to establish, maintain and audit a system of internal controls across the organization. This includes financial controls but encompasses the rest of the internal control structure as well. They are also required to disclose ?material events? in ?real time? (currently thought to be about 48 hours).
Customer Service Manager Danielle Walsh is also pleased that her staff is able to quickly and easily locate purchase orders and return authorizations from accounts or consumers. ?The biggest difference is that you no longer have to walk to the other side of the building for these records. They?re now at your fingertips, saving us 20-30 minutes,? says Walsh. Documents awaiting scanning are currently boxed and sometimes require extensive searching.
Brian Lynch, Credit supervisor, says his department?s use of Fortis to retrieve credit memos, proofs of delivery and invoices make retrieval much easier for his staff. ?When confirming that an invoice has been paid and faxing a copy to a customer, my staff had to use a non-network accessible microfilm system. With Fortis, they no longer have to leave their desks and go to the other room. They can print and fax directly from their desktops.? Lynch adds that Fortis will have a role in the very near future in handling documentation for credit applications and in disaster recovery.
Between the Customer Service and Credit departments, over 483,764 documents are stored on Saucony?s Fortis system, which is accessible to staff via a LAN-based connection.
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