Automating Document Retrieval Of Driver's License Records
The Texas Department of Public Safety's Driver's License Division is charged with maintaining the integrity of the Texas driver license and improving traffic safety through the examination of new drivers, improvement and control of problem drivers, and traffic and criminal law enforcement.
The division oversees 313 locations statewide, which provide written and road examinations for new drivers and enforce traffic and criminal laws. With every new license applicant, there is extensive paperwork, including proofs of identity, social security number, insurance, and vehicle registration documents. Applications, identity cards and other paperwork are forwarded from the field to a central processing center in Austin, where data is entered into the License Issuance Bureau's mainframe computer and documents are stored by the Driver Records Bureau.
The Document Retrieval Challenge
Like most government agencies, Texas DPS is streamlining processes to improve productivity and take advantage of new cost-saving technologies. This includes updating records management techniques, and replacing old microfilm methods with a digital imaging system. With 100,000 documents a month arriving in Austin, then being shipped off-site for microfilming by a service bureau, there are significant savings to be realized.
The Document Retrieval Solution
In 2002, Texas DLD began its first digital imaging program with CBM Archives, a Datacap reseller, based in Corpus Christie, Texas, with a field office in Austin. Instead of microfilming, the Driver Improvement Bureau began scanning license documents and traffic tickets onsite with a Datacap Taskmaster capture system and routing them to a Tokairo imaging system. Deemed a success by the DPS, the DLD began to look at other Bureaus to migrate to the new technology.
In 2004, the Texas DLD authorized its License Issuance Bureau to seek an in-house scanning solution for the management of their license documents. They selected Datacap Taskmaster through CBM Archives, once again integrated with a Tokairo imaging system. "The Driver Improvement Bureau's experience with Taskmaster made it easier for us to communicate the cost savings and other benefits to the License Issuance Bureau," says Chai Chanyarlak, President of CBM Archives.
Phase one of the project involves a backfile conversion of hundreds of thousands of license documents for efficient storage and retrieval, eliminating the cost associated with storing paperwork. Testing and implementation took place in summer 2004. "Once the current backlog has been scanned, CBM will work with the bureau to install a capture workflow, which will automate the processing of driver's licenses as they are sent in, bringing further productivity benefits," says Chanyarlak.
Document Retrieval Results
While still early in the process, Texas DPS has already realized savings by reducing its dependence on the service bureau that was previously microfilming. Digital images are easier to store and retrieve as they are instantly available, where microfilm retrieval often took days./p>
"CBM Archives has installed Datacap Taskmaster for other agencies within Texas DPS, including the Crime Records Division, Vehicle Inspection Division and Safety Responsibilities Bureau," reports Chanyarlak. "Every implementation has helped them reduce cost and improve their records management capabilities. We are confident that this latest installation will help the Division meets its goals of using technology to improve service and save money for the taxpayers of Texas."
About Datacap
Datacap Inc. provides leading document capture and forms processing software solutions to organizations worldwide. Datacap Taskmaster software efficiently transforms paper into digital information, reducing data entry costs and improving accuracy. The industry's first client/server, rules-based document capture workflow platform, Taskmaster provides highly flexible solutions for image indexing and data entry automation. Taskmaster also enables scanning, indexing and administration from a browser and integrates with all leading document management solutions.