Paperless Environments: A Review

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Imaging and workflow products continue to make their presence felt in the construction industry. Recently, BCG visited Paperless Environments in Baton Rouge, LA, to review a product developed in 2001 by a large contractor. BCG visited Paperless Environments in Baton Rouge to review an imaging and workflow system developed by a large contractor - one of the few times BCG has seen a contractor-developed system achieve success in the marketplace.

The product’s primary function is to convert paper documents to digital images that can be routed for review and approval and/or filed electronically. Files already in digital format (Office files, CAD files, etc.) are handled similarly. Documents are filed electronically in a central database, named the Vault, that serves as the heart of the system. Documents are stored in the Vault during the routing and approval process and remain there once processing is complete. All contain index values for lookup and retrieval; they can be emailed, printed, or faxed as necessary.

The most popular application is Accounts Payable, which integrates with popular construction industry accounting packages including Viewpoint, Timberline, Computer Guidance, Starbuilder, Penta, Masterbuilder, MAS 90, Amicus, and Construction Partner. Documents are scanned (or files imported) in batches and routed for approval. When items are coded and approved, they are exported as a batch into the AP system for further processing.

The accounting package integration includes the ability to prompt for valid AP data such as vendor number and job number while processing the document in the imaging system. Status reporting on invoices in progress is also available. Recently, a new module designed to route any non-AP document or file in a similar manner has been released.

The document routing application is also a newly released application. This package utilizes the routing functionality of the AP product and is designed to handle all other files, documents, and images including internal forms, contracts, and general correspondence. Paperless Environments has 45 customers across the country. For more information, visit http://www.paperlessenvironments.com" title="www.paperlessenvironments.com" target="_blank">www.paperlessenvironments.com.