Smoothing the workflow process

Citation

(2002), "Smoothing the workflow process", Work Study, Vol. 51 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ws.2002.07951daf.006

Smoothing the workflow process

Smoothing the workflow process

Canon Business Solutions suggests that improved communications and imaging software technologies hold the key to smooth information workflow processes.

"Nearly 50 per cent of business knowledge is encapsulated within employees' minds, and companies have a strong need to manage this knowledge effectively using different technologies and media platforms. This places heavy demands on corporate IT departments", says Paul Rowntree, product marketing manager at Canon Business Solutions. For many traditional corporate workgroups or developing businesses of between ten and 50 employees, maintaining consistent methods of internal and external communication through stand-alone fax, printer, or copier devices is no easy task, Canon says.

It adds: "Between 10 and 15 per cent of a company's revenue is spent on finding and managing documentary information, so having the right knowledge at the right time clearly has an impact on operational efficiency. Although networking these devices can help to speed up the workflow process, managing so much hardware and maintaining coherent document format standards can bring problems of their own".

After testing the concept of one imaging device performing a multitude of functions over an office network, Canon has now launched its next generation iRi series, which is claimed to enable faster and more flexible document distribution than ever before.

"For the IT co-ordinator, a single device will fit seamlessly within an existing office network, and through an Internet-enabled remote user interface (RUI) it can keep a close track on total running costs, making it much easier to manage than several desktop devices", he adds.

Canon is now introducing the iR5000i and 6000i devices. With print/copy speeds of 50 and 60ppm respectively, Canon's "intelligent" technology is designed to enable scanned documentation to be sent anywhere in the world by e-mail, i-fax, or to a Web address all at the same time through one device.

Canon has forged an alliance with electronic distributor of scanned documents, eCopy Inc. to provide the eCopy suite of products with its range of imageRUNNER and GP series of digital imaging devices.

Says Canon: "The eCopy system, coupled with a Canon machine, will enable any user in an organisation to transform paper documents into electronic information that can be easily distributed over a network."

Rowntree adds: "For existing Canon customers, the eCopy package is particularly significant, enabling organisations of any size to streamline their organisation through faster imaging and communication networking, improved transaction processes and savings on time and money."