Software

OfficerTM is a general-purpose task management and document processing system with powerful imaging and electronic document entry and tracking capabilities. It is designed to create paperless workflow environments and make electronic access to documents both easy and flexible.

OfficerTM is not simply a product to scan documents and store them; but rather it is a broad-based tool that addresses a common set of activities in document-intensive applications. Users can automatically input the information contained in documents into a database, where knowledge workers can access it. As a part of this process, OfficerTM utilizes Artificial Intelligence to select or "parse" those segments of the document that contain valid information for database inclusion. It easily converts electronic data and scanned images into MS Word and/or Adobe (.PDF) files for dissemination to others. OfficerTM includes the functionality to automatically initiate these communications by email or fax to a pre-defined user list or to a list created by its artificial intelligence capabilities.

Pixl Inc. has created Officer to ultimately be a standard, off-the-shelf (COTS) product that will provide the framework for handling the documents and common activities associated with task management in both general and specific application areas.

The activities that form a common thread in many document-oriented applications are:

These conceptual activities are typical of a broad range of applications including:

The functions and features that are needed to support these activities and applications and that give Officer its power and flexibility are:

Data/Document Entry and Storage

OfficerTM provides the capability to scan both structured and unstructured paper documents and faxes and convert those to electronic image and text format (through optical character recognition). It also has the capability to input documents from word processors, Internet sources, electronic mail, video and audio into a central repository for storage. OfficerTM provides life-cycle records management for multi-media databases both locally and at remote sites.

The benefits of scanned and electronic files are faster and more accurate data entry. It eliminates virtually all manual entry and allows users to handle much greater volumes of documents without the need to make major additional investments in people, space and equipment. It also permits the capture of original document images for electronic storage and eliminate the need to maintain bulky paper files.

Data Extraction & "Parsing"

The artificial intelligence and expert systems-based engine automatically extracts data from forms and text documents and parses key pertinent details into the system. In this way OfficerTM assists in creating a knowledge management base for an organization. Again, manual data entry is virtually eliminated. Where data must be verified, Officer provides for heads-up, high speed data correction with custom screen attributes for individual operator preferences. These verification operations can be performed over the Internet allowing users to work from home or other remote locations.

Document Conversion

OfficerTM converts documents into any required format, including Portable Document Format (PDF) and MS Word making it easy to control who can make changes to controlled text. The system is designed to automatically incorporate client logos and create sectioning of documents. The ability to output in PDF format means users have a means to distribute complex documents via the Internet without the need for recipients to have costly software just to review the sent documents. It also prevents unauthorized changes to the source document.

Review and Approvals

OfficerTM has the ability to merge documents in an orderly manner and post them to a white board thus permitting access and collaboration by both local and remote users. OfficerTM incorporates annotations and document review capabilities including accommodating the inclusion of "sticky" and hand-written notes. Finally, the software handles the approval process easily and flexibly; including the capability to handle both electronic and hand-written signature pages. The changed and merged document is frozen and can be distributed.

Information Dissemination

OfficerTM allows users to turn all important paper-based information into high-quality electronic documents ready for publication and distribution via Intranets, the Internet, Extranets, and more. OfficerTM automatically dials the phone, broadcasts faxes, invokes the Internet, distributes e-mail, and disseminates information. The software also automatically prepares daily activity reports, letters, address labels and envelopes if desired. Officer eliminates most operator intervention by this process and greatly increases the productivity of the people normally assigned to these tasks. It gives users the means to quickly and easily distribute high-quality text and graphics to a broad audience with minimal user input and application of time and resource.

Decision Support

A powerful, multidimensional search engine incorporates capabilities to qualify data entities (such as applicants, candidates, vendors, etc.) based on user-defined­ criteria and provide a ranked listing of those elements based on those qualifications. The engine employs fuzzy logic techniques and of course permits partial word searches. Additional 3rd-party search engines can also be incorporated if required by the application or user requirements.

Application Areas

Having discussed some of the key functions and features of Officer, it is appropriate to identify and discuss some of the enterprise application areas where Officer provides substantial benefits to organizations. These application areas include:

Procurement

In a requisition creation process: Officer can electronically input or scan vendor information to be used to create requisition line items and descriptions. The source document can be converted to PDF format (if required) and attached to the requisition document, or to individual line items. After the requisition is created, it is invariably disseminated to others for review, comment, change and approvals. The requisition information can easily be incorporated into other corporate documents during this process, eliminating the need to re-key data. Portable Document Files can also be created and attached (along with version information if needed), to create a complete file of the requisition information and process. Officer easily handles RFIs, RFQs, RFPs and the subsequent responses as part of the document handling process.

Officer provides the function and framework for a fully collaborative process that eliminates manual and duplicate data entry, speeds the workflow and allows management to easily track the progress and status of any requisition. Sources of error and ambiguities (often caused by inadvertent re-wording as the same data is entered multiple times by different people) are greatly minimized. As a result, overall costs, risk and follow-up work are substantially reduced.

In large complex procurements, Officer provides the structure and capabilities to make the RFP process a model of efficiency. Using the functionality and activity flow described above:

Officer easily accommodates the re-iterative nature of this workflow and provides ongoing status information throughout the process. Because of the web-based capabilities, the participants can be local or remote and the productivity of all parties is greatly enhanced. The other main benefits are that the procurement process may be shortened dramatically and management has easier oversight and control of the process.

When used to handle the activities and workload associated with existing Federal contract vehicles, the process described above is equally applicable to Task & Delivery-order processing . The point at which the process begins may vary, and there may be many logical branches and re-iterations in the workflow cycle, but the basic workflow is the same and the required functions and features are the same.

Grants Applications Process For a Grants Management System, OfficerTM:

An application can be reviewed simultaneously as well as in a sequential mode by several staff members from both local and remote locations. The reviewer can add in sticky notes, hand-written notes, and approve applications on-line by adding electronic signatures. During this processing, and at pre-determined stages, the system can generate notifications and make changes and documents available to the appropriate users for review and approval.

Officer provides a means to handle large or small volumes of grant applications in a secure, productive and collaborative environment in a minimum of time and with minimal resources. The productivity aspect and web based access is important to all; and critical to those organizations with resource constraints.

Event Management

In events planning, the applicable workflow task is to announce an event and enroll attendees. The originating department creates the event description, defines the event attributes (key words), and queries the existing database of subscribers (prospective attendees) to find and select qualified potential attendees. OfficerTM provides the artificial intelligence capabilities to scan a subscriber database and qualify/rank subscribers based on attributes like agency, title, duties, grade, location factors and other user-specified criteria.

In addition, OfficerTM provides the capability to post the announcement on multiple websites to advertise the event. OfficerTM provides the software and structure for announcing the event, entering data electronically and merging data either from electronic sources or via image processing (scanning).

In this events management process, the response will be an enrollment from an online fill-in. The subscribers will submit the enrollment information online, eliminating the data entry effort by internal staff. As the responses are initiated, OfficerTM can automatically

This automatic process eliminates the need for business communications staff to perform many actions manually and thus saves considerable time in the event planning process. The total time and resources required to identify subscribers and enroll attendees is greatly reduced and the OfficerTM process is much more cost effective than a manual or partially automated process.

Recruitment & resume processing

For Recruitment & resume processing, OfficerTM :

The candidates can submit their resumes via email, mail, fax, diskettes and/ or on-line. The resumes can be either in the image or non-image format, either structured (e.g. SF 171 or 612 forms) and/ or free formatted. OfficerTM has the ability to import the resumes, convert those into either PDF and/ or MS Word documents, incorporate any specified logos and intelligently parse and enter pertinent data into the database. In the data extraction and parsing process, skills, experience, education and contact information are automatically read and imported from the resume.

The recruitment process starts with building a job announcement. The inherent decision support capability derives the qualification specifications from the job announcement. OfficerTM searches the database and automatically pre-qualifies and ranks candidates according to their strengths. The open job requirement is automatically posted to the designated web sites, against which candidates can apply on-line.

To the selected candidates, OfficerTM automatically disseminates individualized email messages and creates history and activity lists for the recruiter. The candidates can submit the requested information on-line. The selected candidates can be submitted to the client with automated email messages. The client can review the resumes on-line and indicate interest in the candidates. The recruiting office can then follow up with the clients. This eliminates the data entry effort by internal staff.

The whole process completes in minutes rather than the hours or days a manual process requires. This automatic process eliminates the need for recruiting staff to review resumes in bulk and thus saves considerable time. The total time and resources required to find and hire candidates is greatly reduced and the OfficerTM process is much more cost effective than a manual or partially automated process.

For Federal requirements, OfficerTM has been successfully used to import and parse information from SF 171 and OF 612 documents. OfficerTM is equipped with on-line generation of questionnaire and their automatic launching on Internet and/ or Intranet. The questionnaire feature enhances the automated decision support capability of OfficerTM for ranking candidates.

Normal Recruitment process Time period OfficerTM Process Time period
Write ad for position and place in newspaper, web site 3 day Job requirements are posted automatically 10 minutes
Applicant submits resume 7 days Resumes continuously submitted in system 0 days
Manual review of resumes 3 days Automatic pre-qualification and ranking. Electronic mail to qualified candidate 10 minutes
Contact applicant via phone 2 days Set up interview via phone (candidate already notified) 2 days
Applicant interviewed 3 days Applicant interviewed 3 days
  18 days   5 days

Table 1: Conventional Recruitment Process vs. Officer's Recruitment Process

Contracts management: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

OfficerTM integrates business functions such as recruiting, marketing, human resources, contracts management and accounting in a centralized repository, providing an enterprise-wide solution to an organization. Multiple users can access multiple functions simultaneously. Information get be accessed locally or remotely. Security is provided on a functional level to control user access.

General Task Management

It quickly became apparent in the development of OfficerTM that its architecture, features and functions provided a basic toolkit for managing all sorts of generalized tasks. The workflow structure of general task management and the structure needed by the applications discussed above is essentially the same. Pixl coding and development support is used to tailor Officer's general capabilities to very specific user requirements if desired.