Operational Image Systems: A New Opportunity

Within the span of a few years, image processing has evolved from an esoteric, expensive technology to an indispensable tool used by modern businesses to manage the overwhelming flood of paperwork. Some of the background for this evolution and the development of the IBM system solution for image processing, Image-Plus", are described in this paper. I nformation is the lifeblood of the modem business enterprise. Whether the business is engaged in manufacturing, sales, or service, paper is by far the most prevalent medium for business communications and information retention. Despite the technology advances that have provided us with powerful workstations, high-speed communications, and ever-increasingly dense electronic data storage, it is still predominantly printed forms that are used to place orders, pay bills, dispatch shipments, initiate actions, document agreements, close deals, and record many other transactions. The alphanumeric information extracted from paper documents and entered into computer systems (usually by operators using keyboards) is known as coded data. The coded data can be manipulated and processed by the computer. Typically, only 1 percent of a corporation's data are coded and available for data processing. The remaining 99 percent of the data are noncoded in the form of paper, microfiche, or other media. Information is a critical resource, but reliance on paper for it is a bane to modern businesses. Processing delays, lost documents, misrouted forms, retrieval delays, and storage requirements are problems that persist today with even more serious impact than in the precomputer age. Modern transaction processing systems require prompt input of data that must be transcribed from the hard copy to electronic form if the systems are to perform at peak efficiency; every minute of delay between receiving paper and entering its data into the transaction processing system has an impact on productivity. The IBM operational image system, ImagePlus'", provides solutions for these paper problems. The ImagePlus system augments transaction processing by moving paper from the desktop to the workstation display. When paper first enters the business, its information is captured as an electronic image. From that point it is distributed, tracked, and processed electronically by the ImagePlus system in close coordination with the transaction processing system. This integration of image and transaction processing can yield significant benefits in productivity , customer service, cost effectiveness, business process quality, and competitiveness. Copying in printed form for private use is permitted without payment of royalty provided that (I) each reproduction is …