2001-03-28 CC - Laserfiche WebLink

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I Advantages for Municipal Clerks - ,telligent Search Retrieves a.Jocuments Easily With the LaserFiche system in place, finding documents such as agenda reports, resolutions and ordinances is effortless. LaserFiche saves valuable time and money by allowing personnel to easily search and view exact copies of government documents from their own workstation. "I received a request yesterday from the state retirement board for all the payroll records on an employee who started here in 1977. We had to send a clerk up to the attic. It was about two hours work. If we'd had it on LaserPiche, the clerk could have tapped a few keys and handed it to me in less than a minute. " Town Clerk/Treasurer Leonard Verrastro Mamaroneck, NY LaserFiche Intelligent Search capabilities offer several ways to retrieve information. The LaserFiche Folder Search finds documents using a visual examination of the various folders. The LaserFiche Index Search lets personnel search through specific, user-customized index fields. The LaserFiche Name Search will retrieve docu- nts such as the municipal code or agenda reports _ased on the name of the document. The LaserFiche Text Search gives personnel the power to search for any word in any document. When staff search for a word or phrase, the powerful LaserFiche search engine will instantly display every document containing that word or phrase. For example, if the Mayor wants to research all of the recycling initiatives undertaken by City Council, staff simply type "recycling" and LaserFiche will retrieve every document containing that word. When these different Intelligent Search capabilities are combined together, LaserFiche provides a user-friendly way to find any document, based on whatever informa- tion is at hand. Manage Documents Efficiently Managing a large repository of documents is a chal- lenging task. To prevent misfiling and loss, documents need to be carefully categorized and filed systematical- ly. With LaserFichej managing documents is greatly r-cilitated because it conforms to your existing filing hodologies. Unlike paper filing systems, LaserFiche lets personnel keep track of every file without leaving their desks. Using the advanced LaserFiche folder structure, all related government documents can be grouped together in electronic file folders on the computer. LaserFiche allows office staff to emulate existing filing systems by offering user-defined index fields. These index fields can be easily customized to mirror the templates used for paper filing systems. If desired, existing Records Management System can be also. linked to the imaged documents using the LaserFiche Integrator's Tooll<it. With LaserFiche, documents can be managed from start to finish. For example, if a addendum needs to be made to an archived letter in M S Word format, it can be incor- porated without changing the original document. With version control, any change is automatically tracked and each new copy is assigned a version number. Retention schedules are also easily maintained with LaserFiche. Files that are scheduled for destruction can . be easily identified and expunged as required. Client-Server Design Improves Distribution LaserFiche Client-Server design lets personnel simulta- neously view documents from their own computer. Shared access to reports reduces the need to photocopy documents for council members, other city departments and the general public. This will dramatically reduce the number of document requests that office staff need to deal with. "Going digital will provide us with a way to share information within and across departments without creating multiple copies. We'll also be able to find information quickly without searching through the paper we have stored in City Hall and off-site. " Raymond Miller, Supply and Services Manager City of Niagara Palls, ON With LaserFiche, distribution costs shrink because coun- cil meeting packets ang other information can be quick- ly and electronically routed across an internal network, sent by email or distributed via CD. Municipal and County Clerks who use LaserFiche realize an immediate savings in time, materials and equipment costs by reducing the dependence on paper files.