Sunday, April 26 – Wednesday, April 29, 2015 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM MST COMMON – Annual Meeting & Exposition, Anaheim, CA. – Booth 114 Register here.
Register Now for the 2015 Annual Meeting and Exposition:
April 26 – 29, 2015 – Disneyland® Resort in Anaheim, California.
The Annual Meeting is COMMON’s largest educational event of the year, with four full days of in-depth IBM i, AIX, and Linux-related education that includes all-day pre-conference workshops, open labs and a wide variety of regular-length sessions. It is the annual meeting of the COMMON membership and the largest gathering of the Power Systems user community.
It will kick-off with the Opening Session on Sunday, April 26, 2015, followed by four days of leading-edge IBM i, AIX, and Linux-related education, closing with the fun and exciting Closing Reception on Wednesday, April 29, 2015. Of course, as is expected from all COMMON conferences, there will be plenty of social and networking events taking place throughout the week.
The Annual Meeting and Exposition is the premier educational and networking event that you and your team will not want to miss. Be sure to schedule time to browse the world’s largest Power Systems Exposition, encompassing over 80 exhibitors, including IBM. The COMMON Exposition provides a one-stop source of up-to-the minute information and ideas for the IT industry. Discover what’s new in the IBM i and AIX world and give your company ways to reduce costs and improve productivity. Also, since many different technologies are on display, you can compare alternatives and determine what’s right for you.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM MST -K2 Webinar by Stephen Boals of K2 – BYOA: Build Your Own Apps for the IBM AS400 and DB2, a Register here.
K2 provides a powerful business applications platform that can enable workflows, forms, data and reports across your Enterprise Line-of-Business (LOB) systems, including IBM, Oracle, SQL, Salesforce, SharePoint, CRM and many others. Our no-code, drag and drop designers can ease the pain of integration, and drive efficient business solutions. In this webinar, we will present the following:
-How K2’s patented data technology, SmartObjects, allows LOB integration across a variety of system, including IBM AS400 and DB2, with no code.
-How K2’s browser-based forms, workflows and reports can provide powerful insight into DB2 data, and provide cross system applications.
-An introduction into K2’s ability to replace legacy applications on Lotus Notes.
Sign up today, as there are limited seats available.
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, February 5, 2015 – inFORM Decisions, a leading provider of IBM i document & payment automation solutions, announces iWorkflow, a document workflow solution to improve digital business processes.
iWorkflow expands on inFORM’s document automation solutions to improve efficiency by offering a solution that allows users to electronically route internal or external documents, apply business rules, manage targets, analyze, annotate and approve reports and documents for paperless operational efficiency. Integrate with inFORM’s archive and retrieval solution, iView, to verify and approve documents before archival.
Document workflows can be configured in a variety of ways to provide the flexibility to use the solution in a multitude of business processes. This includes launching the workflow process based on a predefined trigger from another source, such as from the IBM i, or from an external webform which can be triggered manually or automatically.
With the iWorkflow webform functionality, companies can collect, display, interact, and prompt for user data which can be used within the workflow process. This information can be used to trigger other events, data knowledge for further steps in the workflow process, and general accumulation of information for process tracking and historical retrieval.
Creating a workflow application is as easy as picking up items from the iWorkflow object’s pallet and snapping the objects together on the workflow canvas. Object configuration gives administrators a wide variety of flexibility to use iWorkflow in different scenarios within an organization’s business processes.
“Document workflow solutions provide companies with significant labor and paper savings efficiency by taking the manual processes out of internal document routing and approvals. With iWorkflow, our range of document automation solutions handle the complete process of document management and automation,” says Dan Forster, President of inFORM Decisions, Inc.
For more information on iWorkflow and inFORM Decisions’ document automation solutions, contact inFORM Decisions at 800.858.5544. Visit www.informdecisions.com.
About inFORM Decisions
inFORM Decisions (www.informdecisions.com) provides IBM i document management solutions to address the costs and inefficiencies of paper based business workflow. IFD solutions have been implemented worldwide in a multitude of open platform environments from small to Enterprise Fortune 100 sized organizations. inFORM’s paperless solutions include, forms scanning (capture), storage and workflow; variable data laser form merging and printing; laser MICR check printing and electronic payment solutions; and IBM i spool file report bursting, sorting distribution and management in various formats including Excel, PDF, Word, Text, XML, CSV and Zip formats.
In iDocs, how do I use different logos and signatures?
iDocs allows the user to configure an iSeries form or check application to conditionally print a logo based on a trigger value. You can for example, configure a form or check application to use a company number to print a corresponding logo to that number. This can be true with any trigger data and any image whether it be signatures, logos, pictures or even a completely different form overlay.
Can we use form designs we already have from another forms design software?
Yes. iDocs allows the user to export their iSeries forms from MS Word, Excel, Adobe, PDF’s etc. into iMap to take over data mapping and other form definitions.
Can I setup reports or form to email (distribute) to multiple emails or targets ?
iDocs with its Smart Routing functionality allows the user to route iSeries forms and reports to dynamic targets, such as, email addresses, fax numbers, printer output queues, or stored drives in PDF format. You can use AS400 PDF functionality to provide a paperless stream to any document management system.
Can I print to a color printer natively from my IBM iSeries AS/400 ?
Yes. iDocs supports printing to color PCL printers natively from the IBM iSeries. Forms can be printed in PCL or PDF NATIVELY with high quality and high speed, and no need to download to a PC server.
Can I print labels with or without barcodes ?
Yes on both. You can print labels to PCL capable printers and there are many to choose from. inFORM supports hundreds of barcode symbols.
Do I need a modem or PC Server to fax documents?
No. With iFax the software uses the internal IBM i modem.
How much is does your product cost?
This question really requires a conversation with our sales rep. There are various requirements and multiple modules and ways our product can be configured and sold. Our pricing is modular and competitive by design which allows us to package just the solution you needed without being forced to purchase a bundle of items that you don’t need.
Does your product support IPDS or AFPDS ?
No. On the IBM iSeries AS/400, we support PCL output which is really what 90% of the marketplace uses (HP compatible). It is usually a relatively simple switch to output SCS spool file output which can be converted to PCL. IPDS code is complex and expensive and proprietary to the IBM i, and PCL is a more broadly accepted printer datastream with more flexibility.
Does your product run natively on the IBM i – iSeries – AS/400 ?
Yes, iDocs and associated suite of software all run on the IBM iSeries natively. Some modules require Windows for the graphic requirements – like iSeries forms and image design – but once designed, the objects can upload to the iSeries for native integration
What software is required for your IBM i native forms archive and retrieval module iView?
The community edition of the Zend Server. You can download free from zend.com.
Can I save a PDF to the IBM IFS or to a networked Microsoft Server?
Yes. This requires the iPDF Monitor or iCapture modules. AS400 PDF provides all the value of having digital documents.
Will the iDocs forms merge engine start automatically?
Yes. Simple set this operation up through the job scheduler or the system startup program.
Can iView be an export target for iCapture and what does this require?
Yes. It requires ODBC connection software, which is part of IBM Access for i.
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, August 26, 2014 – This month inFORM Decisions celebrates their 20th year in business, as a consistently focused IBM i native Document Management solution provider. The company was founded in 1994 by Dan Forster with the help of a personal angel investor, some talented RPG programmers, and “the maximum of my savings and credit cards,” laughs Dan Forster, President, inFORM Decisions.
Forster who has been at the helm since the company’s inception, says the company has toiled through a number of challenges over the years, including the dot com crash, the incursion of numerous competitors into the space, and the 2008 recession. “We may not be the largest document management company in the industry, but we are stable, profitable and growing. We’ve had many successful innovations and contributions throughout the years, but if I could credit our longevity in a word it would be “loyalty”. The mutual loyalty between my staff and me (an average employment tenure of 9 years); the loyalty to our customers; our customers’ loyalty to us; and, our loyalty to the IBM AS/400, iSeries, i platform.”
inFORM’s original laser form and laser check printing products were simplistic in that they really just merged some boxes and lines with the spool file, “and that was cool at the time”, exclaims Forster. The necessary evolution however required us to develop more capability to manipulate the spool and DB2 data so that it could align into new forms (data mapping). Then the company innovated capabilities to actually read through the data and define fields to create dynamic actions like routing through email, fax or to archived drives, merge with other images, signatures, barcodes, etc.
As the concept of going paperless emerged as an accepted practice in the new millennium so began the incursion of numerous competitors from various industries – the preprinted forms industry, the copier and laser printer companies, and various competitors that had previously just sold niche solutions like fax or spool management tools, all of which tried their hand with document management solutions. “Some have failed, some are still out there, and some have merged and shifted their focus on open platform solutions, ” says Forster.
Importantly for IBM i users, inFORM’s biggest strength is that their solutions have always run natively on the IBM i and they continue to develop and enhance for this platform. inFORM customers appreciate this commitment and new customers are acquired every month who for various reasons are being forced to a much less efficient and less stable PC based solution.
In recent years, IFD’s developments have completed the full document and payment workflow for businesses with a simple snap-on to the iDocs output automation products, including, intelligent document capture (OCR form scanning), IBM i web-based document retrieval, and integration into internal workflow (internal routing of documents for approvals and actions).
“It’s been a wild ride, and the good news is we no longer need to justify the benefits of going paperless. We just have to position the value of our solutions and elevate our message above the noise of offerings that are now available. We’re looking forward to learning, developing, and adding value to the IBM i for another 20 years,” comments Forster. “Through all of the years, what still remains is our commitment to the IBM I platform, our loyalty to provide the best solution and support to our customers, and our ability to remain innovative in the constantly changing technology industry.”
For more information on inFORM Decisions’ document management solutions, contact inFORM Decisions at 800.858.5544. Visit www.informdecisions.com.
About inFORM Decisions
inFORM Decisions (www.informdecisions.com) provides IBM i document management solutions to address the costs and inefficiencies of paper based business workflow. IFD solutions have been implemented worldwide in a multitude of open platform environments from small to Enterprise Fortune 100 sized organizations. inFORM’s paperless solutions include, forms scanning (capture), storage and workflow; variable data laser form merging and printing; laser MICR check printing and electronic payment solutions; and IBM i spool file report bursting, sorting distribution and management in various formats including Excel, PDF, Word, Text, XML, CSV and Zip formats.
Read the excerpt from @mcpressonline article written by John Christ on August 18, 2014 http://ow.ly/Asrp2 @inFORMDecisions President Dan Forster shares his views on #DocumentManagement for #IBMi.
Document Management as an IBM i Specialty
“There are only a few of us committed to and continuing to develop solutions that are IBM i–native,” Forster elaborates. “Many of our competitors have developed Windows server–based products, which force the user to download their spool or DB data to a PC to process. Regarding why not Web vs. a server-based product, I believe most of us are rapidly developing more applications that take advantage of the Web.”
– See more at: http://www.mcpressonline.com/document-management/technology-focus-content-management-isn-t-just-about-what-s-in-your-docs-anymore.html#sthash.v4GzHSrt.dpuf
Learn how IFD’s iDocs IBM i native #Document Automation central processing engine saves paper-based processing time and costs…and trees! More here http://ow.ly/Ast7o, request a free online demo/discovery call 800-858-5544.
Source: Christ, J. “Technology Focus: Content Management Isn’t Just About What’s in Your Docs Anymore“. MC Press Online, MCPressOnline.com, Web. 18 Aug. 2014.
Feature-rich, affordable document capture software for faster searching and retrieval
Product and Solution description:
With an innovative document capture software platform engineered to combine automation, efficiency, stability and Enterprise-class scalability, inFORM Decision’s iCapture is poised to continue advancing document processing technology well into the future. iCapture provides scanning functionality, or can utilize simple expressions through its Advanced Data Extraction feature to automate processing tasks. With the ability to export or migrate the data to over 60 industry ECM and DMS systems, iCapture represents the next generation of document processing software.
Document Capture and Scanning is a challenge in any organization. With an array of scanning devices, capture needs and backend content management systems, it is ineffective to settle for multiple applications to accomplish one goal. iCapture provides a single capture platform that can meet all the needs of an organization: document scanning and import, forms processing, data capture, OCR/ICR, data extraction and the ability to migrate the information into a backend. iCapture advanced capture system enhances the capabilities of any scanning device, providing a powerful onramp to any Enterprise Content Management (ECM) or Document Management Systems (DMS). For more information on scanning into Microsoft’s SharePoint 2010/2013 click here.
Fast, Efficient Scanning and Capture:
iCapture provides unmatched integration with just about any ECM platform, and allows the utmost in flexibility for deployment in large or small organizations. Whether you want a simple scan workflow, or complex document capture, we provide an affordable, scalable solution.
Easy configuration through templates | Use MFPs, copiers, scanners or fax | Database Lookups | Dynamically create libraries, folders and file names | Create searchable PDFs | OCR-OMR-ICR | Import from SharePoint libraries, RightFax server and FTP/SFTP server.
Overview of Features and Functionality:
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) support allows conversion of scanned images into meaningful text. The OCR solution feature can be used to extract document metadata as well as create searchable PDF documents or text. It can also be used in conjunction with other modules to provide classification and data extraction. MORE
Convert Scanned Documents to Searchable pdf or Text
How do you convert scanned/captured documents into searchable files and migrate them to your Document Management System? iCapture provides several Optical Character Recognition (OCR) engine options, to provide your organization with the ability to perform full text conversions, or focus on specific areas of the page, with Zone OCR and Optical Mark Recognition (OMR).
There are several output format options, including the following: searchable PDF and text formats.
Below is a full OCR feature set for iCapture Enterprise
Full text Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Features:
Create searchable PDF s within a Microsoft SharePoint Document Library
OCR output formats include: Searchable PDF, Text, and many others
Scan paper files for conversion, or import digital images from folders
Convert PDF, TIFF, BMP, JPG, PNG and GIF to searchable files
Broad range of language support
Performance tuning options to choose between recognition speed and accuracy
Fast performance, up to 700 ppm.
PDF creation engine allows for PDF with hidden text, text PDF and image PDF
PDF fields can be populated with index field information
Support for PDF encryption, versioning and Fast Web.
Zone Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Features:
Zone OCR Separation – ability to split files based on key terms
Create Zone OCR processing templates based on document types to gather data from capture images
Automatically create SharePoint Document Libraries from captured text
Specify zone types and filters
Perform imagine processing prior to OCR to insure the best accuracy
Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) Features:
Read check boxes on forms
Create Scanning Routing Sheets
Process surveys
ICR (Intelligent Character Recognition) Module provides the ability to extract metadata from documents with hand-printed information, and translates the information into data fields. It also provides the ability to “rubberband” hand printed text during the indexing process and auto-populate fields. MORE
Convert Scanned Documents to Searchable pdf or Text
How do you convert scanned/captured documents into searchable files and migrate them to your Document Management System? iCapture provides several Optical Character Recognition (OCR) engine options, to provide your organization with the ability to perform full text conversions, or focus on specific areas of the page, with Zone OCR and Optical Mark Recognition (OMR).
There are several output format options, including the following: searchable PDF and text formats.
Below is a full OCR feature set for iCapture Enterprise
Convert Hand-printed Information to Text
How do you convert scanned/captured documents with hand-printed fields to data and migrate them to your Document Management System? iCapture provides several Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR) engine options, to provide your organization with the ability to perform text conversions, or focus on specific areas of the page, with Zone ICR.
ICR can be used for forms processing, or for free form hand-printing extraction.
Below is a full ICR feature set for iCapture Enterprise
Forms Processing Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR) Features:
Extract hand-printed text from scanned forms and map the information to index fields
Utilize ICR zone-based iamge processing to remove form lines and improve accuracy
Assign field character sets to allow for interpretation of mis-identified printed terms
Utilize Advanced Data Extraction (ADE) to extract printed information
Other Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR) Features:
Zone ICR Separation – ability to split files based on key terms
Create Zone ICR processing templates based on document types to gather data from capture images
Automatically create SharePoint Document Libraries from captured text
Specify zone types and filters
On demand ICR provides the ability to interactively extract hand printed portions of a document
The Advanced Data Extraction (ADE) Module is an advanced data extraction and parsing engine to intelligently script or pattern match logic to metadata to provides recognition accuracy. The ADE feature virtually eliminates the need to hand-key information, increases accuracy, and reduces the time required for the metadata capture process. MORE
Harvesting Document Data Automatically
Automating and adding efficiency to the scanning and capture process can have a huge impact on your organization. The less time required to enter document data, the more time employees have for other tasks. The ADE module is utilized with our OCR module and parses through converted text to look for key terms and expressions. Once these expressions are recognized, they can be associated with documents. This feature allows the automated collection of information on documents that typically required manual data entry. The module can be used for invoice processing, correspondence scanning, accounts receivable scanning and a wide variety of other uses.
Below is a list of extraction features for iCapture Enterprise
Advanced Data Extraction (ADE) Features:
Examine, analyze and search OCR Text to identify key expressions or terms
Full Microsoft .Net regular expression support for character matching
Invoice Processing and AP Automation
Accounting data extraction
Apply filtering expressions to OCR zone (s)
Provides for proximity analysis, where expressions before or after terms can be read.
Extraction can be applied to just about any automated process in iCapture
Extended File Format (EFF) Have a need to import non-image files? The EFF module enablesiCapture to import and process all types of digital files including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, AutoCAD, etc. The module can be used for manual or auto-import and allows bulk digital file migration to any of the close to 60 ECM systems we support. MORE
capture and migrate all digital file types
How do you import, process and migrate non-image files into your Document Management System? The Extended File Format (EFF) module enables iCapture to import and process all types of digital files. Need to import, rename and send 10,000 word files to Microsoft SharePoint? We make it a snap with our auto-configuration template.
Below is a list of EFF features and iCapture for MFPs.
extended file format (EFF) module Features:
Import and process any type of digital file
Assign index data based on filename, folder structure or use any of the iCapture default value settings.
Use our powerful C# scripting engine to perform advanced processing with business logic
Migrate files and data to anyone of our 60+ supported ECM systems
Classification And Forms Processing: iCapture document classification feature set allows intelligent classification of forms and documents through the use of the OCR and ADE modules. iCapture’s engine will auto-extract complex data structures and information from disparate documents.
Enterprise scalability: iCapture can be priced inexpensively for the smaller to medium businesses (SMBs), and can scale to large complex corporate document workflow organizational needs.
With an innovative document capture platform engineered to combine automation, efficiency, stability and Enterprise-class scalability, inFORM Decision’s iCapture is poised to continue advancing document processing technology well into the future. iCapture provides scanning functionality, or can utilize simple expressions through its Advanced Data Extraction feature to automate processing tasks. With the ability to export or migrate the data to over 60 industry ECM and DMS systems, iCapture represents the next generation of document processing software.
