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Elkhart County Plan Dept.

To anyone considering implementation of a digital document imaging system:

I would like to share our experience in purchasing and using a digital document system. Prior to our purchasing of the Laserfiche, imaging software for the Elkhart County Health Department and the Department of Public Services we researched numerous digital document imaging systems. After reviewing and viewing working demo's we were convinced that LaserFiche was the product that best suited our intended use. We purchased our system from an authorized LaserFiche reseller who installed and configured the LaserFiche software, a Fujitsu document scanner, and an HP optical juke box storage device on our local area network. Additionally, we purchased the an annual LaserFiche support agreement.

Over the next several years we used the system to scan, store, and retrieve documents with relative success. During this time we encountered various problems which nobody seemed able or willing to help us resolve. Eventually, the present system was being supported by our Network Consultant who were doing the work as a favor to us and to lessen their problems supporting our network. We had reached a point where we were facing the loss of all the time spent on inputting and severely limiting our ability to retrieve information. It was very evident that we now 'dead in the water' with the loss of that invested staff time.

As we were in the process of re-evaluating software packages a representative from BOLT Document Management approached us about their imaging systems and services. We described our trials and tribulations with our current system and pointed out that we needed to see it working properly before spending more money. Fortunately, BOLT had recently become a reseller for LaserFiche and volunteered to examine our system.

They found that our problems were because the original system had not been configured correctly when it was installed. In order to correct the problem BOLT technicians transferred all of our existing document images and indexes to a server of their own. They then 'rebuilt' our document index and volume information to properly work. BOLT then allowed us to evaluate the results on a stand alone computer. All of this was done by BOLT in order to demonstrate that the Laserfiche system was not the problem but poor installation of hardware and software configuration. This project was done with no cost or obligation on our part.

Subsequently because of the improved performance, reliability, and scale-ability we were convinced to let BOLT upgrade and maintain our system. In the year since BOLT performed their work our system has worked flawlessly. In fact, we are currently looking at ways to expand imaging into other departments and applications. We finally have the imaging system that we expected when we first purchased it.

As an aside because this system works, I do not need to call Bolt for the day to day problems that were once common place. But Bolt does check in with us to see if we are in need of any assistance. This experience has taught us the importance of working with the right reseller is the only way to get the best products and support agreements. A reseller with the product knowledge and the willingness to keep everything working is essential to the success of a digital imaging system.

I would welcome questions regarding their performance record with us.

Sincerely,

Duane Burrow

Senior Planner System Administrator

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