Océ Smart Corporation case study

John Smart, President and

Chairman, Smart Corporation

In the world of medicine, reproducing

medical records is a time-consuming task.

Patients who need swift medical attention

often need records sent to doctors in other

states or even other countries at a moment’s

notice. The inability to provide this service

on demand can mean a possible delay in

treatment.

John Smart, president and chairman of Smart

Corporation, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga.,

founded his company on the need for medical

records. In May 1976, John went to the

hospital with a friend to retrieve a copy of

the friend’s medical records. When they

were told there was a four-month backlog,

John brought a copier to the hospital, copied

the records himself, and Smart Corporation

was born.

Medical Record Provider Finds Favor in Digital Technology

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➤ Digital printing offers increased customer response time➤ Improved efficiency and operating performance➤ Streamlined production processes and new market opportunities

Smart Corporation

Today, Smart’s 2,500 employeesprovide Release of Information(ROI) services to over 5,700hospitals, clinics, healthcarefacilities, and insurance companies.

The Digital RevolutionSmart used its early system of fieldreps and portable copiers for overtwo decades. When a medicalrecord was requested, represent-atives went to the record-holdingfacility, copied the record, createdan invoice and bill, generated atransmittal letter, and mailed therecords from the post office.

“We have representatives in 46states coast-to-coast, and recordscould go anywhere, even to othercountries,” explained Tom Brown,COO of Smart Corporation.“Many representative carried a 38-pound photocopier to each facility.”

Recognizing the potential benefitsof the Internet and E-business,Smart embraced new digital

technologies and began toimplement a new, automated digitalproduction process for retrieval aswell as storage. If the companycould capture information througha data center and then print it,medical records would beimmediately available to requesterson demand. What’s more, as 1800representatives were previouslycalculating invoices, and billingrates independently, there wasvariation from state-to state. Thenew digital process had to reducecosts, and improve quality controland response times. It also had toopen new business opportunities.

“With so many representativesphotocopying records andproducing invoices, we had toomany independent operations outthere, we had to streamline,” saidJohn Smart, president andchairman of Smart Corp. “Goingdigital would help us standardizewhat we capture in an orderlyfashion.”

The Best Solution Smart Corp. sought a digitalsolution that would letrepresentatives take scanned, andencrypted images and send them toa central processing center. Acentralized printing process wouldlet Smart provide additional servicesto healthcare facilities, i.e., on-demand medical record storage andretrieval.

Daily print volumes were estimatedat 21,000 medical-record packagesper day– from four to 4,000 pages,depending on the request. Fullconversion meant the production ofabout five tons of records daily.

The move to Internet processes anddigital technology was a big changefor Smart, but the company’smanagement saw the benefits andwanted to team with a technologypartner to move forward. Smartinvestigated several print vendorsincluding IBM and Xerox. After an evaluation process, Smartselected Océ Printing Systemstechnology, “because it best metSmart’s specifications and providedthe productivity levels and qualitywe needed,” said Brown. “Océapproached Smart as a real partner,”he said. Océ looked at Smart’simmediate needs and long-termgoals and recommended thePrisma+POD pre-press print serverand PageStream 744 printingsystem. Working in concert withprocessing partners, Océcoordinated a complete system witha streamlined finishing process.

“Océ knew that rapid input andoutput, and high-quality imageswere paramount. They providedthe system and support we needed,including the ability to producehigh-quality 240 and 300 dpiimages,” Brown explained. “Ourmachines have been running

“With Océ, we get the benefit of processing

and printing information faster

and more effectively than any

competitor in the market.Tom Brown, COO of Smart Corporation ”continuously, since we made

the digital transition in November1999.”

While Océ’s PageStream 744printing technology allows for rapidoutput of the highest quality, thePrisma+POD digital print server letsSmart optimise their processes andshorten turnaround time, whichmeans a more diverse product lineand entrance into new targetmarkets. Tailored to meet Smart’sspecific needs, Prisma+POD’s openarchitecture permits changes inconfiguration as Smart expands itsservices. Open architecture meansPrisma+POD can be used with otherprinting systems.

The new digital process also madeworkflow less cumbersome forSmart field representative–eachperson now carries a six-poundlaptop and scanner in a case thatopens to an instant workstation. Atthe end of the day, invoices arescanned, encrypted, compressed andtransmitted to Smart’s data center,where they’re processed, stored andtaken through the print/mailoperation.

“We can capture, digitize and thenundigitize images, and put themback in paper format using a systemthat’s been up and running perfectlysince installation. Océ’s PageStream744 roll-fed printing system offers

Benefits Digital

Printing with Océ’s

Prisma+POD software:

• Uses Supreme RIP, the fastest high-end RIP on the market

• Dependable RIPping in avariety of page descriptionlanguages

• Customization of printedoutput, such as personalizedbooks and training materials

• Permits processing on standardpaper sizes and signatures

• Customers can use the Internetor their intranet to go online tosubmit orders and initiate theirown print jobs

Smart Corporation

Océ looked at

Smart’s

immediate

needs and long-

term goals and

recommended

the Prisma+POD

print server and

PageStream 744

printing system.

the best efficiencies, operatingperformance and specifications,”Brown said. “With Prisma+POD,we can standardize the look and feelof the document as well as theproduction process. We get thebenefit of doing it faster and moreeffectively than any competitor inthe market.”

Down the RoadFor the future, Océ’s Prisma+PODtechnology meshes with Smart’slong-range goal–putting client’smedical records in electronicretrieval format. This would

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Océ Printing Systems USA, Inc.

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permit a complete move to digitaland take release of information to amore individualized level.

“Shipping medical recordselectronically opens up a hugespectrum for us,” added Smart.“Retention of a facility’s medicalrecords would let a designated userlog on to the Web, see the recordsreal time, download them and usethem to the patient’s benefit—andthey’d be available to multiple usersat one time. That’s the benefit ofgoing digital.”