Irwell Valley Housing Association![]()
Every housing association large or small, has the same issue - how do we effectively manage our paper files and records?
The larger the association, the bigger the problem! More paper means more space, more
people to manage it, and the associated issues of who gets to see what and when, not to
mention the associated risk of total loss in the event of a disaster!
How can we effectively manage all of this paper? Irwell Valley in Manchester, a multi award winning housing association, has found the answer.
During the first quarter of 2006 Irwell Valley set out to investigate the best way to tackle their
documents across 4 sites. The main aim of the project was to deliver
effective management of the paper whilst providing an easy to use system that could be
adopted by the business users.
Initial discussions and meetings were held with prospective software vendors and the task of
scoping the transition from paper to scanned images and the ongoing job of updating the files
began. Irwell Valley subsequently invited a 'short list' of prospective vendors to provide a
presentation of the capabilities of their systems to find a 'best fit'.
The immediate issues to address were how do previous documents get on to the system and
how do we then update and manage the files so the business users embrace the system and
get the benefits. After a tendering process it was decided that Alchemy document management
software was the answer, provided by Micrographics Ltd.
Alchemy is a flexible powerful document management application that provides scalable
document and data management, without the big price tag of many of its competitors.
Micrographics focussed
on specific needs of a Housing Association and tailored both the interface and development
of the application to meet the exact requirements. Micrographics have knowledge and experience in
handling large volumes of documents, and demonstrate strong ability when working with a client to
ensure all goals are met".
Irwell Valley now has the ability to access housing files directly from their housing management
system, with the addition of a comprehensive search facility. Documents can be
scanned from any location and stored securely in a central repository for easy instant access.
At the heart of every Housing Association business process there are forms. Forms ensure
that consistent data sets can be returned and are, by design, simple to prepare, complete,
validate and process.
Forms drive routines for applications, payments, benefit review, asset management, incident
reporting, surveys, financial reporting, contract management, recruiting and other business
activities. The ability to manage the flow of information - by connecting applications, people,
partners, and data - increases an organisation's operational efficiency, improves productivity,
and reduces costs.
Efficient information management is central to the success of all quality-orientated organisations.
The process of capturing clean and time-sensitive data can provide massive benefits, but is an
enormous and costly task. Not only must the organisation have forms created and distributed,
but there must also be a mature infrastructure that captures the data from the forms, verifies the
information, and processes the clean information to back-office processing systems.
Whether you need a fully functioning Document Management System or have a Document Scanning project, Micrographics has the Document Imaging Solution for you.
Our Document Management and Document Scanning solutions will ensure your project is a success. With over 30 years in the Document Imaging sector our knowledge of your needs and requirements is second to non.
We can also offer you a wide range of microfilm solutions and microfilm equipment servicing. Contact us today!
