Pen2PC
Pen2PC harnesses the simplicity of the pen with the power of the PC and instantly
fuses the process gap between traditional pen and paper based data capture and PDA/computer
processing.
Put simply, field based workers equipped with a digital pen, can write with normal
ink on paper forms and instantly transmit an electronic copy via their mobile phone
or a usb cradle. The handwriting is converted into text and data that can be automatically
imported into back office IT systems all in a matter of seconds.
Pen2PC is a totally flexible solution that has an abundance of uses from SMEs speeding
up information transmission to the office, for example, sales orders, deliveries,
collections etc, to large corporations and government bodies looking to streamline
forms based activities. Potential applications are endless. In fact, wherever there
is a need to write and use written information, Pen2PC can provide a wealth of benefits.
Integrating Pen2PC within your business processes is the minimum cost, least risk
way to achieve productivity and service improvements.
Quick links:
Key Benefits
Key Features
Why Data Driven?
Investment Requirement
Project Process
Timescales
Key Benefits:
- Real-time and secure data capture, translation and transmission speeds up information
processing, management reporting and invoicing.
- Elimination of manual processes such as chasing and collating paperwork, keying
data, and generally reducing the administration overhead, streamlining operations.
- Increase staff productivity.
- Improve customer service times and service.
- Remove duplication, delay and errors.
- Familiar process for staff.
Key Features:
- Anoto Functionality – the leading pen technology for electronic handwriting capture
and transmission.
- Vision Objects – the leading handwriting recognition software, automating conversion
into text / data.
- Automatically feed this data into your existing backend IT systems, the Pen2PC web
portal or a custom dashboard. DDL is experienced in a wide range of data formats
but most commonly XML or CSV.
- Identify location coordinates either via GPS (Geographical Positioning System) or
LBS (Location Based Services).
- Read bar-codes to associate product codes, job details and so on.
- Take photos, attach to specific forms and transmit.
- Job allocation – via SMS, email or automated voice service.
- Securely access and manage your forms and data online.
- Recreate files and images that can be processed as part of integrated electronic
transactions.
- Email facility to send copies of forms, data or reports.
- User defined access and security.
- Easy to use reporting facility.
- Form replay – see in real-time how the form was completed, useful for audit.
- Multi-lingual.
Why Data Driven?
Data Driven’s direct experience of managing vast volumes of data for some of the
world’s leading blue-chip organisations is what makes the company unique. Perhaps
you didn’t know but every Energizer battery and Wilkinson Sword product that is
distributed throughout Europe is managed using DDL’s database management systems,
as are the returns of Philips’ electronics goods and The Carphone Warehouse’s mobile
workforce. DDL is proven as a business and trusted, processing and managing millions
of transactions 24 hours a day.
Because we’re not just a digital pen company, we will recommend the right solution
for you, which may not be Pen2PC at all. In our opinion, it is the data that is
important to you as our client, not the method used to capture it, so long as it
meets with your needs and expectations financially, securely, efficiently and effectively.
As a technology and solutions specialist we concentrate on our solutions and service
first and how good our marketing is second! As a result, DDL has client relationships
that extend over 15 years and prides itself on repeat business and referrals. You
can therefore be assured that your business and relationship will be welcomed and
valued by us, as we endeavor to build a long-lasting relationship and deliver results.
As a privately owned and financed business our strategic and operational decisions
are balanced, and not directed purely by bottom line results.
The company is ISO accredited, employs Prince2 project managers and Degree and Masters
Degree qualified professionals with strong operational backgrounds. Approximately
30% of total in-house resource costs are invested into research and development
each year and the business is regularly recognised for innovation by leading industry
bodies such as The British Computer Society, the Business Innovation Centre and
Advantage West Midlands ICT Excellence.
Investment Requirement:
Digital Pen and Paper is proven to provide a return on investment, sometimes in
a matter of days, over manual processes.
Equally, when compared with other electronic solutions, digital pen and paper is
a fraction of the initial and running costs of alternatives, and usually provides
a better overall solution too.
DDL offers a flexible commercial model to suit your budgetary needs from a one-off
capital investment, to a fully financed monthly payment, spread over a term based
on usage.
Project Process:
DDL will work with you to:
- Design, optimize, map and print your form on to digital paper (normal paper but
with the Anoto digital dot pattern overlaid).
- Apply validation routines and back-office look-up tables to aid speed and accuracy
of data capture.
- Apply photo, bar-code or location based service requirements.
- Determine whether a DDL hosted service or your own hosted environment is most appropriate.
- Assess existing back-office systems where appropriate to ensure maximum value is
derived from the project.
- Ensure seamless transmission of data from and to your back-office systems.
- Assess your existing mobile phone hardware and replace if necessary with compatible
Bluetooth GPRS enabled handsets. DDL can advise here and in some cases even negotiate
a better contract for you than your existing deal.
- Pair each pen with a handset.
- Equip and train your team to use digital pens.
- Start to realise efficiencies and savings, with real-time visibility of company
data and resource.
- Automate alerts and reports providing up to the minute management information, ensuring
exceptions or discrepancies are managed quickly and effectively.
- Ensure a responsive support and issue resolution service.
Timescales:
For relatively low-level requirements, based on a single form, same day set-up is
possible. 2-6 weeks would be a more typical project lifecycle for medium to large
scale implementations.