Project+1

 //**Kelli B. Murphy**//

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 //"We are a paperless organization," I have heard many times over from a variety of organizations. Is this true? Can an organization be really paperless? How does an organization decide what should be paperless? And lastly, how much cost can actually be saved for our organization?//

= =  =~THE ISSUE~ = Is it all about printing? Scanning? No, it is about the management of information and resources. Many organizations have various technologies that are NOT interconnected. That is, information flows one way or the other but not to each other. Additionally, these technologies are sometimes redundant of each other in functionality. This research project will attempt to address one such issue--**turning** **documents into paperless information for archiving and communicating through the use of a networked document center.**

Currently, many organizations have a copy machine and a printer--separate physical machines. A printer talks and receives data from the computer and the copier receives data from a paper scan. //(see graphic below)// media type="custom" key="3314174"

What if information that is copied needs to be fed to the computer? This could open up a world of possibilities. Old forms can be scanned and turned into new editable documents. Images (maps, graphics, etc.) can be scanned and turned into powerful classroom resources. What if the information could flow BOTH ways??? To and from the computer??? //(see graphic below)// media type="custom" key="3314230" This project focuses on solutions for the management of information and documents. In order to put some order to my project, I am limiting my exploration to the following areas within my district. These areas are how I will define paperless for this project: 
 * Daily Memos and Communications
 * Policies
 * Student output
 * Instructional resources
 * Student records
 * Personnel records
 * Planning materials
 * Testing materials

toc  =<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">~WHY?~ = <span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
 * Cost $ avings and efficiency**. Those are the biggest reasons why organizations are migrating towards a paperless solution. Despite technology's promises over the past two decades of computers, paperless has not been completely achieved.

Daily communications have increased with the efficiency of intranets and organizational email services. The increased use of email and online learning communities have decreased the need to send emails, letters, and phone calls. When information is created by the district, it is easy to create said information into a digital format that can be shared with others in the district. However, if we received information through a paper format, this becomes a larger issue. How can we archive these files in an organized, digital and accessible format?

Another larger issue is the abundance of redundant technologies. For example in many offices we can find a personal workstation, phone, copy machine, laser printer, fax machine, and coffee maker. I am NOT suggesting that every piece of technology can be replaced; certainly not the coffee maker and personal workstation. We could incorporate or migrate the differing technologies into one larger resources accessible to more in the office, thereby eliminating some resource and opportunity costs making us more efficient.

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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> Network Laser Printer (HP models P4014N and P4015N). ** Cost range = $799 - $1129 ** Fax Machine (Brother IntelliFax-410). ** Approx. Cost = $300. **
 * __Cost Comparisons__**

Canon #1023N **$1300**, HP Laser Jet #M3027 **$1306.87** , or Sharp #AR-M162E **$1380.75**.


 * The approximate total cost for three separate office technologies is $2399 - $2810 .**

Xerox has an office solution that can Copy, Email, Fax, LAN fax, Print, Scan for a starting cost of **$1999**. **__Total savings = $1189__**. <span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">

// NOTE: This specific type of product is what we are looking for to replace the network laser printer, fax machine and stand-alone copier in our HS Guidance Office. //

=<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">~HOW ?~= <span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Product page

=<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">~CASE STUDY~ = <span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Gettysburg Area School District purchased the data warehouse services of [|Performance Pathways] a couple of years ago. The purpose of purchasing this product was to upload district standardized exam data for data analysis. The process was to print pre-filled bubblesheets for each student containing pre-populated information on the test and student. Once the student took the test and submitted the answers on the bubblesheet, the next step in the process was to upload the information to [|Performance Tracker]. What happened in between the student and [|Performance Tracker] is left up the choices of hardware by the district.


 * OPTION 1:** Purchase a bubblesheet scanner hooked to a computer which will insert the scanned data to a file on the computer. The information can be migrated to the [|Performance Tracker] website through the computer connected to the scanner. Process can be labor intensive depending on the specs of the bubble sheet scanner and if you use the bubblesheets printed from [|Performance Tracker].


 * OPTION 2:** Upgrade your building copier to include options such as network printing, network scanning, scan-to-PDF, copy printing, and/or Fax. This is the option that our district chose. Now we can scan all 4Sight exams for grades 3-11 in about 20 minutes. The information is sent to a designated network folder which is then imported into the OMR software from [|Performance Pathways]. As long as the scanner options have been calabrated correctly, the process to upload the student results from the OMR software can take an hour to half a day. Once the data is exported to the website, the information is available to all [|Performance Tracker] users to create reports and view results.

BEST ADVICE I can give to anyone purchasing this product is to plan everything out ahead of time. This includes the use of people, who will do what task. And, most importantly, which hardware and software will be involved. All the planning will help tremendously in the implementation. Attached below is a copy of the scanning specs from Performance Pathways.