REPORT TO CORPORATE SERVICES LEAD MEMBER
17th JUNE 2002
DOCUMENT IMAGING
CREDITOR INVOICES
1.
A report was submitted to the Corporate Services Lead Member meeting on 29th
April 2002, recommending that Anite Public Sector Ltd., be nominated the
preferred supplier for the provision of a bureau service for the imaging of
creditor invoices. The outcome of the meeting was that further clarification of
the costs of the two competing bids was required before approval could be
given. A copy of the report of 29th April 2002 is attached as Appendix 1.
2.
Discussions have taken place with the two companies, Anite and Imscan to
ensure that quotations were on a like-for-like basis.
3.
The scope of the contract has been re-appraised. As a number of months have
elapsed since the invitation of quotations and the fact the that it would be at
least August 2002 before imaging commenced the value of back-scanning
invoices for the year is significantly diminished. It is therefore recommended
that scanning should start from April 2002 invoices. The two companies above
were asked to re-submit their quotations on this basis.
4.
The assumptions on which the quotations are based are:
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5.
150,000 invoices per annum with an average of 4 pages per invoice
25 concurrent licences with unlimited actual users
provision of invoices by CD
invoices to be delivered to bureau twice a week
12 month contract
hardware to be acquired and installed by the Council
The comparative costs of the two proposals are:-
Scanning and Indexing
Licences
Installation and Training
Provision of CDs
Hardware
Total
6.
Anite
£
Imscan
£
36,000
Nil
Nil
100
10,000
46,100
30,000
Nil
800
2,000
11,650
44,450
Both proposals would give the Council the option of developing the service
further into a full document management system similar to that operated for
Council Tax and Benefits. This would require re-engineering the invoicing
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process which it is envisaged would be carried out in the first quarter of
2003/04.
7.
Both companies are able to provide images electronically rather than by CD but
following discussions with ITNet Communications Team it is felt that this could
lead to security issues and it is advised that at this stage CDs would represent
the most appropriate option.
8.
The relative benefits of the two systems are:Imscan
Product demonstrated to directorate representatives who were impressed with
the solution and the ease of retrieval of images
 Proposed solution based on scanning images to CD which would then be
loaded onto a server at Salford
 Good references provided from existing customers
 New server would need to be acquired for this application


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



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Anite
Anite software has been used by Revenues for a number of years for Council
Tax and Benefits
Significant in-house experience in the use and development of this product
Anite have a very good proven track record with the Authority and have
shown that they are responsive to the Council’s needs
Greater functionality than Imscan in respect of search facilities
Would enhance the Anite solution as the potential corporate document
imaging solution for the Council – discussions have taken place recently
between the Head of Customer Services and Anite to work towards a
partnership arrangement for the roll-out of Iclipse corporately at much reduced
prices
In the longer term the joint use of an in-house scanning team could be
considered
Lead-in time to the start of a contract would be at least four/five weeks from
agreement which is longer than Imscan at one/two weeks
9.
In view of the relatively small difference in prices and the experience of the
Council in its dealings with Anite that the proposal from Anite Public Sector
Ltd., be accepted.
10.
The cost is to be funded from leasing in respect of the additional hardware
capacity and from charges to directorates in respect of the scanning costs.
Directorates have agreed to this approach.
11.
It is recommended that :



Anite Public Sector Ltd. be accepted as preferred supplier
Service level and contract negotiations be entered into
Purchase of an appropriate server be approved
Appropriate charges to directorates be made
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