The American Samoa Department of Education (ASDOE) is responsible for managing a substantial and growing archive of student records. With over 12,000 students across public and private schools in the territory, the department handles a vast amount of data daily. Traditionally, these records, dating back to 1903, were stored in physical filing cabinets. While this method was standard, it consumed significant office space and made the retrieval process labor-intensive and time-consuming. As the volume of records grew, so did the challenges associated with managing them, particularly with the department’s existing technology.
Setting the Goal: Digitizing All Student Records
When a new Director of Education took the helm at ASDOE, a clear goal was established: digitize all student records to streamline operations, save time, and optimize storage space. This initiative aimed to modernize the department’s processes, making it easier to manage and access student records. However, the task was far from simple. The ASDOE faced several key challenges, including the sheer volume of records, the varied sizes and conditions of the documents, and the limitations of their existing scanning equipment.
The Labor-Intensive Process: A Barrier to Efficiency
Before the digitization project, the ASDOE relied on five table scanners, which required five staff members to manually search for files, prepare documents for scanning, and then deliver the files electronically. Each file often consisted of multiple types of documents, each requiring meticulous handling. The varied sizes of the documents—from small index cards to large legal documents—further complicated the process. This workflow was not only labor-intensive but also slow, highlighting the need for a more versatile and efficient solution.
Discovering the Solution: OPEX Falcon+ Scanners
The breakthrough came when Lance Pelenato, the System Admin and IDS Officer at ASDOE, discovered the OPEX Falcon+ document scanner. After watching an online demonstration of the scanner’s capabilities, Pelenato realized that this could be the solution ASDOE had been searching for. The Falcon+ scanner offered a unique combination of versatility and efficiency, capable of digitizing various document sizes with minimal prep work. This was a significant improvement over their existing setup, which struggled with the diverse range of document sizes.
Immediate Benefits: Streamlining the Scanning Process
The implementation of the OPEX Falcon+ scanners brought immediate benefits to ASDOE. The new scanners allowed the department to digitize documents of all sizes on a single machine, drastically reducing the need for multiple scanning devices. This not only streamlined the scanning process but also freed up valuable office space by allowing the removal of the five original table scanners that had previously cluttered the department’s offices.
Easy Training and Remote Support: Overcoming Geographic Challenges
One of the key advantages of the Falcon+ scanner was its user-friendly interface, which made it easy for ASDOE staff to learn and operate the new equipment quickly. This ease of use was particularly important given the department’s remote location in American Samoa, an island approximately 2,558 miles southwest of Hawaii. Providing on-site technical support and training would have been logistically challenging and costly, so the simplicity and reliability of the Falcon+ scanner were crucial to the project’s success.
Significant Results: Reducing Labor and Increasing Efficiency
The results of the new scanning solution were impressive. The ASDOE was able to reduce the labor required for scanning and delivering student records by 80%. This significant reduction in manual effort not only sped up the digitization process but also allowed the department to reallocate staff resources to other important tasks. With the implementation of the Falcon+ scanners, the ASDOE was able to digitize five years’ worth of student records (from 2017 to 2021) in a fraction of the time it would have previously taken.
Looking Ahead: A Promising Future for ASDOE
The future looks promising for the ASDOE. With the Falcon+ scanners now an integral part of their operations, the department is well on its way to achieving its long-term goal of fully digitizing all student records within the next five years. This project, which had been moving at a snail’s pace before the introduction of the OPEX solution, is now progressing rapidly.
Expanding the Use of Falcon+ Scanners
Once the student records are fully digitized, the ASDOE plans to expand the use of Falcon+ scanners to other departments. This expansion will free staff from labor-intensive projects and allow them to focus on more strategic initiatives that will benefit the students and the community at large. The department’s new scanning system ensures that they will have the capacity to handle other digitization projects with ease, further enhancing their operational efficiency and service delivery.
Conclusion: A Game-Changer for ASDOE
In summary, the implementation of the OPEX Falcon+ document scanners at the American Samoa Department of Education has been a game-changer. By significantly reducing the labor and time required to digitize student records, the department has not only improved its operational efficiency but also laid the groundwork for future digitization projects. This case underscores the importance of investing in the right technology to drive meaningful improvements in organizational performance.