Leading archiving service provider replaces scanner fleet.
Archiving expert LAGER 3000 needs more reliable and productive document scanners. That’s why it’s migrating five SCAMAX® 6x1s from InoTec to its existing infrastructure – while keeping services running. This success story reveals how this works and why it pays off twice and three times for LAGER 3000.
Project Overview
Customer: LAGER 3000 GmbH
Project: Replacement of the entire document scanner fleet
Umfang: Five InoTec SCAMAX® 631
Herausforderungen: Integration into the customer-specific infrastructure; replacement without loss of productivity
Project timeframe: Three weeks to test; four months to project completion
Project partner: Dyanix GmbH
The Initial Situation:
Productive scanning as a key competence
LAGER 3000 is a leading German provider of archive management services. The premium service provider archives, digitizes, transports and destroys files: for banks, savings banks and insurance companies as well as for public authorities, courts and commercial and industrial companies. Digitization and scan services thus represent an important component of LAGER 3000’s portfolio: in particular, project digitization, incoming mail processing, scan-on-demand, and data capture and conversion. For this, LAGER 3000 needs high-performance and highly available document scanners.
The Problem:
Failing scanners jeopardize SLAs with customers
In May 2021, LAGER 3000 therefore decides to completely renew its entire fleet of scanners. At this point, the Kodak devices used to date are no longer able to cope with the increased demands on the actual daily throughput, and have already failed numerous times. The required high availability is no longer given. LAGER 3000 is therefore repeatedly in danger of not being able to meet the SLAs agreed with customers. In an industry where reliability and adherence to delivery dates are among the hardest currencies, this is an untenable situation for the premium service provider.
“The manufacturer’s specifications for the processing speed of production scanners are interesting, but are of only limited practical relevance. The actual processing speed of a scanner depends above all on other quality features and product characteristics: How reliably does it feed strongly heterogeneous material? How does it react to forgotten post-its, glued edges and torn sheets? How does it react to drastic changes in the weight, f.e. when it comes to historical paper grades? How quickly and easily can faults be fixed? And how quickly does the scanner regain its full scanning speed after a stop?”
Thomas Cybulski, General Manager LAGER 3000
The Requirement Profile:
Highest availability, highest user friendliness, top service.
LAGER 3000 General Manager Thomas Cybulski already knows InoTec and the SCAMAX® scanners from trade fairs and is aware of the high quality of the production scanners Made in Germany. . That is why he contacts InoTec directly. In addition to a demanding technical requirements profile and clear throughput specifications (210 ppm), his request includes four key points:
- The new scanners should be particularly immune to faults and thus highly available.
- The new scanners should be able to be maintained by LAGER 3000 itself. Basic maintenance and repair work should be carried out quickly, easily and, above all, without the need for external technicians.
- Wear and spare parts should be available in the shortest possible time.
- The cooperation with the scanner manufacturer should be based on a spirit of partnership: This includes, among other things, direct communication, dedicated contact persons and fast on-site support.
“As a service provider, you often use the scanners under full load and consistently demand full performance availability throughout. Failures – whether minor or major – simply cost money. Being able to fix minor problems yourself, perform calibrations at no extra cost, and get wear or spare parts easily were therefore key criteria for selecting the new scanners.”
Thomas Cybulski, General Manager LAGER 3000
The Hardware Solution:
The SCAMAX® 6×1 is scan service provider’s sweetheart.
InoTec is immediately confident of meeting LAGER 3000’s wishes with the SCAMAX® 6×1 document scanner – and also of being able to offer great added value: Firstly, because the performance parameters of the “Throughput Sensation” SCAMAX® 6×1 exceed customer requirements for the most part. Secondly, because the SCAMAX® line is designed for true 24/7 production scanning, bringing its high scanning speeds to bear reliably over many hours or entire work shifts. Without stops. And without errors. In addition, the robust design and quality workmanship of the SCAMAX® 6×1 make it particularly durable: the ideal prerequisites for high-volume, long-term use in digitizing services.
“The build quality of the SCAMAX machines is very good and convinced us right from the start. At the latest when you open a device or even unscrew it, convincing processing features reveal themselves, which are definitely remarkable for production machines. In view of the supply chains that are becoming more and more important, the manufacturer’s consistent Made-in-Germany philosophy is of course also convincing.”
Thomas Cybulski, General Manager LAGER 3000
The Software Solution:
Compatible with the grown software environment.
A specific feature of LAGER 3000’s request requires a special approach: LAGER 3000 has been using Kodak Capture Pro as its capture solution for years, and – based on the software’s export output (image, metadata, XML) – has developed an extensive validation environment to meet certain customer requirements. LAGER 3000 wants to continue using this evolved software ecosystem. However, the SCAMAX® scanners are not yet integrated with Kodak Capture Pro at this time. Therefore, InoTec contacts its sales partner DYANIX. One of their outstanding competencies is to find and implement precisely fitting customer-specific solutions – independent of the software and hardware providers involved.
“Migrating the scanning software and the scanning hardware at the same time is not an option for a scanning service provider that has to serve its customers on a daily basis. We have docked many in-house developments over the years in the area of classification, quality assurance and reference systems for physical storage. These systems had to be moved along with the hardware migration.”
Thomas Cybulski, General Manager LAGER 3000
The Presale Phase:
From initial contact to test installation in three weeks.
While DYANIX creates the software-side requirements, two InoTec experts organize the integration of a first SCAMAX® 631 on site. The cooperation and communication between DYANIX, InoTec and LAGER 3000 works perfectly, and so the test installation of the SCAMAX® 631 in the specific software and validation environment of LAGER 3000 can begin just a few weeks after the initial inquiry.
“During the intensive presale phase, we received remarkably competent technical advice. From the very first moment, InoTec took great care of us and gave us the feeling that we were 100% wanted as a customer. And this, even though we were certainly not an easy prospect due to the strict requirement of integration into our existing Kodak environment.”
Thomas Cybulski, General Manager LAGER 3000
The Test Installation:
The SCAMAX® 631 delivers even more than it promises.
The SCAMAX® 6×1 can convince all along the line in the 8-week test installation and LAGER 3000 orders the first two devices. In order to achieve homogeneous scanning results during the temporary mixed operation with InoTec and Kodak scanners, the InoTec development team is making adjustments to the driver and firmware of the SCAMAX® 631. Among other things, in the area of image settings (e.g. additional features for color saturation).
“Completed by a technically as well as professionally flawlessly accompanied test installation, we had a very good feeling about being able to switch. This is not an easy decision for a service provider with an ongoing infrastructure. One is strongly attached to existing, functioning work processes and must first gain absolute trust to initiate a substantial change.”
Thomas Cybulski, General Manager LAGER 3000
The Training:
Three well-invested days.
At the same time, InoTec conducts a three-day basic and technical training course with LAGER 3000’s Head of Digitization. LAGER 3000 learns among other things:
- The correct procedure for updating the firmware and driver of the scanning system
- The arrangement and operation of the various assemblies, motors and sensors
- The execution of maintenance work incl. the recognition of reasonable preventive measures
- Independent analysis and elimination of simple faults and the adjustment and calibration measures required for this purpose
“The training of our own employees by the manufacturer is a very good offer, which we took advantage of immediately. It certainly doesn’t replace the specialist technician in every case, but it saves us a lot of money and protects us from unnecessary downtime.”
Thomas Cybulski, General Manager LAGER 3000
The Project Conclusion:
All goals achieved. And many exceeded.
With the order of the next three SCAMAX® 631, the replacement of the LAGER 3000 document scanner fleet is finally perfect – as is the result. With the InoTec scanners, LAGER 3000 can not only reliably meet all scanning SLAs with its customers again and perform scanner maintenance itself as desired: digitization projects now succeed a full 20 percent faster with the SCAMAX® 631, allowing LAGER 3000 to realize additional annual profits in the six-figure range.
The Customer Resumé:
20 percent more performance and additional annual profits in the six-figure range.
“For 300dpi scanning, we can track a performance increase of up to 20%. The 400dpi resolution is also remarkable: although it is booked less frequently, we even achieved a performance increase of over 25% here. All in all, the new scanners respond faster, work better under full load and are easier to use in everyday life. Even mundane things like removing paper crumbs, dust, etc. several times a day have been solved in a more ergonomic way. At the end of a production shift, you can easily see at a glance from the throughput that all these details lead to a significantly better result in the same amount of time.”
Thomas Cybulski, General Manager LAGER 3000
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