Optical Image Technology Wins Process Innovation Award

STATE COLLEGE, PA: Optical Image Technology, Inc. (OIT) has recently been awarded a Kinetic Information Process Innovation Award for education for their installation in Penn State University's Human Resource Department.  Kinetic Information is a high-tech research and consulting firm that identifies and addresses critical business issues affecting the sale and use of information technology.  They began awarding their Process Innovation Awards in 1996 to  honor superior applications for their business effectiveness in six vertical markets: education, financial, government, health care, manufacturing and utilities.  

"It is an honor to be recognized by such a prestigious company," says Scott Buchart, President of OIT.  "Kinetic Information honors companies that are solving business issues such as increased productivity and profit through the use of new technology, not just electronic document management, but ANY new technology.  Since they are not industry specific, it is much more competitive and challenging."

The PSU Human Resources Department implemented the OIT system to help them collect and maintain the massive amounts of applications, cover letters and resumes they receive each year and to streamline the entire job posting and fulfillment process.  Harold Hockman, Lead Application Programmer Analyst of the HR Department and OIT devised a way to post new job openings via the Internet to all 15,000 current Penn State employees able to bid during the first stage.   New job postings are listed on an Internet site, and employees may apply simply by clicking the "submit resume" button.  The resume is linked to the job posting from a centralized database where every employee from the twenty-four campuses in Pennsylvania may store their resume and cover letter.  As Mr. Hockman stated, "it's easier to use than an ATM Machine!"  

This not only eliminates the need of the university to print and copy every cover letter and resume it receives, but it shortens the amount of time it takes to either fill the job or to open the search to non-Penn State employees (stage 2).  If the job moves onto stage 2, applications, cover letters and resumes are captured into OIT's software if they are received via email or fax,  or they are scanned into the system with OIT's document imaging module.  Since the system went live in November 1998, HR has received close to 15,000 pages electronically and has saved thousands of dollars in printing, faxing and storing needs.

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Release Date: September 20, 1999