Skipping the printer
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I figured I needed to break out my own thread to talk about ways to solve my printing issue.
Currently we gain legal access to outside vendors systems, print off the desired material - could save to PDF if wanted - and close the site.
There is no other way go get the information.
The current workflow is to print the documents off, hand them to a reviewer, then send them to another department to scan into a backend system.
My thinking/desire would be to get the documents as PDFs, image format that is stored in a centralized location, then an app or something that will check that location depending on the reviewer something like an iPad.
An app would be the greatest. the reviewer logs into the app - the app automatically checks the central place and downloads anything of desire there. The reviewer can then flip through the pages and delete as desired.
I suppose this could be done if Adobe Reader or some other PDF program can automatically open the next file without the need to pick a file and open it each time.
Think about a stack of paper - you never need to open anything - it's instantly readable the moment you pickup the stack. When you add more things to the bottom of the stack, you just keep flipping pages and you'll get to the new pages, again without having to do anything new (i.e. opening more files).
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So do you want the stack of paper to instantly open on the iPad or whatever device?
I'm a bit confused about what specifically you're looking for, I kind of have the idea, but immediately I want to say "Print if off as a PDF" and just save it to the desired location.
Which all of your mobile devices would then be configured to access with whatever permissions needed.
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You are describing a simple document management system.
Many vendors offer things like this. Add meta data to each document as they are saved and then you have a searchable way to find things forever.
Obvious DIY answer: Sharepoint site
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To use any document management system, would simply require the person entering the document to save the PDF into the right location and add the meta data so it can be found.
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the problem with PDFs the reviewer will have to open each new one as they come along. While I want them to have this requirement - can't have it.
and a single PDF can't be appended to while it's open.. so that's a no go.
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@JaredBusch said:
To use any document management system, would simply require the person entering the document to save the PDF into the right location and add the meta data so it can be found.
I understand this - and that portion will be handled by the last bit
then send them to another department to scan into a backend system.
But this is unacceptable to the reviewer. They just want a pad that does nothing but show the stack of paper with no further interaction other than flicking to the next page, or deleting pages.
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The app in my mind would be as follows.
On something the size of an iPad, it would be full screen.
It would show one page at a time, and you can swipe it off screen, left or right (and arrows like you see on google photos) to advance to the next or previous page.
A button to allow you to delete the page.on the back end.
User prints PDF or whatever file type is needed and saves that file to a network location that is unique to each reviewer. The app, based on logon, attaches to the designated network path and downloads the files.
An additional nice component would be a process that grabs all things saved to this location and forwards them to the staff doing the last step, adding it to the backend system.
