The Independent Training & Education Centre (ITEC), a Wales-based training provider, is revolutionising the way that it records and processes information by equipping its staff with a digital pen that enables forms to be transmitted instantly via mobile devices.
ITEC has awarded a contract to Destiny, which specialises in mobile data communications, to supply the pens, which eliminate the need to photocopy, scan, fax, post, re-type and manually file documents. ITEC intends to use the technology for greater speed, security, quality of service, productivity and job satisfaction.
With offices in Cardiff and Porth and a staff of 70, ITEC has a 3.7 million contract with the Welsh Assembly Government to provide key skills training for around 4,000 people this year, many in the 14 to 19 age group. It also provides bespoke training programmes for private businesses, helping to improve skill levels, customer service and performance.
ITECs staff previously had to fill in 17 forms for every trainee. As well as streamlining administration, ITEC says the move will also demonstrate its responsibility towards the environment – the Welsh Assembly Government is encouraging its suppliers to become carbon-neutral.
The Destiny solution combines a digital pen with a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone. Trainers fill out forms using a pen with a tiny infra-red camera in the nib that can take a hundred pictures per second of pen strokes. Users write on special paper that is pre-digitised with a unique dot matrix pattern and an ability to recognise the persons handwriting. The user then simply ticks a Send box to transmit the information via a mobile phone to Destinys secure servers, where it is converted into a data file and transferred to ITECs main back office system.
This system will enable us to reduce the time taken to process a document from one week to about 60 seconds, with all the benefits that will bring, says ITEC Finance Director, Steve Doyle.
ITEC runs modern apprenticeship, NVQ and VRQ courses in health & social care, construction, child care, contact centre activities, customer service, business administration, retail and health & safety for all age groups. More than 400 courses, many bilingual, are provided online.
Managing director Stephen Brangwyn says:
Providing training to large numbers of people takes a lot of administration. By streamlining the process, we aim to free up our assessors and trainers, especially those working in the field, to concentrate more on service delivery. The potential is there with this technology to include everything from contracts and minutes of meetings to risk assessments and accident reports.
Introduction to Destiny. Read