Measured Progress steigt auf Farbscanner um und verringert seine Kosten

E D U C AT I O N C U S T O M E R P R O F I L E Measured Progress adds color — cuts costs SITUATION Old scanners cramped style, are sent to Measured Progress’ warehouses for storage. Measured Progress needed to replace added costs As the nation’s leading provider of alternate Once the images are on the network, Measured its bitonal scanning system with a Progress uses its Measured Progress ScanQuest assessments for students with moderate-to- full-color scanner that would allow severe disabilities, Measured Progress holds Extraction Software to retrieve all open-response them to create images in a variety of contracts in 24 states and two large-city school item (short- and long-answer and essay) data formats. The company also wanted to districts. The not-for-profit based in Dover, NH and sends it to its proprietary iScore system for free itself from the limitations of its and its staff of 375 is dedicated to improving image scoring by human readers, and then to the instruction and student learning in standards- Research & Analysis department for analysis and current scanning system, which only based classrooms. evaluation. The extraction process also pulls out recognized documents printed with all optical mark recognition data from multiple- proprietary printing specifications The company scores tests and conducts choice items and sends them directly to Research and TIFF-formatted images (that extensive psychometrics — research and analysis & Analysis. require a licensed viewer to preview). — on the results and data to help school districts improve student learning. With Measured Progress’ old black-and-white scanning system, if a student didn’t press his or Until recently, Measured Progress relied on its her pencil hard enough on the answer document, OBJECTIVE previous scanners to capture images of test- or didn’t use a #2 pencil, the image would drop Capture full-color JPEG images at the answer documents. But its old scanners only out. The readers and researchers received blank highest speed possible without losing produced TIFF-formatted images. As Measured pages to analyze. When this happened, they had image quality, reduce printing costs Progress improved its processes and systems, it to initiate a time-consuming, labor-intensive associated with previous scanner would soon need a licensed image viewer to use search mission to locate the original test booklet the TIFF images. and find out whether it was really blank … solution, and have the ability to use or merely the result of a student with multiple print vendors for print jobs. “We wanted to reduce our costs and that meant “light” handwriting. finding innovative ways to display images,” notes Chris Picou, Director of Product and Project SOLUTION Development, Measured Progress. Problem solved via greater speed 24 Kodak i840 Scanners, Measured “Our old scanners only recognized documents and higher quality Progress ScanQuest Custom Capture printed on the manufacturer’s proprietary When planning the upgrade from a bitonal to a and Extraction Software. printers. We were tied into specific printers and color scanner, Measured Progress tested image viewers, and unable to shop for the most numerous scanners from other manufacturers. competitive solutions,” says Eric Gilbert, Imaging COMMENT “But only the Kodak i840 Scanner Manager, Measured Progress. “Our Kodak Scanner solution is provided the combination of high speed outstanding. We’ve gone from Full-color JPEGs and exceptional, full-color image quality,” running small-scale contracts on two eliminate the blank page says Gilbert, “along with ease of use and machines to running 95 percent of all Each day, following test administration periods, responsive customer service.” answer documents on 24 machines Measured Progress receives hundreds of boxes of “There were a few other scanners that came up to 24 hours a day, with the test answer documents from school districts close to the speed of the Kodak i840 Scanner, capacity to scan 1,000,000 sheets around the country. Measured Progress cuts but they were difficult and cumbersome to per day.” each booklet into individual sheets of paper. Then operate. This scanner is the easiest, quietest, and ~Eric Gilbert, scanning operators scan each sheet with bar most intuitive machine we’ve found. Our working Imaging Manager, Measured Progress code and batch numbers, helping to keep environment has improved dramatically because individual tests and entire bundles in proper of the reduced noise level.” order. After scanning, the original documents “Now, with our Kodak i840 Scanners, if we need to resolve an issue with a test booklet, we use our JPEG image viewer; type in a 10-digit code that includes the contract, batch, and serial number; and we instantly see the color document. We no longer have to dig in boxes to find original booklets,” notes Gilbert. Kodak resolves a sticky situation Soon after implementing its Kodak Scanner Solution, Measured Progress noticed image inconsistencies, which can cause a wide range of problems. Inconsistencies can occur because students often add debris to test sheets, such as eraser bits, gum, sticky fingers, lip gloss, peanut butter and jelly, etc. This debris gets collected on the imaging guides and can lead to inconsistent image capture. “We told Kodak about the problem and soon Kodak’s Field Engineers and Technicians came Eric Gilbert (left) and Chris Picou of Measured Progress with one of their Kodak i840 Scanners used out to see us scan and witnessed the problem to capture test results. firsthand. Then, over the course of a year, these engineers worked closely with our imaging staff to make special modifications to “Kodak treats our business the cameras and imaging guides. These as if it were their own” modifications significantly reduced the “While Kodak worked on our debris issue, we amount of image inconsistencies we were also noticed some color inconsistencies where experiencing,” remarks Gilbert. every once in a while images would change As a result of Kodak’s diligence, and their color, for example, dark green to light green. engineers’ innovative glass imaging guides These inconsistencies can affect the data with hollow tops, image inconsistencies are output. We told Kodak and they fixed it within no longer an issue. a couple of weeks,” reports Gilbert. Measured Progress feels confident knowing Open to the future Kodak backs its products with high-quality As mentioned earlier, one of the primary maintenance agreements and quick features Measured Progress looked for in a response times. new scanning solution was the ability to use generic printers and image viewers. Kodak’s “We sleep well knowing Kodak will fix scanning solution provided exceptional, high- any problem right away. Their quality images that can be recognized by any technicians are knowledgeable and printer. This allowed the company to move to truly concerned about our business,” more competitive print vendors for their back- The flagship Kodak i800 Series Scanners end printing.