Workflow system fine for traffic police

Workflow system fine for traffic police

New South Wales Police's handling of traffic infringements, parking fines and tickets, will get a boost from a new workflow and imaging technology.

A new infringement management processing system (IMPS) system, together with the technology at NSW Police's Infringement Processing Bureau's (IPB) core operations, will see around 6,000 infringement tickets and 2,000 letters of correspondence imported per day to electronic form. These electronic images will then be managed automatically by the system to improve the efficiency of collecting fines.

IPB expect the implementation of a new workflow and imaging technology, from Tower Technology and Plexus Software, to enable the bureau to more efficiently manage incoming customer and commercial client correspondence. While traditional methods of communicating with the IPB will remain in place, the new system will allow members of the public to pay fines over the Web and also to submit queries and correspondence via email.

Ian Rea, IMPS project manager, said, "There is a clear direction on the part of the bureau to adopt technological alternatives to paper-based manual processes."

"The new system will assist the bureau in meeting Government directives to move certain functions out of Sydney," Rea said.

The bureau's core operations are now based in Maitland, about 160km from Sydney in Northern New South Wales, creating 150 job opportunities in the region.

Noel Jones, managing director Tower Technology, said the company's eProcess Objects - which incorporates workflow and imaging technology - will be key in streamlining the processing of letters and in reducing the time taken to collect outstanding payment of fines.

Jones said more than 150 bureau employees will have access to customer records immediately on the desktop via a single browser interface, "improving the ability to respond to customer queries and chase outstanding fines".

"Using Tower Document Portal with Plexus FloWare, infringement notices are instantly available on the Internet for a number of issuing parties including: police, parking patrols and local councils," Jones said.

The new system will initially concentrate on traffic penalties; however the system could be used for speed and red light camera offences in the future, Jones said.

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