When a business prepares millions of personalized letters every day, the decision to adopt a new composition tool is no small step. Converting every single page to the new software without mistakes is an overwhelming prospect.

When collection mail specialists CompuMail Information Services transitioned to a new composition tool, Compart’s DocBridge Delta software helped them quickly and accurately compare old and new versions of thousands of document templates.

As a result, what could have been nearly impossible is being accomplished quickly and accurately, with minimal labor and expense.

Half a Million Personalized Letters a Day

CompuMail Information Services helps clients collect delinquent receivables, from medical accounts, checks and student loans to bankcard, telecommunications and retail collections.

As one of the largest companies in its field, CompuMail Information Services prints and mails about half a million personalized collection letters a day for more than 450 clients throughout North America.

The variable communications are based on templates. Every day, clients send files with name, address and amount owed. The data is merged into a template designed and maintained for that client.

Migrating Over 1,000 Templates

CompuMail selected a new document composition package to make it easier to build templates, try different paper, work with color to update logos, and even let customers make some of their own changes.

Each CompuMail Information Services’ client had up to 200 templates to be migrated to the new platform. During migration to the new tool, they had to ensure the rebuilt output was error free, and that all templates matched. The outcome would affect quality control, and the object types and resources used internally. Without DocBridge Delta, the job would have been a lengthy, tedious, error-prone process.

Taking the Worry Out of Change

DocBridge Delta is well suited to managing transitions of high-volume variable production jobs. Users can quickly compare each page without manually printing it and visually examining every line, because the software does it for them. Users can convert a given document to another format or application, while ensuring the content and its presentation correspond to the original.

DocBridge Delta has helped CompuMail Information Services make this important transition with greater speed and accuracy, deployment flexibility and true platform portability. As a result, customers can focus on their business, without worrying about the integrity of their outbound correspondence.

Document Differences Quickly Identified, Quickly Corrected

Even with the same file size and name, when files are not identical at the bit level, it’s difficult to determine if the content and layout of the file remain identical across versions. Document objects defined in the file, along with their attributes must be analyzed. DocBridge Delta solves the problem, either by displaying differences visually, or by producing a list of discrepancies.

DocBridge Delta compares two files and generates a PDF showing all the differences between old and new systems. Users can quickly see any differences such as wrong logos, fonts changes, drifting copy and shifting margins. When DocBridge finds a discrepancy, further investigation can reveal the problem, such as mapping a name into the dollar field in the new template. With this information, errors can quickly be corrected.

DocBridge Delta compares two files and produces a PDF document that lets users immediately see all differences between output from the old and new versions. For example, they can quickly catch and correct a wrong logo, font changes, copy drift, font size, and margin inconsistencies.

DocBridge Delta allows global checks combined with detailed intra-page comparisons that include font, text, color and graphics checking. Additionally, it provides tolerances and “ignore” areas, making the “compare” results immediately useful. 

In addition to iteration and regression testing use case, DocBridge Delta addresses document compliance requirements and document lifecycle checks to ensure what goes into an archive is what comes out. All the while, the software takes cycles out of new application workflow.

“DocBridge Delta has saved us countless hours and lets us proceed confidently with this large and exacting project of migrating our customers’ documents to the new composition tool,” said CompuMail Information Services CIO Carl Grant. “Our general efficiencies are stronger, and we can focus the business on other things, such as pushing the migration to the new software to meet our clients’ needs. All this makes us more competitive and agile in the marketplace.”

Greater Efficiency for CSRs and Programmers

At CompuMail Information Services, customer service representatives are currently the main users of DocBridge Delta template building and modifying. In addition, the tool helps programmers replace old barcodes and embed the new Intelligent Mail Barcode into letters. DocBridge Delta ensures nothing else in the letter changes.

CompuMail has seen significant results in general efficiencies. “This is one tool that lets us do what we need to do quickly and efficiently,” said Grant. “The alternative would be to print every page and hold each one up to a light. With DocBridge Delta, we generate the file on the computer, and the software spits out a pdf showing any differences.”

From Raw Engine to Perfect Comparison Tool

“We saw DocBridge Delta at a summer trade show and implemented it in the fall. It’s been very easy to use and install. We didn’t have to do many things, and most support questions have been handled via email,” said Grant.

CompuMail acquired DocBridge Delta as a raw engine and found it was not at all difficult to integrate the software into their proprietary programs. CompuMail wrote their own programming to integrate the package, and it proved easy for developers to work with the Compart software.

“There is one processor server, and it takes whatever you throw at it. Everyone puts their old and new files into a DocBridge Delta folder. We just wrote the program to recognize this and crunch it through,” he explained.

Many Format Choices, But Just Buy What You Need

“We know DocBridge Delta can ingest many different formats, but what we use is very simple,” said Grant. Users input two different PostScript files and output PDF for comparison. “What is nice is pricing was done by component. We can buy just what we need. In our case, a module for PostScript in and PDF output, not a full package with support for many formats.”

While it will take at least a year to convert all the applications, the work now proceeds as efficiently and accurately as possible. At every step, CompuMail Information Services delivers a high standard of service and quality, while customers benefit from the best possible solution for the revenue-generating letters.

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