At a Glance
A digital pen connector provides the link between the raw data collected by the digital pen and the enterprise systems that use the data to get things done.
Accenture Technology Labs' R&D professionals have been working with digital pen and paper since the technology's inception, developing ways to translate a consumer-focused product into a tool that companies in various industries as well as governments can use to enhance their performance.
And while digital pen and paper technology is proving to be a valuable tool for one-on-one transactions, the technology has not been shaped to address complex processes such as technical sales or service calls—the same processes that organizations rely on Siebel applications to help manage.
The digital pen connector enables Siebel users to increase productivity and boost the performance of their mission-critical sales and services applications.
The Technology
Digital pen and paper technology offers the portability of traditional paper and pen, with the added benefit of a computer's ability to store, share and act upon information collected.
The pen, equipped with a miniature camera, writes on paper that is printed with a unique digital pattern. As the pen writes, it tracks what is being written, where on the page, when and by whom, and stores this content electronically. When finished, it transmits what it has saved to a central computer for sharing and processing. Additionally, as each pen has a unique identifier, all content recorded can be traced back to its source.
Accenture Technology Labs, with its 16-year history of transforming technology innovation into business results, is making the connection between technology and an organization's existing core systems—such as Siebel applications—through the digital pen connector.
The digital pen connector provides the link between the raw data collected by the pen and the enterprise systems that use the data to get things done. The tool leverages technology developed by Standard Register's ExpeData, which downloads the information from the pen to the PC, checks it for accuracy and converts it to standard XML formatting. Once the information is captured and validated by Standard Register's ExpeData, the digital pen connector uploads the XML data to populate fields within Siebel applications.
Not only does the connector get the data to the right place within a variety of Siebel applications, it also increases the accuracy of the data that goes in. Using Standard Register's ExpeData advanced character recognition and a dynamic database, the tool can compare a person’s handwriting to a list of likely words given the context, narrowing the universe of possible entries. Here are just some of the ways Siebel users could benefit from a digital pen connector:
Salesforce Reports Real-time
The digital pen connector extends the efficiency of the Siebel Sales application all the way to sales meetings.
Consider a sales professional working on a complex, technical deal. While taking notes or sketching out a drawing on a sales call with a digital pen and paper, the sales person transmits the information by syncing the pen in a special ink well connected to her computer, or by using Bluetooth mobile technology on a cell phone. Immediately, her notes can be shared with the product engineers to begin working on potential solution, with procurement to begin pricing, and with the legal group to work on the terms of the deal.
Because the micro-printed paper works like a Web page interface, a checked box on the printed form can trigger an action, such as scheduling a follow-up meeting with the client or the internal team working on the sale.