Transcript
SOURCE TECHNOLOGIES
WHITE PAPER
CheckPartnerTM Enterprise: A Disbursement Fulfillment and Management Solution Table of Contents About This Whitepaper....................................................................................3 CheckPartner Enterprise Overview...............................................................4 Capabilities........................................................................................................4 How it Works: A Closer Look...........................................................................6 System Requirements....................................................................................10 About Source Technologies..........................................................................11
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About This Whitepaper Source Technologies creates innovative, flexible solutions that give companies the power to control transactions, disbursements, and other secure business processes through dynamic printer, software, and self-service solutions. Founded in 1986, Charlotte, N.C.-based Source Technologies is the leading provider of magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) printing solutions and consumables for check printing and other secure document applications, plus payment software applications for secure, distributed print management. Customers include FORTUNE 1000 and financial institutions of all sizes, including many of the top U.S. banks. Source Technologies is also known for its ground-breaking family of transactional and interactive kiosks that are enabling financial institutions, retailers, and governments to enhance customer experience through self-service technology. We have produced this white paper for our customers, partners, and prospects to provide an overview of CheckPartner Enterprise, a single platform for all organizational disbursements.
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CheckPartner Enterprise Overview CheckPartner Enterprise (CPE) is an ASP.NET Web-based, real-time disbursement platform, using a Microsoft SQL Server database. It manages on-demand request, approval, and printing of MICR laser checks, electronic disbursements, and other sensitive documents simultaneously from multiple locations via the Internet or within an organization’s intranet. Checks can be created by manually inserting data into data entry screens or imported from other data sources. Supporting a virtually unlimited number of item types (or disbursement items), CPE controls access to all operations. This ability allows CPE to serve as an enterprise disbursement platform capable of supporting multiple departments. Capabilities CheckPartner Enterprise provides a single platform for all disbursements within an organization. As an example, banks may use CPE to print cashiers checks at the teller line, starter checks at the platform, and loan checks in the back office. While each example has unique requirements, CPE supports them all. In addition, CPE permits secure check printing through the Internet; supporting remote printing applications including mobile insurance claim checks, remote real estate closings and remote payroll. •
CheckPartner Enterprise also supports the definition of custom views of data. With this mechanism, CPE can serve as the database of record for disbursements, and even track the changes to checks occurring outside the system. For example, reconciliation data generated by a bank can be imported to update the payment status of items. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) status and other external updates can also be implemented. This capability enables CPE to serve as a customer service platform that instantly provides the complete status of a check.
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CheckPartner Enterprise supports all business processes typically associated with check printing. These can include check serial number generation, voiding, reprinting, reporting, importing and exporting, and printing. The history of each check is retained allowing users to see when it was created, approved, printed, voided, etc.
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CheckPartner Enterprise supports the many security features of Source Technologies’ secure MICR printers. These include DES encryption, print confirmation via bi-directional PCL, OPCL, invocation of secure resources on the printer (including MICR line, secure fonts, and barcodes), and copy count and jam recovery override.
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CheckPartner Enterprise supports the creation of custom plugins; a small piece of code which customizes CPE to support customer requirements. For instance, a plug-in can be created to support a file output to a general ledger system operating on a mainframe with a specific interface. This approach satisfies the customer requirements without having to completely reconstruct CPE, thereby reducing the cost and effort of customizing the application to suit your needs.
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CheckPartner Enterprise supports Active Directory authentication of users. This capability greatly reduces the administrative burden associated with user maintenance.
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How it Works: A Closer Look In a typical configuration, a customer data source application writes a data file to a directory. CheckPartner Enterprise monitors the directory for new files, imports the files, and either prints the checks immediately or holds them in queue for approval or subsequent printing. CPE can also export files to other systems as needed. Web Interface The CheckPartner Enterprise Web Interface provides end-users with the ability to perform all the common business processes associated with check printing. • Authentication - Users may log into the system via username and password, may be defined within CPE itself, or may be defined within Active Directory. • Item Types - CPE supports an unlimited number of item types. Residing in its own database table, an item type consists of a check design, import and exports, manual-entry screens, reports, searches, etc. • Queues - In CPE, a queue is a view of checks designed for a specific purpose. The default queues are Unprinted, Printed, Voided, Issued, Approval, and Denied. Approved, unprinted checks reside in the Unprinted queue. CPE supports the creation of custom queues, including the assignment of users who can access the queue. • Printing - Checks may be selected individually for printing or can be printed all at once. CPE supports dynamic printer selection based on the value of a data field. Using this mechanism, an organization can do a batch print where checks are printed to remote printers throughout the organization simultaneously. • Approvals - CPE supports an approval process for checks. An approval may have up to 20 steps. If desired, the approver’s signature can appear on the check when it prints. Approvals may be configured to allow different users to approve checks of different dollar amounts. • Voiding - Authorized users can void a check before or after it is printed. • Manual Entry - Checks can be entered into the system via data-entry screens. These are designed to fit each customer’s specifications because customer requirements may differ.
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• Export - CPE can export data to other systems. It can write files, call web services, or exploit other software interfaces. Exports can be explicitly initiated by a user, initiated by the program, or scheduled. • Search - As a database application, CPE allows for records to be searched using any criteria. The search interface consists of plug-ins allowing customers to specify simple user-interfaces for common searches. • Reports - CPE supports reporting via the plug-in interface. This allows customers to select the reporting tool they prefer. Typically, these are SQL Reporting Services, Crystal Reports, or Active Reports. A reports’ plug-in can provide the user-interface to collect data and then pass it to the reporting engine. For instance, a user may run a report that lists all the checks for a given data range, then sort and total them. The plug-in provides the user-interface to select the date range, and then passes that information to Crystal Reports to generate the report. • History - At any time, a user can see the history of a given check including where it stands in the approval process. For example, you can search for a check and then review its history to learn if it has collected all the necessary approvals required to print. • Messages - CPE notifies end-users of print confirmations and errors which occur while processing checks. This mechanism allows simple diagnosis of problems which may occur. CheckPartner Enterprise Manager The CheckPartner Enterprise Manager (CPEM) is a separate application used by administrators to configure CPE. It provides a simple userinterface for the creation of users, groups, item types, output pages, etc. • Selection of CPE Databases - Depending on your requirements, CPE may be implemented with one or more databases. CPEM allows administrators to navigate freely between databases. • Definition of Item Types - CPEM allows administrators to create new item types. This includes the definition of the database schema, the forms (check designs), the printers, users and groups, event logs and print client service profiles.
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• Definition of Users - CPEM provides the ability to create users who can log into CPE via a Web interface. Users may be authenticated within CPE or via Active Directory. • Definition of Groups - Groups of users may be defined to share common permissions. All permissions are defined at the group level. • Event Logs - CPE writes events and errors to the event log on the server. Using CPEM, an administrator can view these events and errors in detail. This allows administrators to determine which imports and exports were completed successfully, if checks printed or failed to print, or if there are errors. • Approvals - CPEM provides the mechanism for defining how many approvals are required for a given item type, whether items below a specific dollar amount are automatically approved, and which users and groups are allowed to approve items. • Printers - CPEM allows for the definition of printers to be used for check printing. This provides complete control over which printers can be used, who can print to them, and how the printers are configured. The UNC path can be designated along with the IP address, the printer type (PCL vs. bidirectional PCL), and the printer serial number. • Queues - CPEM allows for the creation of custom queues. In a queue, you can define which database fields can be viewed and how they are sorted. Views within a queue can also be defined and users/groups can be assigned to the view. • Imports - Imports of data into CPE are accomplished by defining an import plug-in. Plug-ins can be considered in CPEM. The plugin specifies how an incoming file is parsed and its fields written to the database. This definition is implemented as simple XML, avoiding costly custom programming. There is no limit to the number of imports allowing CPE to interface with any number of data sources. • Serial Number Ranges - Every check requires a check number (serial number). These can be sent to CPE in the incoming data file or can be assigned by CPE as the checks print. CPEM provides the mechanism for defining the serial number ranges. A multitude of approaches are supported.
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• Permissions - CPEM provides the mechanism for defining which groups of users can perform certain operations on a check. Permissions can include printing, reprinting, voiding, approval, manual-entry, update, exports, search, and run reports. Once logged into the system, users are taken to a Web page that lists all item types they are allowed to use. Permissions may be different for each item type. • Print Limits - With CPEM, administrators can define the maximum amount for which an item type can be printed. It can also track the daily total for a given item type. These features limit check fraud. • Member Criteria - CPEM allows for criteria to be defined to determine which checks a user can see. Print Service The CheckPartner Enterprise Print Service controls check printing. When a user presses the Print button, the print service reads the underlying data, converts it to compressed, encrypted XML, converts it to PCL, connects to the printer, and prints the job. If bidirectional communications are used, the printer passes the print confirmation back to the print service which subsequently updates the database. This mechanism is simple, reliable, and allows for centralized or remote printing. For example, one instance of the print service installed on the server would permit printing to any printer on the network. By installing an instance of the print service at remote offices, a location where CPE is running could connect through the Internet and print to those printers. The print service would call a CPE Web service to determine if any print jobs are waiting, and then download them via SSL to print.
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System Requirements Web Server •
Windows 2003 server or later, current service packs
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1GHz Pentium III or higher
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512 MB RAM
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500 MB available disk space
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CD/DVD-ROM
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Microsoft® Internet Explorer 6 or higher, current service packs
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Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0
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.Net Framework v2.0
Database Server •
Windows 2003 server or later, current service packs
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SQL server 2000 or later, current service packs
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1GHz Pentium III or higher
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512 MB RAM
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500 MB available disk space
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CD/DVD-ROM
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SQL Server 2000
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*.Net Framework v2.0
* Only required if CheckPartner Enterprise services are installed on the database server.
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About Source Technologies Founded in 1986, Charlotte, N.C.-based Source Technologies provides integrated solutions for controlling financial transactions and other secure business processes within the financial services industry and FORTUNE 1000 companies. Clients include several of the top 10 banks and many of the world’s largest securities companies. Source Technologies’ value proposition goes well beyond hardware and software. As thought leaders in teh field of paper and electronic disbursements, we ensure delivery of successful solutions by providing: •
Deep domain expertise in the flexible design and delivery of back-office and customer-facing applications in a variety of banking and retail environments.
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Over 20 years of software implementation, API/Host integration, logistics fulfillment, installation, and customer service to hundreds of large and mid-size banks, Fortune 1000 companies, federal and state governments, and other clients.
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Extensive ASC X9AB committee work in setting check and Image Replacement Document printing and processing standards.
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Packaged solutions for secure, real-time management of MICR laser checks, electronic disbursements, and other sensitive documents on-demand, with centralized approval and process control.
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Print platforms with virtually unlimited scalability and advanced control features for high-volume environments, including thread management and load balancing.
SOURCE TECHNOLOGIES
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To learn more about Source Technologies’ Secure Print solutions, visit Sourcetech.com.
2910 Whitehall Park Dr | Charlotte, NC 28273 | toll free 800.922.8501 | Sourcetech.com
