The client utilized fax technology to send and receive the majority of its written Prior Authorization correspondence. While most outgoing faxes took advantage of the electronic fax gateway, incoming faxes did not.

Inbound faxes were printed on paper-based fax machines. They were then triaged and routed for review and approval based on priority. Frequently, pages are added as additional information is gathered. This labor-intensive process was identified as inefficient and potentially risky. Paper was handled by multiple individuals before reaching its destination and was often delayed. Documents were periodically misplaced or misdirected (or even lost). No off-site copies were retained to prevent the loss of critical records in the event of a catastrophe.
Our team conducted several review sessions with business and IT. Using IBM FileNet products, we were able to:

• Extended the electronic fax gateway to include incoming documents, and eliminate paper
• Leveraged the IBM FileNet BPM products to streamline the business processes and provide tracking and accountability for each specific LOB/group
• Captured and archived inbound and outbound faxes and supporting documents to a compliant repository to insure regulatory requirements were met
• Utilized clients Magnetic Storage (MSAR) system to replicate the archived documents off-site, prevented the loss of critical records and ensured rapid disaster recovery

The end results, we streamlined their internal processes, helped the client implement a disaster recovery plan and address newly mandated compliance requirements. We prompted the business team to explore alternative approaches for handling inbound faxes.
Over 700 users across three different locations can now access and process over 20,000 faxes per day. All the major compliance and disaster recovery issues are now addressed as information is kept on multiple sites. Users are extremely pleased with reduced number of steps as the inbound fax automation logic now detects and handles most exception conditions. The client was able to allow some of its pharmacist to work from home!