Merkle Response Services

Leading database marketing agency gains operations flexibility and efficiency using ItemAge remittance solution from Creditron.

As a leading database marketing company, with one of the largest full-service caging and lockbox service centers, Merkle Response Services must efficiently handle incoming payments, donations and related remittance documents, regardless of size and shape.

Merkle Response Services receives, scans, processes and deposits more than 50 million payments and donations each year on behalf of its clients. It offers its clients a variety of products and services to meet their remittance and donations processing challenges.

"Our clients range from large national non-profit fundraising organizations to county and city governments," explained Bill Sayre, President of Merkle Response Services. "Therefore, the incoming payments, donations and documentation that we handle on behalf of our clients vary greatly in size and shape. We needed a solution that could readily adapt and grow with our clients' needs and support the delivery of transaction images to our clients." Problem was, Merkle was using a homegrown remittance platform that couldn’t keep up with the company’s growth and functionality demands. It needed a modern and adaptive solution.

Challenge

• Processing needs varied greatly in size and shape
• In-house remittance platform was unable to keep up with company’s growth
• Remittance platform’s functionality was limited

Solution

After an extensive evaluation of solutions available on the market, Merkle Response Services chose the ItemAge image-based remittance platform from Creditron. ItemAge is scalable, parameter-driven software designed to automate critical payment processing functions, including data capture, document handling and data processing.

The software features capabilities for power encode and read-and-key operation; multi-stub and multi-check handling; data entry for list bill and check-only processing; two-pass data capture and power encode; image keying; amount recognition; mark sense; in-line account lookup; cash, float and endpoint breakout; and multi-transport and multi-site processing.

Merkle selected ItemAge based on a successful product demonstration, the proximity of Creditron’s offices to Merkle’s operations center and the positive impression that ItemAge made on a key decision-maker when he was with another company. Sayre added that, "ItemAge provided the flexibility and scalability that we required."

ItemAge enables Merkle to process payment transactions according to each client’s unique business rules, and to generate a bank deposit so funds are available as quickly as possible.

ItemAge also supports a broad range of scanning equipment and item-processing transports, which enables Merkle to image documents using the most efficient mix of hardware. While Merkle began with relatively small remittance volumes processed on low-speed TS400 transports, the company's volumes have increased dramatically. It now uses a wide variety of capture equipment, all integrated with its ItemAge software platform.

Once payments and donations are scanned, ItemAge is designed to automate much of the processing by employing technologies such as optical character recognition (OCR), courtesy and legal amount recognition (CAR/LAR), and intelligent character recognition (ICR). In cases where a transaction requires additional processing steps, ItemAge supports multiple workflow methodologies so various functions can be performed based on the job type.

The Future

Building on its success, Creditron is assisting Merkle with a leading-edge implementation of Agissar Ace triple-cut mail extraction technology. Using ACE, mail is automatically opened, extracted and moved to a belt for imaging. Items then are imaged using a "no need to orient" (NNTO) approach. ItemAge automatically identifies the MICR line on scanned items, regardless of the scan orientation of the check. Incorrectly oriented checks are directed in batches to pockets on Merkle’s iTran transports for a second pass.

"As a leading lockbox service provider, Merkle required a solution that could accommodate complex transaction types, automate a high percentage of the work and otherwise streamline what has traditionally been a time-consuming and paper-intensive process," said Creditron Receivables Automation President Wally Vogel. “Efficiently supporting Merkle’s growing volumes and

Business Benefits

• Provided a flexible platform to support the company's dramatic growth
• Powerful performance to handle complex payments
• Accelerated remittance processing and funds availability
• Delivered significant labor savings in remittance processing and mail handling
• Streamlined document modification and setup and staff training
• Highest levels of reliability and availability
• Provided a consistent user experience across capture devices