The Texas Engineering Extension Service was established in 1919. TEEX offers technical and vocational workforce training, manufacturing and technical assistance and technology transfer services.

As one of the largest providers of workforce training in the nation, TEEX is known for its innovative, customized programs and its hands-on and on-site training. The training solutions help more than 121,000 workers each year to upgrade their skills, become certified in their professions or learn more about new technologies.

Challenge:

Develop an online training course registration and payment system that:

• Handles online registration and scanning of registration forms and feedback form.
• Electronically stores participant course certifications with full sorting and searching capabilities
• Automates instructor scheduling

Solution:

ADC Austin provided architecture and design expertise, pre-built Web application patterns, and application development using Plex from Computer Associates, Websydian, and Kofax’s Ascent Capture.

The scanning application uses OCR to read the handwritten forms and integrate with a SQL Server database. The database is used to analyze the demographics of participants and the effectiveness of the training. Multiple scanning workstations are kept in sync with Ascent Capture’s Internet Server. TEEX has seen 50% labor savings compared to the previous hand entering of these forms.

The Online Payment and Registration System was implemented on March 19, 2003 to provide a means for TEEX students to search for a course, select a class and pay for that class using a credit card. One of the critical requirements of the system was to have live, real-time access to the student database. After receiving confirmation of payment, the student can immediately print a confirmation and receipt.

“This major effort gives our customers a new and exciting way to sign up and pay for TEEX courses, and at the same time, streamlines some of our most important agency operations,” said TEEX Director Dr. Kem Bennett. “I believe this system, along with the ongoing project to develop a new web site for TEEX, will put us well down the e-commerce path.”

About ADC Austin:

Founded in 1996, ADC Austin builds large scale mission critical systems leveraging ADC Austin as a "House of Architects" and a cost effective remote development and support facility. In the January, ADC Austin merged with eDirect Services.

ADC Austin performs the role of “Centralized Software Support” for this Registration Automation System support three of the five consortium members funded by ODP to provide emergency responder training including Counter Terrorism Operations Support in Las Vegas , Nevada and the National Center for Biomedical Research & Training in Baton Rouge , Louisiana.