How to minimize fax expenditures?

The FaxChange administrator can with a basic configuration change lower fax transmission expenditures. In this document we will show how this can be achieved.

ADS set-up

ADS is short for "Automatic Delayed Sending " which allows the delay of outgoing messages until a given advantageous time. With the aid of ADS it is possible to configure the system so as to prioritise faxes, therefore sending low priority messages during the night under lower cost conditions

How does ADS work

ADS works in the following way: FaxChange at the exact moment a fax is posted 'looks 'in to the ADS table to establish if ADS is configured for a defined scheduled transmission and if so delays its transmission until that time. The ADS tables perform selections according to the telephone number to which the fax is to be transmitted. Standard configuration of FaxChange creates three ADS tables:

international.ads - for all international calls
intercity.ads - for all inter-town calls
default.ads - for all calls within a town area and unknown prefixes.

How is ADS configured ?

Configuration of ADS is possible through the programme fxCfg. Within ADS are found two folders which drive the configuration process; "ADS" a "International and intercity calls".

Individual ADS tables are configured within the "ADS" menu bookmark. We recommend (considering telephone call charges) to configure the software such that faxing during the day be defined as normal and high priority and during the night as all. The diagram below illustrates the recommended configuration.

The diagram shows clearly the configuration procedure allowing peak time (working days 0700 - 1900) faxing to transmit high / normal priority faxes only and off-peak time faxing (lower call charges) to transmit "ALL".

Control of the ADS editor is easy - press the button of the required configuration subject and mark it (e.g. RED = only faxes with high / normal priority) Holding SHIFT during the marking process creates a user-defined rectangular selection box.

If somebody sends a fax with a low priority definition during the afternoon it will automatically be delayed until 1900 - the start of the off-peak period.

If telephone charges for example are higher around midday than at other times (e.g. Hungary) we recommend that only faxes of high priority be sent at such times, high / normal priority faxes sent during lower charge periods (morning and afternoon) and all faxes sent during the night (after 1900).

Modify all three ADS tables (international.ads, intercity.ads, default.ads) using the above method.

I want to establish a specific ADS table for a certain state...

It is possible for example that during the period 1600 to 2000 calling to a particular state is problematical - local telephone lines are overloaded due to a possible time differential. During these operational times it is sensible to establish a specific ADS table for the state in question.

Initially within the ADS menu bookmark we must create a new ADS table and configure it the correct way according to our needs - in this case from 1600-2000 we configure it as white (no faxes for transmission) or red (transmission of faxes only with high priority rating). Following this, in the menu bookmark "International and intercity calls" we will find and establish a record for the aimed state and then select the correct ADS table in the column ADS.

How to save on Faxmailing ?

The largest portion of fax resources results from the transmission process - the deliverance of one document to a number of different addressees. FaxChange contains a special configuration option for faxmailing.

Contained in the register is the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/ Software/Datasys/ FaxChange/global/server containing the following attributes:

fm_changeover - defines from any number of addressees which is to be identified as faxmailing. The standard installation is set as 10.
fm_newpriority - which priority should faxmailing be set to. The standard installation is set as "low" (other option is "normal")

After successful installation, FaxChange is already set-up so that having more than 10 fax addressees will automatically reduce the priority to "low". If the ADS table is intelligently configured faxmailing consequently will be automatically delayed until night time.

How to inspect fax expenses

A further important part of fax cost reduction is inspection, how much was faxed and by who in financial terms. FaxChange of course allows such inspection capabilities with help of the programme fxCostM. This programme is a purchasable add-on option from version 3.0 onwards.

FaxRouter

If your company operates a number of nation-wide or international branches installing FaxRouter causes an increase in financial efficiency since it can re-transmit faxes via the internet to such branches from which in turn maybe re-faxed (traditionally) to the ultimate addressee for the lowest charge.

See this document.