The Noticing Center, developed by BAE Systems Information Technology, automates and streamlines the bankruptcy noticing process for the Administrative Office of the US Courts (AOUSC), serving 88 Federal Bankruptcy court districts nationwide.  The Noticing Center reduces costs, processing time, and errors by integrating sophisticated software system technology, end-to-end centralized services, and high-volume distribution capabilities.

Each year, approximately 1.5 million individuals and businesses file bankruptcy.  The courts have an obligation to notify creditors of bankruptcy case proceedings in a timely manner.  Prior to the inception of the Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC) contract in 1993, bankruptcy courts processed and disseminated notices from each site via a dispersed and costly federal processing system.  Today, under the BNC contract, one noticing center serves 98 percent of the US Federal Bankruptcy court system.

How does it work?   The Noticing Center receives electronic and hardcopy case information at our Reston, Virginia processing facility.  An electronic acknowledgement is returned to the court for each case, upon verification.  Electronic case and creditor address data is transferred to a BAE Systems-developed database, processed, and merged with the applicable, stored noticing forms.  Hardcopy case data is scanned and translated to the same standardized, noticing formats.  Some notices are then automatically transmitted to recipients electronically, depending on recipient capabilities.  Notices being delivered via hardcopy are electronically transferred to one of two redundant, contracted, printing facilities where they are printed in postal sort order for mailing.  Print facility personnel monitor and control the printing and assembling process using a BAE Systems-designed, tailorable, task tracking and management system.

Efficiency and Savings.   Centralizing the noticing process has effected significant savings for the AOUSC.  Several measures are also auto-executed by the system during processing to maximize efficiency and quality.  Recipient addresses are standardized by adding ZIP+4 codes for delivery accuracy.  Notices being delivered to duplicate addresses are co-mingled.  The system inserts POSTNET barcode information compatible with United States Postal Service (USPS) mail piece scanning equipment.  USPS-approved software is used to postal sort the notices for routing efficiency.  Postal sorting also enables the Noticing Center to offer average postage savings of 20%.   Employing electronic delivery options eliminates postage costs altogether.

Volume and Speed.   The Noticing Center processes notices 365 days a year.  Approximately 450,000 notices are processed each day.   Notices delivered in hardcopy are printed at an average rate of 300 mail pieces per minute.  USPS facilities are co-located with Noticing Center printing plants in Logan, Utah and Thurmont, Maryland, ensuring immediate distribution of notices via First Class Mail.

The AOUSC requires that BAE Systems process and distribute notices within 48 hours of receipt, with 100% accuracy.  Recipients with the appropriate technological resources may now receive notices electronically.  By signing a "Noticing Agreement" with each court district, recipients may receive documents via email, facsimile transmission, or Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).  In this case, the 48-hour delivery time is then reduced to less than a day, often just a few hours, while ensuring a reliable, traceable process.  If timely electronic delivery is not confirmed by the recipient, the notice is then processed and distributed via the US mail.

Tracking. The Noticing Center offers an internet site via which authorized court personnel may track and reference case and notice distribution information.   Once a batch of case information is received, it is posted to the site, by district, using a unique identifier for each batch of cases.   Each batch is linked to the associated case and notice information by case number.  Each case record is updated with a delivery date once the associated notices have been transmitted/mailed.  A copy of any individual notice may be accessed and reviewed in Portable Document Format (PDF), as well as the Certificate of Service for each case that confirms notice delivery.  Court site users may also access a summary of case history by case number, which is maintained for reference by the system for 90 days.