The Scanning Process
"Document imaging" is an industry term,
so allow us to break down exactly what it is and its benefits.
Document imaging uses state-of-the-art equipment to
scan paper documents and transform them into high-quality electronic images.
Files of any size and type (medical charts, legal documents, government agency
records, photographs) can be digitized and converted to your preferred format
(PDF, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, or BMP).
- Document
preparation. Documents
are prepped to be inventoried, scanned, and sorted by size. Staples and
paperclips are removed.
- Scanning
and document capture. Documents are converted into digital
format using advanced scanners that are high-speed but still handle
fragile files with care.
- Image
processing. Captured
images are processed and automatically edited for compression, sharpening,
and overall enhancement.
- Image
indexing. Digital
images and documents are indexed using automated techniques such as
barcode recognition or OCR
. These methods make the
search process fast and easy. Indexing allows a document to be retrievable
in seconds from among millions of files.
- Scanned
documents can be stored online on our cloud-based server, onsite on your
own server, or we can simply burn the entirety of your documents to CDs,
DVDs, a USB drive, or SFTP
. After the documents are
scanned, we can either shred the hard copies on your behalf or return them
to you.
Our team is able to convert your paper records, in
bulk, to easily searchable digital records that you will be able to upload to a
server or other digital record storage system. The text in the image is
human-readable but not machine-readable. Computers will see it as simply a
picture and not as words – for a more advanced paper to digital conversion and
search features, a document management
system may be better for your office needs.
Why Is Document Imaging Important?
Every successful business faces the same issue of
trying to maintain an ever-growing mountain of paper. Chances are your filing
cabinets are overflowing, office space is becoming limited, and it’s now an
overwhelming process to find a specific file in all the hard copy clutter.
If you relate all too well to the scene we just
described, it may be time to consider electronic imaging as an alternative
means of storing, organizing, and accessing your information. Document scanning
allows your staff to focus on productive work duties instead of aimlessly
searching for misplaced documents.
Folders and filing systems make it easier to find
our documents, and records managers organize, archive and retrieve paperwork
information. But the amount of paper keeps growing and the likelihood of
misfiled or misplaced documents increases.
Documents, data, and information are vital to any
business. If lost, it can have devastating and costly consequences.
Imagine how much more productive your employees
would be if they didn’t have to rifle through filing cabinet drawers searching
for a document. And imagine how much happier your team would be if they didn’t
have to play lost and found with piles of paperwork.
Document imaging eliminates the scavenger hunt for
files and increases the speed at which employees locate documents, allowing
your team to spend their precious time on much more valuable tasks.
Document imaging also reduces the odds that a
document will be misfiled. An old-school filing system can easily cause
confusion within the office, but it also leads to poor customer service,
miscommunication, and frustration internally. By going paperless, this time could
be spent on more useful tasks to bring in more money, rather than wasting it.
Still not convinced document imaging is right for
you? These are the five most common reasons our clients became interested in
digital documents over paper:
- Multi-location
access. Does
your business have more than one location? Home-based employees? Staff
that travels often or does a bulk of their work outside of typical office
hours? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, having a digital
archive that is searchable and accessible across platforms would be a game
changer. Thanks to remote login access and flexible work solutions, staff
members can collaborate and access documents through a secure centralized
repository no matter where they are working.
- Increase
privacy and security. Information security and privacy issues caused
by unsecured paper-based filing systems leave documents vulnerable to
unauthorized personnel. Converting paper documents into electronic files
and establishing file level permissions ensures secure access to
documents. Eliminate the risk that confidential information will fall into
the wrong hands.
- Improved
disaster recovery and business continuity. Would your business be
able to recover if a natural disaster struck and wiped out your entire
filing system? Digital preservation will give you peace of mind knowing
all of your hard copy documents are scanned and stored to an online and
offsite location, should you choose to host your files on our cloud
server.
- Adhere
to compliance requirements. Scanning documents and storing them in a
secure cloud-based server enables organizations to take advantage of
software-based security features. Our document scanning experts address
business’ individual needs and compliance
requirements
. Document scanning allows organizations to
combat compliance concerns more completely than is possible with hard copy
document storage. Boost physical, technical, and administrative safeguards
to ensure file confidentiality and availability, as well as to prevent
unauthorized or inappropriate disclosure, use, or access.
- Reduction
of physical space: Having various file cabinets and boxes
can hog a lot of space in your office. Many of our clients were able to
reduce their filing footprint in their workspace by digitizing the records
they need access to on a daily basis. The need to store paper documents in
bulky filing cabinets or offsite becomes eliminated. Use your precious
office real estate as more than just a storage room and have unlimited
scalability hosting your files online.
Bridge the Gap Between Paper and
Digital Records
Bill Gates once said, “How you gather, manage and
use information will determine whether you win or lose.” While it may seem
cliché, successful businesses are constantly looking for ways to improve
efficiencies. Many recognize that it’s time to modernize their offices and rid
themselves of out of date, inefficient, and costly paper-based storage systems.
Whether you’re just making the move to digital and
the “paperless office” or you have already converted and have been avoiding the
time-consuming task of digitizing your archived records, imaging services are a
cost-effective and timely solution.
With all of these benefits, the question is no
longer “Should your business do it?” but rather how can your company move
towards a paperless office and at a reasonable cost?
Our goal is to help you streamline the transition
from paper to paperless without all the headaches in between. If you need to
access critical documents fast, reduce document storage costs, and demonstrate
greater adherence to compliance regulations, it makes sense to consider
converting your files into electronic documents and storing them online.
If you are interested in learning more about our
imaging and scanning solutions or how we can help you update your archives,
request your demonstration from Access Systems to see these great benefits in
action.
