Digitizing documents is the way business is done today. The volume of paper has become unmanageable, and properly scanned and saved files are much easier to retrieve when needed. Depending on the size of your business you may want to purchase a scanner or hire a scanning service to manage the process. Compared to handling paper copies, it is more efficient and safer to scan and store documents digitally.
A highly functional portable scanner can be purchased for close to two thousand dollars. Since the machine is portable, the employee performing the scanning can do other administrative tasks such as taking calls and entering data. This plan will only be adequate for a very small business. Most businesses will need to hire a service to scan their paper files.
Unless businesses want to continually devote staff time to scanning, it is best to outsource this work to a scanning service. When shopping for a service there are important things to consider other than the cost of the service. Make sure that the service is PCI, Payment Card Industry, and HIPAA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, certified and compliant. Without this assurance your business will be unnecessarily exposed to penalties and lawsuits.
Some services will have their personnel come to your office to do the work. Others will want you to ship boxes of files to them for scanning and saving. Certainly the first option is more secure, but a business may not have the space to accommodate another workstation. The irony is that once all these paper files have been scanned and the file cabinets eliminated, the business will have room for another work station.
A well planned naming protocol is essential before the files are scanned. If files are not properly organized, they may not be retrievable. When engaging a scanning service make sure that you have agreed upon a naming protocol that will work for your business and their software.
The company you hire for scanning will store the files in a cloud back up. It is important that redundancy back up systems also be put into place. The process of backing up must be automated. If it requires human intervention, it will not be reliable. The service you hire will have the hardware, software and technical expertise to manage the back up systems. The initial scanning is a big accomplishment, but the process of maintenance will continue.
As for the paper files, most companies will have them shredded. Again, make sure the service shredding the documents is PCI and HIPAA certified. Storing paper files will create another ongoing expense, so if appropriate, shredding is preferred. Employee training is needed to ensure easy retrieval of scanned documents.
A highly functional portable scanner can be purchased for close to two thousand dollars. Since the machine is portable, the employee performing the scanning can do other administrative tasks such as taking calls and entering data. This plan will only be adequate for a very small business. Most businesses will need to hire a service to scan their paper files.
Unless businesses want to continually devote staff time to scanning, it is best to outsource this work to a scanning service. When shopping for a service there are important things to consider other than the cost of the service. Make sure that the service is PCI, Payment Card Industry, and HIPAA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, certified and compliant. Without this assurance your business will be unnecessarily exposed to penalties and lawsuits.
Some services will have their personnel come to your office to do the work. Others will want you to ship boxes of files to them for scanning and saving. Certainly the first option is more secure, but a business may not have the space to accommodate another workstation. The irony is that once all these paper files have been scanned and the file cabinets eliminated, the business will have room for another work station.
A well planned naming protocol is essential before the files are scanned. If files are not properly organized, they may not be retrievable. When engaging a scanning service make sure that you have agreed upon a naming protocol that will work for your business and their software.
The company you hire for scanning will store the files in a cloud back up. It is important that redundancy back up systems also be put into place. The process of backing up must be automated. If it requires human intervention, it will not be reliable. The service you hire will have the hardware, software and technical expertise to manage the back up systems. The initial scanning is a big accomplishment, but the process of maintenance will continue.
As for the paper files, most companies will have them shredded. Again, make sure the service shredding the documents is PCI and HIPAA certified. Storing paper files will create another ongoing expense, so if appropriate, shredding is preferred. Employee training is needed to ensure easy retrieval of scanned documents.
About the Author:
Loris F. Anders is an office management specialist focused on optimizing workflow processes in document management. If you would like to learn more about Best Document Cloud Management he suggests you click here to learn more.
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