Outsourced Scanning vs. In-House Scanning

Knowing when to keep your scanning project in-house or outsource it to a professional service involves a combination of several factors. Here’s a quick look at the differences between of outsourcing and in-house document scanning.

Outsourced Scanning

Having an outside company do your scanning could be for the purpose of cost-cutting, increasing quality, decreasing turnaround time, access to enterprise document management software, freeing up your staff, or using your limited square footage efficiently.

Outsourcing is a smart choice for backfile conversion projects, where active and inactive documents are scanned and loaded into an Online Image Hosting system. Having an external organization take care of these larger digitization projects can be quicker and more affordable, especially if your future scanning needs will be small.

You may also want to consider an external scanning service if your files will require extensive indexing and prompt retrieval. A professional scanning company has the equipment and software to make this extremely efficient.

In-House Scanning

Keeping the work internal makes sense for companies that have a steady but minimal flow of documents that need scanning. These projects can be managed with simple desktop scanning equipment or multifunctional devices that your company already owns, and the task of scanning can be included in the tasks of existing administrative staff.

If your organization continually scans large volumes of documents, you may also keep the work in-house, but you will need to consider the cost, time, and space availability. You will need to invest in industrial scanning equipment, specialized software, physical and digital space, and ongoing staff training to manage it all.

If your organization is in Augusta, Evans, Thomson, and Martinez, GA, Aiken, SC, or the Central Savannah River Area and you are evaluating the value of outsourcing your document scanning, please contact us at 706-724-7982 or complete the form on this page. A Records Management Center representative will contact you within one business day.