Rules of Thumb for a Document Scanning Solution

Having a business entirely dependent on paper records may be holding you back. Not only do hard copy documents and files take up costly office space, they typically fall victim to disorganization. Time spent locating and retrieving records impacts productivity and morale. A document scanning solution can help, but only with the right plan and resources. Here, we’ve outlined three rules of thumb to help make sure your next imaging and conversion project is a success.

Rule #1: Think Before You Decide to Scan Everything

In theory, having electronic access to all of your business records sounds like a good idea-but in reality it may be less than ideal. Your document inventory is comprised of active records and files as well as those that are semi-active and purely archival. Remember that the more you scan, the more time and costs are involved, so converting files that you rarely access or use may not be economical. Also, more digital information requires additional server or hard drive space for storing electronic documents and a system for being able to organize and locate that information. Vital hardcopy records should always be securely stored offsite in a facility that facilitates long-term preservation and swift retrieval in order to support your disaster recovery capabilities. A more effective solution is to scan those documents you use on a regular basis while storing your archival and vital records offsite with a professional records storage provider.

Rule #2: Make Sure You Have a System for Managing Your Electronic Records

A hard drive full of thousands of random digital files is no better than a file cabinet haphazardly stuffed with paper documents. You need a system that enables accurate and efficient retrieval and supports your business processes. Therefore, your scanning solution should provide you with the following capabilities:

• customized file searches by name, date of birth, chart number, etc.
• desktop and laptop record retrieval
• direct fax and email capabilities
• simultaneous, multi-user access

The ability to digitally manage your recently scanned business records improves productivity and enhances customer satisfaction.

Rule #3: Don’t Bite Off More than You can Chew

Affordable technology has provided both small businesses and consumers with the opportunity to scan and convert paper records to electronic documents. Scanning a file here or there is relatively easy. However, most companies run into trouble when attempting to scan a considerable volume of records in-house. Digital imaging and conversion is a precision-driven, multi-step process that not only requires close attention to detail but also expertise, knowledge and training.

Some companies use internal staff for scanning projects while others hire temporary staff; many purchase or lease expensive equipment. Yet these attempts end up consuming administrative resources, may result in permanently lost data, or worse-lead to costly data breaches. Often, paper documents that are slated to be scanned contain highly sensitive or confidential data that you may not want disseminated throughout your organization. All of these issues underscore the importance of hiring a professional document imaging partner to enable efficient and secure conversion of your business records. A carefully chosen, reputable document scanning company offers the following advantages:

• HIPAA-compliant conversion
• enhanced confidentiality and identity theft protection
• elimination of overhead and administrative resources
• specialized imaging expertise

Records Management Center provides businesses throughout Augusta, Evans, Thomson, and Martinez, GA, and Aiken, SC and the Central Savannah River Area with professional document imaging solutions. To find out more, please get in touch with us by phone or fill in the form on this page.