Yesterday's blog post concerned the issue of leadership within an organization, which is extremely necessary when implementing a document imaging solution that can change the way a company does business, but only if people within the company actually use the solution.
No doubt it's vital that managers be personally and professionally committed to the document imaging solution they are asking employees to use, but perhaps more important is the notion that specific uses for a document imaging solution must be in place ahead of time.
In other words, have a plan.
The best plans are specific to the organizations for which they are made.
General goals of a document imaging or records management initiative may include:
-- Reduce unneccessary printing and copying
-- Share documents across locations without physically traveling to deliver papers
-- Maintain a searchable database of paper files, without all the filing cabinets
Within those general (and good) goals, though, it's essential to relate the larger whole to the specific individual.
Jenny should go from printing her expense reports to emaling them as PDFs. Tom should be reminded that the Jones File can be accessed online, instead of ordering a courier. And Barry should know that he doesn't have to leave his desk in order to look up a file.
The more people use document imaging, the more they like it, and the more they like it, the more they use it. It's a virtuous circle.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Document Imaging Initiatives Demand Leadership From Managers
All too often, a company implements a document imaging solution that could change (for the better) the way the company does business, but few or no people in the office take full advantage of it. Things stay the same, simply from force of habit.
People still print unneccessarily, and other people print the same document at the same time, also unneccessarily. Costs aren't cut and old, bad habits are not broken.
The document imaging technology is new, potentially revolutionary, but human systems remain the same. It's a challenge with any new technology, document imaging included.
There is a better way. People can learn document imaging systems quite quickly, and use them quite extensively and quite effectively within a short period of time.
However, new solutions likely won't take hold if the boss of the office isn't familiar with and "bought into" the new document imaging solution being implemented.
People follow leaders, and leaders must therefore lead, if new frontiers are to be conquered.
People still print unneccessarily, and other people print the same document at the same time, also unneccessarily. Costs aren't cut and old, bad habits are not broken.
The document imaging technology is new, potentially revolutionary, but human systems remain the same. It's a challenge with any new technology, document imaging included.
There is a better way. People can learn document imaging systems quite quickly, and use them quite extensively and quite effectively within a short period of time.
However, new solutions likely won't take hold if the boss of the office isn't familiar with and "bought into" the new document imaging solution being implemented.
People follow leaders, and leaders must therefore lead, if new frontiers are to be conquered.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Document Imaging Industry Set for Massive Expansion
Certain industries are in decline--the auto industry comes to mind--while certain other industries are on the definite upswing. The document imaging field appears to be in the latter category.
More and more dollars are likely to flow towards document imaging companies that provide strong solutions, especially in the medical profession.
Electronic health care records, for one, are a thing of the future. President Obama talks about the idea frequently, and Congress has allotted some $20 billion towards the cause. Doctors who meet an as-yet-to-be-determined "compliance level" with the electronic health record requirement are slated to receive up to $40,000 payments from the U.S. government.
Beginning in 2015, in fact, doctors and hospitals who do not cooperate may be fined.
All this is very good for document imaging companies who are tasked with the humongous job of transporting all the information contained on those millions of pieces of paper into digital files.
This massive undertaking may also benefit the business world in general, in the sense that practice makes perfect, and document imaging technologies are sure to improve during such a long-term and intense journey.
Now if only there could be devised a computer that could read a doctor's chicken scratch handwriting...
More and more dollars are likely to flow towards document imaging companies that provide strong solutions, especially in the medical profession.
Electronic health care records, for one, are a thing of the future. President Obama talks about the idea frequently, and Congress has allotted some $20 billion towards the cause. Doctors who meet an as-yet-to-be-determined "compliance level" with the electronic health record requirement are slated to receive up to $40,000 payments from the U.S. government.
Beginning in 2015, in fact, doctors and hospitals who do not cooperate may be fined.
All this is very good for document imaging companies who are tasked with the humongous job of transporting all the information contained on those millions of pieces of paper into digital files.
This massive undertaking may also benefit the business world in general, in the sense that practice makes perfect, and document imaging technologies are sure to improve during such a long-term and intense journey.
Now if only there could be devised a computer that could read a doctor's chicken scratch handwriting...
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Old Books Joining the Digital World...By the Thousands
Google is leading the charge towards a world where every piece of information ever put down on paper can be stored and accessed digitally. Other companies are contributing, too--Adobe the most notable--but Google is at the forefront of this stuff.
And may stand to reap the most benefit (i.e. profit) when all is said and done.
So far, Google Books has scanned and rendered digital many thousands of pre-1923 books, and many hundreds printed after that (1923 is the copyright expiration area).
Once that content is in digital form, interesting sales and advertising possibilities arise. Indeed, a visit to Google Books shows this notion in action already: if you're reading a book about business, you're going to see ads for books about business on either side of that page.
Google's efforts in the Optical Character Recognition field are a key part of this strategy. Document imaging technology makes the first step possible: books are being scanned into digital format, and from there they become, almost, other things.
That transformation begins with document imaging, but certainly doesn't end with it. Now, all books, even the forgotten ones, appear destined to live forever...
And may stand to reap the most benefit (i.e. profit) when all is said and done.
So far, Google Books has scanned and rendered digital many thousands of pre-1923 books, and many hundreds printed after that (1923 is the copyright expiration area).
Once that content is in digital form, interesting sales and advertising possibilities arise. Indeed, a visit to Google Books shows this notion in action already: if you're reading a book about business, you're going to see ads for books about business on either side of that page.
Google's efforts in the Optical Character Recognition field are a key part of this strategy. Document imaging technology makes the first step possible: books are being scanned into digital format, and from there they become, almost, other things.
That transformation begins with document imaging, but certainly doesn't end with it. Now, all books, even the forgotten ones, appear destined to live forever...
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Document Imaging Helps Loan Offices Cut Costs
Back in the heady days of perpetually skyrocketing home prices and ridiculously loose credit, loan brokers were those guys driving around in the fancy cars, wearing the fancy sunglasses, going to the fancy restaurants, and buying the fancy home.
Now, loan brokers are those guys who can't get unemployment checks because they were considered self-employed, but nonetheless haven't worked in more than a year. Many such individuals have seen their own homes, as well as their cars, repossessed.
Some loan brokers, though, are still in business--and looking to keep costs low.
Document imaging technology can help loan offices, and loan officers, do exactly that. By reducing the amount of paperwork flowing through printers and copiers, and making it less costly to store records, document imaging helps loan brokers who are in business stay in business.
Consistent and effective use of document imaging technology can save a real estate office a couple thousand dollars per year. Maybe that didn't mean much in 2003, but it means a lot now.
Now, loan brokers are those guys who can't get unemployment checks because they were considered self-employed, but nonetheless haven't worked in more than a year. Many such individuals have seen their own homes, as well as their cars, repossessed.
Some loan brokers, though, are still in business--and looking to keep costs low.
Document imaging technology can help loan offices, and loan officers, do exactly that. By reducing the amount of paperwork flowing through printers and copiers, and making it less costly to store records, document imaging helps loan brokers who are in business stay in business.
Consistent and effective use of document imaging technology can save a real estate office a couple thousand dollars per year. Maybe that didn't mean much in 2003, but it means a lot now.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
After the Sale, What About Support?
Document imaging services offer a variety of products, from simple scanning jobs to complex issues of information architecture and Enterprise Content Management. But no matter the size of the job, tech support may come into the picture.
Indeed, it's often after the sale that a document imaging vendor proves its worth. Companies that provide solid tech support quickly make a name for themselves, and usually gain repeat business when the client decides to take the next step or implement something new.
One important element of support is training. In fact, if adequate instruction is not given to the client as to what documents have been scanned and where they are now, how to access them, who can access them, and issues such as those--if that is not done, then neither is the job done.
By the same token, clients who want document imaging and/or records management done on the cheap sometimes get what they pay for. Be aware that excellent document imaging service companies may charge more than the competition, but provide more as well.
Indeed, it's often after the sale that a document imaging vendor proves its worth. Companies that provide solid tech support quickly make a name for themselves, and usually gain repeat business when the client decides to take the next step or implement something new.
One important element of support is training. In fact, if adequate instruction is not given to the client as to what documents have been scanned and where they are now, how to access them, who can access them, and issues such as those--if that is not done, then neither is the job done.
By the same token, clients who want document imaging and/or records management done on the cheap sometimes get what they pay for. Be aware that excellent document imaging service companies may charge more than the competition, but provide more as well.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Document Imaging Backup: The Comfort of Multiple Copies
As we've blogged about before, document imaging technology is too often portrayed as a series of mysterious acronyms--ECM this, BPO that, and MFP the other.
This can unfortunately defer some busy small business owners from realizing the real and immediate benefits a document imaging solution can bring to their operations.
One of the most convincing of these real and immediate benefits is the ability to easily and cheaply create and maintain back up copies of important documents, without the wasted paper and office space of making and storing actual copies.
At first, such a job may seem daunting to take on. Years upon years of paper files are sitting in those filing cabinets, and you don't want any piece of that right now. This is when hiring a document scanning service makes a lot of sense.
A document scanning service can bring all that stuff into the digital world, and advise you about how to organize digital files for effective retrieval. Prices are by no means prohibitive and good value is available in this field.
Make sure to be involved, though, in the document imaging process, even if someone else is doing the actual scanning. Nobody knows how to organize your files like you do.
Not that you've done a perfect job of it, but you're still in charge.
This can unfortunately defer some busy small business owners from realizing the real and immediate benefits a document imaging solution can bring to their operations.
One of the most convincing of these real and immediate benefits is the ability to easily and cheaply create and maintain back up copies of important documents, without the wasted paper and office space of making and storing actual copies.
At first, such a job may seem daunting to take on. Years upon years of paper files are sitting in those filing cabinets, and you don't want any piece of that right now. This is when hiring a document scanning service makes a lot of sense.
A document scanning service can bring all that stuff into the digital world, and advise you about how to organize digital files for effective retrieval. Prices are by no means prohibitive and good value is available in this field.
Make sure to be involved, though, in the document imaging process, even if someone else is doing the actual scanning. Nobody knows how to organize your files like you do.
Not that you've done a perfect job of it, but you're still in charge.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Does the Internet Produce More Printing?
Anne Mulcahy, CEO of Xerox, made an interesting observation today in the Wall Street Journal's special pull out section on ECO-nomics (ecofriendly economics--get it?).
The observation, which came up in the de riguer questioning as to why, after all these years of talking about a paperless world, the world still has so much paper, was this:
"The reality is that paper has grown consistently over the past three decades. Once of the biggest sources of apper growth really is the Internet. It's the printing of email."
We are accustomed to thinking that the Internet is a boon to the environmental movement. But Mulcahy's observation, along with some knowledge of how much energy Google's server farms eat up per day, puts this belief into serious doubt.
It puts into doubt, too, the average office worker's desire to print out that important email. However, without adequate other options to isolate and keep important digitized information, printing out that email and throwing it in a manilla folder is the default, dead trees be damned.
Document imaging technology can help solve such problems--but not without solving the problem of how the average office worker's needs can be balanced with environmental concerns.
The observation, which came up in the de riguer questioning as to why, after all these years of talking about a paperless world, the world still has so much paper, was this:
"The reality is that paper has grown consistently over the past three decades. Once of the biggest sources of apper growth really is the Internet. It's the printing of email."
We are accustomed to thinking that the Internet is a boon to the environmental movement. But Mulcahy's observation, along with some knowledge of how much energy Google's server farms eat up per day, puts this belief into serious doubt.
It puts into doubt, too, the average office worker's desire to print out that important email. However, without adequate other options to isolate and keep important digitized information, printing out that email and throwing it in a manilla folder is the default, dead trees be damned.
Document imaging technology can help solve such problems--but not without solving the problem of how the average office worker's needs can be balanced with environmental concerns.
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