Is My Company Ready for Document Scanning Services?

Perhaps you’ve been asking yourself that very question every time you set down for a marathon session of scanning your business docs into the PC. Sure, you’re saving money by doing it yourself--or delegating the task to an employee--but could you be doing something more profitable with your time?

Driving the Document Scanning Trend
According to Yahoo! Finance, a combination of the effects of the economic stimulus package and the introduction of new technologies are stimulating interest in the document scanning revolution. For example, Lakewood, Colorado-based Records Nations has just recently assisted their 10,000th business in going paperless with their document scanning solutions.

The Benefits of Document Scanning Services
An article featured on ZD Net discusses the benefits of document scanning and why those tasks should be outsourced to scanning service professionals. In a nutshell, the costs and effort spent handling scanning in-house is typically larger than expected. Outsourcing to document scanning services vendors eliminates these unknowns and allows for tighter budgeting.

What You Don’t Know About Document Scanning
Vendorseek offers a unique FAQ on document scanning services that should be required reading for every CEO considering making the jump. In effect, the process is made simple by e-mailing documents to your processor. Data is then kept on tapes or in a virtual database that can be accessed at any time for reference or to backup lost files.

The bottom line is that document scanning services simplifies proper management of business-critical data.

Document Scanners Vary Widely In Quality. What If Yours Isn't Up to the Task at Hand?

You've got your document scanner with basic capability, and then you've got your pro level document scanning machine that comes with a service contract if there are any issues. And in between those two levels, you've got a variety of other document scanners.

When seeking to implement or improve a document imaging solution, the first question to ask, for many people, is, "Do I have the technology?"

Not asking that question before starting can lead to huge frustration. Just try stuffing a large stack of papers in a small-bore, weak document scanner and you'll see what we mean here.

Document scanners with Automatic Document Feed technology are necessary for large volume jobs. For jobs that entail scanning handwritten documents that must then be included in a searchable database, Optical Character Recognition is a must.

Document scanning machines such as these can cost thousands of dollars and be well worth the cost. For smaller companies, though, this high-grade technology can seem cost-prohibitive.

Such small businesses often then choose one of two options: either forget about that lingering document imaging project entirely, or attempt to do the job with an insufficient scanner and endure constant headache.

In cases such as these, third party document scanning services can offer tremendous value. By outsourcing particularly tricky aspects of document imaging jobs--such as large format scanning or handwritten documents--small companies can build solutions just like the big guys.

Step-by-Step Document Imaging: The Process of Change

For any organization, especially large corporations, change can be a real pain. This is definitely true of implementing new document imaging and enterprise content management systems.

To make this process less painful and more productive, management gurus have developed various 12-step style programs. None are more instructive, perhaps, than "Kotter's 8 Steps."

First outlined in John Kotter's groundbreaking book "The Heart of Change: How People Change Their Organizations," the 8 steps are as follows:

1. Create a sense of urgency
2. Form a powerful coalition
3. Create a vision for change
4. Communicate the vision
5. Remove obstacles
6. Create short-term wins
7. Build on the change
8. Anchor the change in corporate culture

Since the book came out, many commentators have written about this process and it is often included in business presentations.

It's a particularly interesting list to look at with respect to document imaging solutions because the document imaging sales pitch is an argument for change that sometimes lacks an answer to the question, "Why?"

Why should the corporation implement a new document imaging solutions? Why is the new better than the old? Why is change necessary?

These are valid concerns for both the corporation selling document imaging solutions and the corporation purchasing document imaging solutions.

If answers are not immediately and easily forthcoming, an evaluation of Kotter's 8 Steps may be in order. At the very least, the list can spark conversation and debate.

The Document Imaging Social Network: Information Zen

Social networking is not just for college kids on Facebook. Social networking applications for business are becoming increasingly common.

AIIM, the industry trade group for those of us interested in document imaging and related topics, recently opened up a social network called Information Zen, located here.

Though the site is new, it has already attracted about 1,000 members. If you are interested in document imaging, scanning, or the overall Enterprise Content Management issue, you should definitely check out this site.

One of our favorite posts was this one, which invited forum members to describe their best experience with a vendor. Document imaging services are of widely varying quality, so this type of community feedback from real users is invaluable to prospective buyers.

Also see the "Ask the Experts" function, such as this discussion of the concept of Digital Mailroom, whereby all documents that arrive in the mail are scanned and distributed throughout the company. The quality of the responses on this site is quite high.

We hope that this will continue, and that vendors will not "game the system" by lurking on the site only to shamelessly plug their own products.

In short, get on this site ASAP if you are interested in document imaging. Interact with your peers, learn, and make better decisions about document imaging solutions.

Thank you, AIIM.

Document Imaging FAQs

What is document imaging?
The process of using software and scanners to transfer an image to a digital picture. The image can be stored in a system that gives users the ability to access many documents.


How are documents indexed?
- Manual entry
- Second pass entry and verification of index fields
- Full text indexing


What types of images can I scan?
Documents entail pictures, posters, brochures, pages of text, etc.

Document Imaging News:

Conquer Information Chaos


What is scanning software?
The software allows the computer to take digital impressions of a document. It optimizes shading, clarity, and contrast.


What does "scan ready" mean?
It means the paper document is ready to be accessed to the scanning equipment. There must be no staples, tears, or wrinkles on the document.

What types of processes does the document undergo?
Images are de-skewed, de-speckled, rotated, mirrored, background colors are dropped, and borders are trimmed and removed.

How can I use document imaging?
- Read the documents on your monitor rather than have a hard copy
- Have the ability to fax documents using a modem
- Have the ability to edit the document
- Print out the pages whenever needed


How many pages can fit onto one CD?
About 15,000 letter-sized pages can fit onto one CD. Color and images take up more memory, so the number of pages containing such would be less.

Document Imaging Trends

OCR - Optical character recognition allows you to grab information from scanned documents. The technology has been around since the 90's, but its accuracy has improved considerably through recent years.

MFP - The multifunction peripheral is a single machine that acts as a printer, fax machine, photocopier, and scanner.

SharePoint Server - This software is a content management system. The software enables document imaging, as well as imaging for spreadsheets, photographs, videos, and other digital materials.

Document Imaging Provides a Reason to Decorate the Office

The process of document imaging creates the opportunity to get rid of paper vessels in order to create free space in the office.

With more space available, you can exercise the option of decorating your office.

Consider the following decorating suggestions:

- To begin, you want to be sure to adhere to your company's guidelines regarding decorating. Every business is different. Some companies may frown upon any personal decoration, while others may be as liberal as letting you paint the walls.

- Get ideas and items from around your house. You have decorated your place of living according to your style, so it would make sense to emulate the same decor for your office space. Bring in items from your house and place them around your working quarters.

- Put up a lot of pictures. Think of a particular theme and search for portraits that are germane to the central idea.

- Keep your office space well lit. Think about getting a lamp to supplement day and ceiling lights.

- Avoid a cluttered desk and work area. Only leave items on your desk that you will utilize regularly. All other things can be stored away for later use.