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Saturday, August 16, 2014

Corporate Document Scanning: Revolutionizing The Paper Trail

By Loris F. Anders


Companies and other institutions are officially required to have a paper trail for all their transactions. This is often a legislated requirement, and also essential in dealing with accountants and tax advisers. Until the introduction of modern computers, the paper trail entailed thousands of pages of paperwork, much of which was eventually thrown away. Office operations can now be made easier by making use of corporate document scanning, computer-based record systems and online document cloud facilities.

A paperless office makes administration much easier, and also saves time. Paper records might be misplaced or accidentally discarded. This is not possible on a computer hard-drive if the files have been backed up. Processing and sending paperwork electronically is faster than using hard copies. The quality of the documents is also higher, because nothing is lost in printing them.

The document cloud concept is based on websites that make storage space available to their subscribers. The latter's files are then stored on the site, and not on their physical premises. This is a safer method of backing up records than physical paper or disks, since the cloud archives cannot ordinarily be stolen, harmed or lost. A basic technique of backing up files in this way is to e-mail them to a specially created e-mail address.

Accuracy in corporate paperwork is very important. Legal contracts or other papers require absolutely perfect printing and faxing, which is not always a possibility. The quality of documentation generally is linked to the impression that a business makes on the public, so electronic media ensure the best possible presentation.

Another area of administration that has an effect on the experience of customers is record-keeping. Customers become aggravated if their records are not available or are not in good order. However, this is a frequent experience in paper-based operations. Electronic archives, on the other hand, may retain tens of thousands of records, yet they can be logged into and analysed in mere seconds. They do not require entire rooms for their storage, either. It is part of a sound corporate image to handle the administrative questions raised by customers fast and in a comprehensive fashion.

The stationery costs of paper-based methods are lower or practically absent in a paperless office. Computers also give staff more options in handling and producing documents. This makes branding more prominent and gives the organization a better professional image.

Any business should look at changing to a paperless office environment. In addition to the reduced expense, customers experience faster turn-around times and staff devote less time to paperwork and correspondence. Paperless operations are a part of the modern economy, and it is advisable to convert to this model, or management may find that communication with other role-players in the industry, who may already have done so, becomes more difficult.




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