Digitizing documents is the way business is done today. The volume of paper has become unmanageable, and properly scanned and saved files are much easier to retrieve when needed. Depending on the size of your business you may want to purchase a scanner or hire a scanning service to manage the process. Compared to handling paper copies, it is more efficient and safer to scan and store documents digitally.
A highly functional portable scanner can be purchased for close to two thousand dollars. Since the machine is portable, the employee performing the scanning can do other administrative tasks such as taking calls and entering data. This plan will only be adequate for a very small business. Most businesses will need to hire a service to scan their paper files.
Unless businesses want to continually devote staff time to scanning, it is best to outsource this work to a scanning service. When shopping for a service there are important things to consider other than the cost of the service. Make sure that the service is PCI, Payment Card Industry, and HIPAA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, certified and compliant. Without this assurance your business will be unnecessarily exposed to penalties and lawsuits.
In some cases the personnel of a service will do the scanning at your place of business. Most of them prefer to have their clients ship the boxed files to the service site. Even though the first option offers more security, it may not be feasible if your business is not able to accommodate another work station. Ironically, once the process has been completed and the file cabinets are gone, there probably will be room for an additional station.
It is important to establish a naming protocol for saving the scanned files. When the work has been completed, you are actually working with virtual filing cabinets. The naming protocol is essential to easily accessing the scanned files. Be sure the protocols are in place before the service begins scanning.
Once saved, the scanned files should be stored in the cloud with redundancy backups established. The service will have its own cloud back up system, but be sure that this is not the only back up. Back ups should be accomplished automatically without human intervention. This takes software, hardware and technical knowledge. Accept that scanning will be an ongoing process, even after the initial conversion to digital files has been completed.
As for the paper files, most companies will have them shredded. Again, make sure the service shredding the documents is PCI and HIPAA certified. Storing paper files will create another ongoing expense, so if appropriate, shredding is preferred. Employee training is needed to ensure easy retrieval of scanned documents.
A highly functional portable scanner can be purchased for close to two thousand dollars. Since the machine is portable, the employee performing the scanning can do other administrative tasks such as taking calls and entering data. This plan will only be adequate for a very small business. Most businesses will need to hire a service to scan their paper files.
Unless businesses want to continually devote staff time to scanning, it is best to outsource this work to a scanning service. When shopping for a service there are important things to consider other than the cost of the service. Make sure that the service is PCI, Payment Card Industry, and HIPAA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, certified and compliant. Without this assurance your business will be unnecessarily exposed to penalties and lawsuits.
In some cases the personnel of a service will do the scanning at your place of business. Most of them prefer to have their clients ship the boxed files to the service site. Even though the first option offers more security, it may not be feasible if your business is not able to accommodate another work station. Ironically, once the process has been completed and the file cabinets are gone, there probably will be room for an additional station.
It is important to establish a naming protocol for saving the scanned files. When the work has been completed, you are actually working with virtual filing cabinets. The naming protocol is essential to easily accessing the scanned files. Be sure the protocols are in place before the service begins scanning.
Once saved, the scanned files should be stored in the cloud with redundancy backups established. The service will have its own cloud back up system, but be sure that this is not the only back up. Back ups should be accomplished automatically without human intervention. This takes software, hardware and technical knowledge. Accept that scanning will be an ongoing process, even after the initial conversion to digital files has been completed.
As for the paper files, most companies will have them shredded. Again, make sure the service shredding the documents is PCI and HIPAA certified. Storing paper files will create another ongoing expense, so if appropriate, shredding is preferred. Employee training is needed to ensure easy retrieval of scanned documents.
About the Author:
Loris F. Anders is an office management specialist focused on optimizing workflow processes in document management. If you would like to learn more about Online Document Scanning Services in Atlanta he suggests you visit his friend's to learn more.
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