Things to Consider Before Scanning Your Business Records

Is document scanning the best option? There is no denying that document imaging provides a convenient alternative to paper documents. However, have you considered all the costs?

Often the first question that needs to be considered is: <strongDo you need simultaneous viewing of the same document from multiple locations? If not, then scanning a document often facilitates ease of reference; a convenience vs. a functional need. Another couple of questions to consider are: How long do you need to keep the document, and how frequent will you access it? Typically, the cost to store a box of documents offsite is about $4.00 per year. The cost to scan this same box of documents can range between $125-$200 or more depending on the type of documents.

If after reviewing your goals and retention policies and deciding that document Imaging is for you, then a number of additional factors should be considered.

Have you designated who will be the point person to facilitate your scanning project? Do they have the skill set to ensure each and every document is scanned properly, indexed and viewable? Remember, a scanning and imaging project not only entails feeding sheets of paper through a scanning machine, but also prior to beginning, documents need to be organized and prepared. This involves the tedious process of removing paper clips, staples and sticky notes. These items can’t be fed through a scanner. And attending to such mundane details consumes valuable time.

How are you going to organize your electronic information? This needs to be considered before your scanning project begins. It will be necessary to designate a classification strategy and index fields in order to locate electronic data. Similarly, you will have to consider the search capabilities of information contained within a document. Do you want to have your end users scroll through documents to locate important information or will you give them more granular search capabilities?

Have you considered the impact of your data storage? Do you have a secure and scalable system in place to handle your images/data? Do you have the IT support and structure in place to manage the back up of this critical data? Will this support be readily available in the event your systems go down? Will you need more data storage i.e. hard drives or servers?

Once you take into consideration all of these factors, you may be reluctant to undertake your scanning project at all. Luckily, a professional document scanning company can provide you with the assistance you need. Incorporating an experienced strategy and utilizing the necessary equipment and expertise, the right partner can help your organization execute a successful scanning project in a fraction of the time it would take your staff to do so.

As an established company with an 80 year history, Pacific Records Management has helped companies in Stockton, Sacramento, Modesto, and Napa & Solano Counties with scanning and imaging their business records. For more information about how we can help your business with its next scanning project, please contact us by phone or fill in the form on the page.

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