To Scan or To Store? That is the Question.

Achieving a paperless office is easier said than done. For all the convenience technology has brought, computers have contributed to the proliferation of an increased amount of paper. Most businesses struggle with how to properly manage this influx of hardcopy documents and files. As a result, the refrain “Scan or store?” has become commonplace in most organizations.

Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be an either/or proposition. In fact, approaching the demands of a paper intensive organization with a hybrid combination of storage and scanning may lead to the most cost effective solution for your business. A simple inventory of your business files can help you decide which files are integral to everyday business processes versus purely archival documents.

Think of the file cabinets your business maintains and how often they are accessed. Some of these may rarely be opened but nonetheless contain important files requiring retention for legal, regulatory and compliance purposes. Others may contain documents that need to be shared throughout your organization on a regular basis. Essentially you have two categories: active and inactive files.

Active files often serve as reference points for billing, service and personnel related operations. Scanning these records to an electronic format allows for easy access and sharing, and helps support your daily operations.

It doesn’t necessarily make economic sense to scan and convert rarely accessed inactive files to an electronic format. However, cluttering costly office space with dead file storage that can be better utilized for profit generating operations is frivolous and poses security risks. In this case, secure, off-site storage is the more cost effective option.

Serving Stockton, Sacramento, Modesto, Napa and Solano County, Pacific Records Management can help you implement a storage and scanning solution that best fits your unique business needs. To find out more, please contact us by phone or fill in the form on the page.