Have you heard the term of “going paperless”? If you recognize the terms cloud, digital, e-files, e-mail, e-anything; chances are you have a basic idea of what it means.

Let’s get granular though, in order to achieve the transition from paper to paperless many businesses opt for scanning.
Document Scanning is the practice of using scanners to convert paper files and documents into digital images. More businesses are scanning documents as a way to cut costs, increase productivity and improve access to their information.

In this blog post, we discuss the benefits of scanning services and offer tips if you plan to digitize your hard copy records.

Why You Should Be Scanning Your Documents:

There are several reasons you should consider document scanning:

1. Cost savings: Storing and managing paper documents is expensive, especially if you rely on file cabinets for document storage and retrieval. A standard four drawer file cabinet requires approximately eight cubic feet of floor space, which can represent a significant portion of your office lease costs. In addition to that, you need to factor in the cost of your time to find and retrieve your documents. Document scanning allows you to store and retrieve your documents online. This reduces your storage costs and provides greater work efficiency.
2. Information sharing: Paper-based systems are inherently inefficient. Documents need to be printed or photocopied so several people can view them at the same time. Document scanning enables your information to be shared digitally for enhanced employee collaboration and improved customer response times.
3. Environmental stewardship: Document scanning benefits both your business and the environment. By converting your hard copy records to digital images, you use less paper and toxic printer ink and reduce mailing processes that increase your carbon footprint. 

Do I Need to Scan Every Document?

No, you don’t need to scan every document. Digitizing just your active files is great way to cut costs and be more productive. Scanning experts will pick up your documents, scan and index them, and transfer them to a password-protected, searchable online data base. This allows your employees instant access to information from anywhere.

Since they are inactive and will eventually be destroyed, it’s more cost effective to store your archival documents off-site. A scan on demand service keeps your paper records safe and secure in a commercial records center and allows them to be converted to digital images if and when you need them.

Should I Outsource My Scanning Projects or Do It Myself?

We’ve covered this topic in a previous post; in most enterprise cases, it is cheaper and more efficient to outsource your document scanning projects. Due to the fact that, in-house scanning requires:

• Renting/Buying scanners and software
• Organizing documents and files
• OCR/Optical character recognition
• Training and/or hiring staff
• Allocating dedicated imaging time 

What’s The Scanning Process If I Choose to Outsource?

By outsourcing your scanning project, you transfer costs, risks and responsibilities to a company with scanning and imaging expertise. From the initial document preparation phase to the final delivery of your digital images, the entire process is handled by dedicated, screened scanning technicians who ensure your documents are scanned quickly and securely with unparalleled quality. In the meantime, as your documents are being scanned, you can continue focusing on growing your business!

How are you managing your Business documents and files? Have you gone digital yet? If so, how is it working out for you? If you have any questions, remember we’re always here to help your Business succeed, just let us know how!