Making the most of document scanning services takes some time and planning. The benefits of digitizing your documents and reducing paper are many, as long as the new paperless management system is easy to use and manage. Finding and utilizing effective document scanning services and management will ensure that you get real value for what you spend on the project.

Scanning your documents will probably be an expensive and time-consuming process, but can be rewarding in the long run. Here are some ways to make the most of document conversion services:

1. Make scanning documents easier by doing the work at your location.

2. Find a good system to make scanned documents easy to retrieve.

3. Invest in quality equipment to keep the project running smoothly.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose an on site document scanning service

Many large scanning companies offer mobile scanning services so your documents don't need to be removed from your facility. One advantage of on site scanning is that you won't need to box up your documents to send them to a facility. In addition, you don't have to worry about security, lost documents, or inaccessibility to important files.

I recommend: HOV Services offers on site scanning management services for current files and future scanning. Get quotes from ScanTastik and The DRS Group, which offer on site scanning done by trained professionals.

Access files easily with digital document management and document scanning software

It's important to have a way to access the scanned documents easily. Many companies provide full services, from scanning to document management software. This may be more expensive than doing things piecemeal, but it ensures that your documents are readily available. Options for document management systems include files that are housed on a server in your office and web-based file management that allows you to access the documents from a web browser.

I recommend: MicroMEDIA offers a full range of scanning and indexing services, including a secure web-based document management service. Digital Documents will provide a free proposal and can manage the entire scanning process, producing indexed, easily accessible documents. Xerox offers a full range of data management services, from scanning to software. Royal Imaging provides total scanning and document management services, including web-based document management software.

Invest in quality equipment to scan documents

Even if you have your scanning done professionally, as new paper comes in, it will have to be added to the scanned and indexed files. This task can be simplified by purchasing a quality scanner that integrates with your document management software.

I recommend: Start your search for a scanner by browsing product reviews and comparisons. The scanner guide from ScanStore allows you to enter your scanning and output requirements to find the right scanner for your needs. Kodak provides a scanner selector that offers an overview of their scanners. ConsumerSearch offers a comprehensive review of various stand-alone scanners. Integrated Solutions Magazine provides information about service contracts for scanners.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you choose to use web-based document indexing software, find out what happens to the files if you cancel your contract or the company goes out of business. Make sure you have full rights to the files. Keep a backup of the files in case of Internet outages or system failures.

Document scanning services are needed by businesses that need to scan documents and convert them to digital format. This makes the documents easier to distribute without having to pay for printing.

Several scanning companies now offer document conversion services and document indexing in addition to document scanning, which will save time. When selecting document scanning services, there are many things to consider.

1. Cost: Price will vary depending upon the size of the document scanning company. If digital document management is not their specialization, they will likely charge a lot more for the use of their machine.

2. Speed: Depending upon the document scanning software that is used document scanning can be fast or extremely slow. If the company that you choose to scan documents is a large corporation, they are likely to have speedy software.

3. Quality: Besides being fast and inexpensive, digital document management should be high quality. If pages get mixed up when scanning, it can cause major problems for you.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get a quote for scanning medical records

Many medical offices are now scanning their medical records because filing cabinets are growing an average of 22% a year. Always verify that the document scanning services are HIPAA compliant to protect patient's personal information.

I recommend: Scan hub offers flat rate pricing per medical record. They offer 300dpi scanning. US Imaging offers medical record scanning as well as large format items.

Covert files using document conversion services

Converting documents from hard copy to digital not only saves space but time. Digital document management offers file searching features, indexing and retrieval solutions.

I recommend: Digital Documents LLC offers electronic file conversion and discovery as well as file naming and coding. Sy-Tech Solutions offers document conversion services of paper, microfilm/microfiche and AutoCad files.

Outsource to high speed document scanning services

Time is just as important as cost to many companies. That is why outsourcing to document scanning companies is often more cost efficient than attempting to scan documents on the office scanner.

I recommend: Royal Imaging offers a speedy turnaround time for less than the cost of making a copy. Electronic Copy Center offers high speed document scanning and a document conversion service.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Although it may seem cheaper to scan documents at the office, consider what you are paying your employees for their time.

Getting an understanding of document scanning basics is the first step to take when you decide it's time to reduce paper documents. With increased regulations about retaining and securing documents, inability to find important documents could spell disaster. It's difficult to keep important paper documents safe and secure in a storage space that is protected from flood, fire, dampness and other poor storage conditions. Filing paper, finding documents when they're needed and maintaining files is a drain on staff that can waste time and cause frustration. Scanning your paper documents eliminates some of these issues.

Despite these benefits, the process of scanning documents is usually expensive. To determine whether purchasing document scanning services is a good investment for your company, ask the following questions:

1. Will scanning documents save time and money for the organization?

2. What is the best way to scan documents and how much will it cost?

3. What has to be done with the documents once they are scanned?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Decide whether document conversion services will benefit your company

Before embarking on a scanning and digitizing project, it's important to understand how it can benefit your company and affect your bottom line. It's also necessary to design a plan so that you scan and keep what you need.

I recommend: Sisco provides an application that allows you to compute the actual filing and document pulling costs at your organization. For more generalized information, check out a white paper from Zylab that details costs of filing, concluding that the handling cost of documents is about 6 percent to 15 percent of a company's revenue and that 85 percent of all archived documents never leave the file cabinet. Get an overview about the benefits and disadvantages of digitizing and guidelines for what documents should be scanned and saved from The Effective Admin.

Get reviews and comparisons of scanning companies

Once you have a plan for what documents to digitize, the next step is scanning them. Depending on how many documents you have, you could handle the scanning yourself or have a company do it. Determine how much time and money it will cost to have staff do the scanning. Compare these costs to services provided by scanning companies.

I recommend: Use VendorSeek to fill out a form about how many pages you need scanned and get quotes from multiple vendors in your area. OnlineOrganizing provides links to dozens of scanning and digitizing companies. You'll also need to choose a scanner for future document imaging. Check out ScanTips for an overview of features to look for in a scanner.

Compare digital document management software

After the documents are scanned, you'll need a way to access them. Document management software provides indexing to locate and view scanned documents.

I recommend: ScanStore offers a software comparison for several different vendors that includes price ranges and supported scanners and file types. Check out reviews of additional document management software from CNET and WebCPA.

Check out specialty document scanning companies

Find out whether your files include X-rays or other unusual documents. You may need a specialty scanning company to handle them.

I recommend: Trialgraphic performs specialty scanning and digitizing,including microfilm and X-rays. MedTec Imaging digitizes X-rays.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Some document scanning and imaging companies provide on site scanning, which can be easier if you have many boxes of files to be scanned or are worried about security and lost documents.

As more business is conducted digitally, document scanning is becoming an integral aspect of business communications. Unlike faxing, scanning a document not only allows a company to send a copy of it instantaneously to its destination, but also provides a digital backup and the ability to comment on and edit the document. Digital technology is continually developing, and document scanning is constantly improving to allow for better recognition and clarity for scanned documents.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Optical Character Recognition

Optical Character Recognition is software that works with document scanners to gather the text information from the document image. Current programs work best with clear copies, using simple fonts.

I recommend: Pacific Lutheran University gives an explanation of OCR, including the best material to use and the limitations of the technology.

Document management system

Document management systems allow businesses to make the most of the documents they are scanning. These software applications allow for storing, organizing, retrieving, and sharing scanned documents in a quick and efficient manner.

I recommend: InformationWeek discusses document management systems and how to make them work the best for your business.

Automatic document feeder

An automatic document feeder is an option that's quite useful for businesses that perform a lot of document scanning. A document scanner with this feature takes multiple documents and feeds them into the scanner one at a time. A person using a scanner without this feature would have to manually remove and reposition each consecutive document to be scanned.

I recommend: Compact Data Management discusses document scanner features, including the automatic document feeder.

TWAIN

TWAIN is a software protocol standard for communication between software applications and imaging hardware, such as digital cameras and scanners. Originally taken from the quote 'and never the twain shall meet' in Rudyard Kipling's 'The Ballad of East and West,' the name is often mistaken for an acronym and is also known as Technology Without An Interesting Name in some circles.

I recommend: TWAIN Working Group discusses this history of TWAIN as well as the current standards and upgrades.

Charge-coupled device

The charge-coupled device is at the core of many digital imaging devices, including digital cameras and scanners. These are an arrangement of light-sensitive semi-conductors that create the image when light strikes them.

I recommend: Computerworld discusses the workings of charge-coupled devices in depth.

Color dropout

Color dropout works with scanning software to scanned images of color documents and black & white versions. This increases the efficiency of OCR software. Another benefit to black and white documents is that it results in smaller file sizes, which is advantageous for storage and transfer.

I recommend: Hewlett-Packard gives an overview of color dropout as well as examples of original and black and white versions of color scans.