With inexpensive consumer scanners flooding the market, some company leaders might wonder about the benefits of outsourcing document imaging. Although asking employees to scan paperwork at their desks might seem productive, scanning services add value for their clients in five distinct ways:

Outsourcing Document Scanning Keeps Team Members Focused

Just as the office copy machine turns into a focal point for conversation about last nights game or this weekends dating scene, a centralized document imaging center can turn into a social scene instead of a productivity booster. Likewise, well-intentioned plans to outfit individual workstations with multi-function peripherals can tie down workers with regular software updates and driver issues. Implementing a secure system for outsourced document scanning can eliminate the need for workers to manage their own machines.

Scanning Services Eliminate Equipment Overhead and Maintenance

Even within organizations with highly technical professionals on staff, the cost of maintaining high performance scanners can sway some managers to revert to long term paper storage. Document imaging companies amortize the cost of the latest scanners across all of their clients, achieving speed, accuracy, and efficiency levels that few client companies would achieve on their own.

Document Imaging Specialists Understand Zonal Scanning and OCR

For companies that use standardized forms, document imaging companies can add even more value by deploying the latest optical character recognition technology. Document scanning companies allow clients to leverage the power of more sophisticated OCR tools, assisted by on-site analysts who can verify a scanners accuracy. In addition, new zonal scanning tools allow technicians to route data from forms directly into CRM software or other databases. Companies that engage in direct marketing or require customers to complete complex service documents can increase response time by automating this tedious task.

Occasional Large Format Scanning No Problem for Document Imaging Companies

Most consumer scanning tools and many office-specific scanners use standard U.S. letter dimensions. Law firms, construction companies, and other organizations that use different sizes of paper in their daily business often find it frustrating to source affordable large format scanners. Outsourcing document scanning eliminates the need to spend extra money to scan blueprints or legal-size documents. Likewise, companies that only occasionally need to scan extra-large documents can access large format scanners through their document imaging companies for only a marginal cost.

Secure Document Destruction Included at Many Document Scanning Companies

Many CIOs and data retention teams like the idea of outsourcing document imaging, but worry about compliance issues. Fortunately, many document scanning services now offer secure document destruction services that meet a variety of standards for government and health care privacy policies. Contracting for the secure destruction of scanned documents solidifies a companys information strategy by forcing all users to search a unified database. Likewise, it eliminates the potential for company officials to be accused of breaching privacy or insecurely destroying documents. Independent third party document destruction assures large customers that their private information remains secure.

Despite a societal shift to put more information online, many companies still generate significant amounts of paperwork and other hard copy documentation. By using document scanning services to streamline data collection and cataloguing, company leaders can keep teams focused on growth while maximizing margins.

Sources

Advanceweb

EWeek