Through scanning, the process of document management has become easy. Foremost, finding that you kept days, months, or years has gotten easy. Document scanning, which is also termed imaging, allows you to capture an image of the paper using an Optical Character Recognition software, which later exists as a digital document.
This file is stored in an electronic or digital database, making it easy to access, edit, save, retrieve, and even purge unwanted yet sensitive files with a simple click of the mouse keyboard. You will find out here that the benefits of scanning go beyond those above.
1. Saves time and makes you money
Research shows that each employee loses about two hours in a day trying to locate a past file for reference. The research goes on to add that every fourteenth document is lost between other physical documents during a storage process. Scanning reduces your hours of search into seconds and minutes of access. On scanning, this undergoes labeling using keywords, tags, names, indexes, descriptions, or metadata streamlining access rates. Traditional file access frustrates and lowers morale; easy access will not only save time but also guarantee employee productivity in the workplace.
2. Improved customer service
Scanning allows you to not only store data but also label it. It is responsible when a business has everything it requires a click away any time a client approaches the customer desk. The use of metadata to label files can help avoid the queues that result from misplaced customer data in physical storage spaces. A simple click on your database takes you to the right where the customer invoices, purchase orders, payment receipts, among other records are located. You will win customers and get rid from failing by efficiently accessing files and information because every customer loves efficient customer service.
3. Reduced storage space
Converting all physical files to digital files by scanning means you do not have to keep physical files close to you. You might need to purge unnecessary files, create a backup of already available files in the cloud, and keep the most important ones in secure spaces somewhere else saving on office space. If you are in a commercial space, it must be costing you a lot; you can turn this new space into something useful for your enterprise.
4. Improved security
Physical documents are vulnerable to multiple security threats, fires, breaches, spyware, among others. Information about your business needs securing, and scanning makes that possible. Data can be stored in secure servers or paperless management systems. However, Information is not only vulnerable to attacks from outside but also from within, for this reason, you might need to use administrative controls such user logins and passwords as wells as user permissions and system audits to track movements in the DMS through filecenterdms.com. Information in digital form thanks to scanning is protectable at the time of sharing through programs such as secure file transfer protocols (SFTP). You can learn more from GoAnywhere.
5. Easy sharing and collaborating
Digital files are easier to move than physical files. Today we have multiple sharing platforms from email software such as Gmail and Yahoo mail. All you need to need is upload a file from any place on your computer over a network and send to a preferred recipient. Moreover, people can also work on the same data from the data management system from the comfort of their desks.
6. Scanning helps with regulations compliance
At this age, it is worth noting that your industry might want most of your files to exist in digital forms. Document scanning makes that possible. Once the files are converted, the document management system takes care of the rest from storage to purging of unnecessary documents. Scanning acts as a route to organizing, indexing, and producing Information whenever required by a strict systems auditor.
7. Improved information preservation
Papers stored for a reasonably long period could get damaged in the process. Important Information could be lost in the process. Document scanning provides a “last touch” remedy to your document storage. This will remain in its original state with characters intact and without any deterioration (loss of legibility) from external influences such as weather. You might need to extend the period of storage of Information to avoid losing them to expiry purges.
8. Improved information recovery
Information in digital form may be vulnerable to breaches, but datas can be lost to fires, among other natural disasters. Here I found an informative article on Forbes about saving your documents from natural disasters. Scanning offers you an option to recover files when lost by having to create a backup on the cloud, hard drive, and other digitals information storage forms like E vaulting.
9. Scanning improves your reputation
Over 80 percent of a research survey by Tork US shows that consumers choose a brand based on a record of promoting sustainability. Another research by Paperless Project shows that a typical office worker used about 10,000 paper sheets annually. This is undoubtedly many trees cut and certainly an endangered environment. Document scanning reduces on use of paper; this can be a massive boost to your reputation as a supporter of environmental sustainability.
10. Guarantees clean updates
Physical files will appear illegible once records are edited multiple times. Document scanning with pdf capability allows you to access business documents in editable forms. This reduces messy edits and guarantees clean copies. The good thing is that you can still access a document in its most original form as well as track changes.
11. Improves storage accuracies
Many mistakes are made through forms of document storage. The errors can be in labeling or coding files for future reference. Scanning allows you to tag files using keywords, tags, metadata, descriptions, and content making storage of documents more accurate than when using traditional forms.
The benefits of scanning are many. Scanning proves to be the backbone of document management systems, therefore seek the best scanning solutions so that you can enjoy these endless benefits.
Nicola Holder 