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It no longer makes sense to store paper files. The volume of paper takes up a lot of valuable space and eventually becomes unmanageable. When files are scanned and named appropriately they are much easier to access. If your business if very small you can purchase a scanner, but most businesses will want to hire a service to scan the files. It is cheaper, more secure and more efficient to scan and store documents digitally.
You can purchase a highly functional scanner for about two thousand dollars. This is a portable machine and the employee using the scanner will be able to perform other tasks, such as data entry and answering the phones. If your business is small, this scanner may serve your needs quite adequately. However, most businesses would do well to hire a scanning service.
Scanning will consume a lot of staff time on a continual basis. This is another reason to outsource the job. When reviewing the choices of the services for hire, it is critical to verify that the service is HIPAA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and PCI, Payment Card Industry, certified. Without this certification you could be exposing your business to costly penalties and even lawsuits.
Some services will have their personnel come to your office to do the work. Others will want you to ship boxes of files to them for scanning and saving. Certainly the first option is more secure, but a business may not have the space to accommodate another workstation. The irony is that once all these paper files have been scanned and the file cabinets eliminated, the business will have room for another work station.
It is important to establish a naming protocol for saving the scanned files. When the work has been completed, you are actually working with virtual filing cabinets. The naming protocol is essential to easily accessing the scanned files. Be sure the protocols are in place before the service begins scanning.
As for storing, most services provide a cloud back up. Make sure there are back up redundancies besides the cloud. All back ups must be automated and not require human intervention. This process requires hardware, software and the knowledge to manage the systems. Realize that scanning requires maintenance. The initial scan will be the big project, but the process is ongoing.
Most often companies will have paper files shredded. This service must also be HIPAA and PCI certified to protect your business. It is costly and inefficient to store paper files. If possible, shredding is preferable. Your employees may need training to learn how to access scanned files.
You can purchase a highly functional scanner for about two thousand dollars. This is a portable machine and the employee using the scanner will be able to perform other tasks, such as data entry and answering the phones. If your business is small, this scanner may serve your needs quite adequately. However, most businesses would do well to hire a scanning service.
Scanning will consume a lot of staff time on a continual basis. This is another reason to outsource the job. When reviewing the choices of the services for hire, it is critical to verify that the service is HIPAA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and PCI, Payment Card Industry, certified. Without this certification you could be exposing your business to costly penalties and even lawsuits.
Some services will have their personnel come to your office to do the work. Others will want you to ship boxes of files to them for scanning and saving. Certainly the first option is more secure, but a business may not have the space to accommodate another workstation. The irony is that once all these paper files have been scanned and the file cabinets eliminated, the business will have room for another work station.
It is important to establish a naming protocol for saving the scanned files. When the work has been completed, you are actually working with virtual filing cabinets. The naming protocol is essential to easily accessing the scanned files. Be sure the protocols are in place before the service begins scanning.
As for storing, most services provide a cloud back up. Make sure there are back up redundancies besides the cloud. All back ups must be automated and not require human intervention. This process requires hardware, software and the knowledge to manage the systems. Realize that scanning requires maintenance. The initial scan will be the big project, but the process is ongoing.
Most often companies will have paper files shredded. This service must also be HIPAA and PCI certified to protect your business. It is costly and inefficient to store paper files. If possible, shredding is preferable. Your employees may need training to learn how to access scanned files.
About the Author:
Loris F. Anders is an office management specialist focused on optimizing workflow processes in document management. If you would like to learn more about Document Cloud Services in Atlanta he suggests you click here to learn more.
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