Scanning News Articles
A successful plan for conversion of paper files into an electronic format
Date: 12/05/2008
Organisations that digitally convert their documents often benefit significantly from the process. Storing, retrieving and managing back filed documents proves quite a headache for most large organisations. Paper documents are expensive to store and manage, while never being easily accessible; they are also fragile and always vulnerable to threats such as fire and flooding.
Therefore, it makes sense for most organisations to capture these documents in a digital format; hard copies can then be disposed of or removed off site.
As with any major project, electronic document conversion demands a good level of planning and execution to reap the eventual benefits. The process involves much more than simply scanning documents and storing the files on a database.
One of the first decisions that a company should make is whether to keep the files in-house, or to use a mixed approach that combines in-house implementation and outsourcing. The main focus of the project will be to convert back file documents that are not often used by the organisation, outsourcing to a company specialising in document conversions would be a good option or it can be done in-house as an ongoing process.
Companies need to carefully look at the costs of setting up their own conversion process compared to using a document conversion specialist. Also consideration must be taken into conversion deadlines and paper volume to decide the best method of scanning.
Correct choice of documents
Companies need to carefully choose the documents which should be stored electronically. Consideration needs to go towards retention periods and meeting data protection legislations so they are not wrongly destroyed once they're scanned.
Security processes need to eventually be put in place to ensure the electronic copies of confidential documents are viewed only by authorised staff members.
The next element to consider is the type of scanner best equipped for the conversion. Document volume, size, type and quality of paper all matter when selecting the type of scanner to capture the files.
A good workflow of documents should be in place to ensure a smooth digitisation of possibly thousands of back filed documents a day.
Too many organisations underestimate the work involved in document preparation such as arranging, removing staples, aligning and ordering any documents, so some time should be allowed for these processes. Later a tracking system should be in place to make sure documents can be accessed if required.
Eventually training and management will need to change to adapt to the new processes and so staff can easily work alongside the new system easily without difficulty.
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