How Much Does Document Scanning Cost?

February 27th, 2015

How Is Document Scanning Cost Calculated?

Though we’re all eager to choose quality when it comes to getting a job done, budget always comes into the equation no matter the task. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to find the cost of a product or service and it’s nowhere to be found, right?

However, it’s important to know that most of the time, this isn’t a case of companies attempting to be sneaky. Rather, there are multiple reasons why most specialised services like document scanning do not disclose prices on their websites. 

As you can imagine, there are lots of factors that we take into consideration with any type of scanning job here at Pearl Scan.

Our scanning services are designed to suit your needs, so we can never know the exact cost of service upfront. We don’t like guessing, we pride ourselves in details from start to finish. 

With that said, we understand the importance of having an idea of what you’ll be paying. We’ve done our best to give you an overview below but for an exact quote, contact us directly

It All Starts With An Assessment…

Every document scanning job that comes our way is completed following the same steps. We rely on structure and processes so we get things started with an analysis of the documents we’ve received. 

Here’s an overview: 

  • What type of documents have we received? (from architectural blueprints to recipes from the 1950s), we consider every type of document independently. 
  • The quantity. Though common sense tells you it’ll cost more for a larger job, it’s not always the case with such services. Quantity needs to be properly assessed before we quote our price. 
  • The quality of the documents (sometimes). If we receive an old document that’s extremely fragile, we’ve got to spend more time preparing it for scanning.
  • How the documents are organised. If documents arrive well organised, we won’t need to spend as much time preparing them. If they arrive in a chaotic state this means more work for us. 
  • Your requirements for output. You may have a really simple requirement or a more complicated output request. Either way, we’ll use this to determine the cost of your job too.

There can also be other minor factors, but the above bits of info cover the main ones. Let’s dig in a bit more detail, read on for the ins and outs of each…

Into More Detail…

Different Document types

Each customer has different requirements when it comes to the type of documents they need to scan. From HR files to invoices, it’s an important part of the pricing process. The reason why is to do with the amount of text there is on a page of a document and the sheet quality. 

POD (Proof of Delivery) documents can be very flimsy things for example. Because they’re delicate, extra care needs to be taken which means we have to up our handling game. And, the more text a document contains the longer it’ll take to capture should that be needed. 

Quantity of Documents

The more documents that you provide, the lower the unit cost is. When setting scanning prices, companies generally calculate this by working out the price of each unit as ‘per sheet’ (also known as ‘per image’ or ‘document side’). This is based entirely on quantity.  

Quality of Documents

This can be a less important factor in a lot of cases but if there are a lot of older documents which are at best seriously dog-eared and at worst torn and in need of repair, this increases time and care needed for the work and, therefore, the cost.

Organisation

The order in which documents are sorted will impact the cost of a job. In lots of cases, documents arrive stapled together and need to be de-stapled (tiring work!). Also, how they’re generally organised, in filing cabinets, boxes or lever arch files, can contribute too. Any organisational system can be transferred with relative ease into a digital system but we have to consider this for cost as well. 

Extras & Requirements

Onto the extras, but worry not – there’s nothing that will bust your budget here.

Indexing

Indexing is ‘naming’ or ‘categorising’ any document using relevant data such as a reference number, client name, ID or anything else. This helps with the identification process. Our service usually includes one indexing field as standard but additional items can add a small cost to each file/document.

OCR

OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is a service where the entirety of a document can be made text searchable. It’s a top-notch addition to a digital document management system that ticks all the efficiency boxes. This extends way beyond indexing requirements and means you can delve into the document rather than just do the basics.

Want To Know More About Document Scanning Cost?

As covered, to give the exact cost of document scanning we need to know your requirements. 

Anything from 10,000 documents and up, are usually in the lower pennies per sheet here in the UK. The higher the volume, the lower the unit cost – so be sure to take advantage of this. With that said, however, it’s all about what you need doing…

If you’re seeking a quote for a document scanning job that you have in mind, we’re here to help. Simply get in touch via our contact form and provide us with the important bits we need to know (quantities and requirements) so we can put a price on it. 

At Pearl Scan we pride ourselves in our state of the art scanning service and our promise to scan documents exactly as required. You can find out more information about our document scanning services here on our website too.