Archives for April 2008
Document Scanning Triggers: Office Relocation
While there are many circumstances which can push an organisation to undertake the scanning of their documents and paper files, one of the most common is when it comes to relocating to new offices. This tends to be a time when both office processes and office layout are examined or planned - two elements which highlight perfectly the benefits of having scanned documents made available centrally and on-line rather than dotted around the building in filing cabinets.
It’s also a time when the use of space in the office comes under close scrutiny and the amount of room that those 10 / 20 / 50* filing cabinets (*delete as applicable) and other storage units take up becomes all too apparent. Getting files and documents scanned will free up a huge amount of space which can then be usefully employed for other purposes.
Of course, it’s entirely normal for a company to accumulate paperwork, files and filing systems at an alarming rate – particularly one which is successful and growing. This in turn tends to be stored in filing cabinets in the same way as it has for years and it takes a real effort or trigger to change this. Moving offices can be such a moment, when the realisation hits home of the amount of space that will be required in the new offices to house them - space that a document scanning programme would quickly be able to free up.
Fortunately this also offers an opportunity and an incentive to change. Many companies take the approach that rather than transport paper from one place to another - only to be in the same situation in their new offices - it is the perfect time to ring the changes. By scanning all of their key documents and putting in place processes for ongoing document scanning, they can reduce their space requirements and improve their document filing and storage – optimum use of space and an accessible and indexed set of filed information. Now that can’t be bad.
So what are our recommendations:
- Plan ahead so that it’s not a last minute rush alongside all of your over relocation planning
- Decide on the indexing and structure of your new online information system, and get the new processes in place ready to implement
- Have the documents collected well ahead of the move date so that they can be scanned and the online system made ready for your first day in the new office
- Set up the systems ready for new users and training on the system if necessary
Then you can sit back in your new offices and marvel at all the space you never knew you had!
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Benefits of Document Scanning
Document scanning is now an accepted key business requirement for any forward looking organisation and has become so for a variety of different reasons. However, while organisations are very aware of the benefits they are specifically looking for, they are often less clear of the full range of benefits that document scanning can offer.
Normally an organisation’s focus is on one or two areas which are the triggers for a document scanning programme, perhaps focused on accessibility requirements, disaster planning issues or the need for legal compliance in particular areas. However, there are other benefits which accrue at the same time and can make the cost justification even more attractive.
In our view, some of the areas where document scanning can have a very positive impact are outlined below.
Access to the Information
With documents scanned and indexed correctly, you have immediate access to the information - a real plus when customers are now used to find the information they require at the touch of a button. The additional benefit is that a number of employees can be working with the same documents at any given time, which can save time and help to increase productivity.
Customer Service
As individuals or as companies, we now expect a certain standard of customer service from the organisations that we deal with. Having the files available as and when required allows companies to offer this level of customer service - no more searching for the right documents and calling the customer back! The improved response time means your customers will be happier and you customer service personnel will be able to deal with a greater number of customers.
Additional / Extra Space
There is of course the actual physical space which files and filing cabinets take up in the office or elsewhere. Reducing the amount of office space and storage space used for your paper files means that you can use the space that you have more effectively.
Cost Savings
Document scanning offers cost savings through both tangible and intangible benefits: the tangible savings come from reducing ongoing storage costs and savings on paper, folders, file boxes etc.; the intangible savings come from elements such as lost time looking for files, improved productivity and improved customer service levels.
Security & Control
Security and confidentiality of information is a high priority for companies, whatever industry they work in. With the information held in digital format, multiple levels of password protection and encryption can be put in place to ensure only the people who should have access to particular documents can view them. At the same time, audit trails can be made available giving details of who has accessed or updated documents.
Compliance
There are a number of legal requirements which also come into play, particularly in terms of the Data Protection Act where secure storage and speed of information delivery is key. Depending on the type of information, other drivers will include HM Customs and the Inland Revenue as well as FSA and industry regulations.
Disaster Recovery
The unexpected can always happen but making sure that your documents are backed up and held digitally can minimise the potential risk that your organisation faces. Secure online backup in the case of fire, flood etc. with multiple copies including offsite storage makes certain that all eventualities are covered so that, should the worse happen, you can be back up and running within minutes with minimal disruption to your business.
Remote Access
With an increasing trend for employees to work remotely, scanned documents mean that they will still be able to access the files and the information that they require from wherever they are based. This can help facilitate better information sharing between offices as well as increase the productivity of working from home. It also increases general speed of information delivery across an organisation.
Environmental
And let’s not forget the benefit of reducing the ever increasing use of paper in offices – having a digital record is not only beneficial for all of the benefits outlined above but is also environmental into the bargain.
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Aqua Solutions: Secure scanning for Financial Services
If you are looking for an industry in which paperwork is continually generated then you would be hard pushed to find one to rival the financial services sector. It is also one of the most competitive, where customer service is key and can be the difference between retaining and losing a client. Indeed Aqua’s reputation for delivering clear, current, independent advice backed by customer service excellence is something they take very seriously as well as being one of the financial services’ primary areas of focus this year with the ‘Treating Customers Fairly’ initiative.
Certainly, for a successful and growing company like Aqua Financial Solutions, that has been advising their clients for many years on all aspects of financial planning, having immediate access to customer files has been paramount to maintaining the service excellence with which they have long been associated.
To ensure this level of service as the company continues to grow requires that all Aqua’s client facing systems be as scalable as possible. The decision was taken, therefore, to transfer all of their client files to an online system so that they could be integrated with the rest of their clients’ information and documents. Having all of the information together and accessible online allows immediate access and ensures speed of response.
Due to the confidential and precise nature of the data, this meant careful scanning and indexing of all their client files. Aqua selected Preview to partner them in this on the basis of their reputation in the field and their ability to offer all of the elements that Aqua were looking for both in terms of scanning and indexing, as well as the secure storage of the files.
The scanning was done in conjunction with Preview’s state-of-the-art Records Management Centre where the paper records were archived once scanning had been completed. The electronic files were then indexed to replicate the original file folder structure in Aqua’s internal system which uses the Quay Software Document Management system. This meant the digital files could be easily integrated with the files already held in the system making both filing and access as straightforward and quick as possible.
“Above all,” commented Carolyn Bennett, Director at Aqua Solutions, “it was the flexible approach and the ability to handle secure data at Preview that really made the choice simple for us. We had specific requirements for the scanning and indexing to fit with our own systems and Preview was able to deliver that for us.”
Now that the past records are scanned and in place, the job of maintaining the information with new files is a simple one with new files scanned and stored on a regular basis to keep the client files up to date. With their business continuing to grow through recommendation and word of mouth, Aqua Financial Solutions look likely to keep both themselves and Preview busy well into the future.
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