document management solutions from Pro-Doc

Online document management solutions provide secure data storage for the future

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Document management solutions designed improve efficiency and reduce storage costs

Sometimes it seems as though the world of work is changing at breakneck speed and thanks to rapid developments in document management technology, there’s now a very real possibility that the prospect of a paperless office could move from science fiction to reality during the next decade. Not only is this great news for businesses keen to improve their environmental credentials and increase efficiency; it could also help reduce storage and administration costs. There’s little doubt that electronic document management solutions offer massive potential, but what are the trends for the future and how will the way we work be affected?

Cloud storage offers a secure solution

If you run your own business you’d have to have been living on another planet to have missed any talk of ‘cloud storage.’ In case there’s anyone out there who doesn’t know what cloud storage is; it’s simply a term used to describe the practice of using a network of remote servers to manage, store and process data. Cloud storage has moved into the mainstream over the last couple of years, and thanks to the benefits it can offer in terms of efficiency, data recovery and the ability to share data and work from anywhere, it’s now widely used by businesses of all shapes and sizes.

Despite the fact that many business owners worry about the security of cloud storage, this isn’t an issue which is confined to online document management. Any form of document storage has an element of risk attached – paper documents can be copied, stolen or destroyed, for example – the benefits of cloud storage far outweigh the minimal risks.

Findability is the latest trend in document management

The ‘findability’ of digital documents looks set to become a real talking point amongst companies providing document management solutions. Findability is very different to ‘search-ability’ and it’s important not to confuse the two. Findability is the term used to describe how easy it is to find a piece of information on a website, for example. Search-ability, on the other hand, is the way in which we find information using known information such as a phrase or keyword.

In the very near future it likely that the way we search the web or data will take into consideration who we are, where we are, what we do and what we already know; providing tailor-made search results which are unique and relevant to the searcher. We’ve all got used to using search engines – after all they’ve been with us for some time – and have come to realise that there’s an awful lot of information out there and that it can be very time consuming trawling through it all to find exactly what you need to know. With this in mind, the search engines have cottoned on to the fact that it would be much better if they could direct relevant information in the direction of individual users. This technological leap means that the document management systems of tomorrow will be designed to make content searches incredibly accurate.

It looks as though document management and electronic content management solutions are moving from the shadows into the spotlight. Remember when you first heard about email and what a novelty the web seemed when we first used it? This is the way electronic document management is likely to be seen at some point soon and it’s unlikely that, just like email, there will be many businesses left who aren’t making the most of the benefits on offer.

Contact Pro-Doc to discuss your requirements

If you would like to find out more about the document management solutions available from Pro-Doc, or to talk through your requirements, why not get in touch with us today?

bulk document scanning

How data capture could help your business

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What is data capture?

Data capture is a process which is designed to capture and extract the data from electronic files and paper documents, allowing you to search or share information at the touch of a button, helping to streamline business processes, free up time and reduce storage space.

How does data capture work?

Before the data from paper documents can be extracted, the documents have to be scanned and converted into a digital format. This scanning process can be carried out quickly and efficiently – specialist document scanning companies such as Pro-Doc use powerful scanners which have the capability to scan many thousands of documents in a single day. Regardless of its age, size or type, virtually any document can be scanned, from architectural drawings and plans, through to legal documents, correspondence, invoices and even historical artefacts.

Once documents have been scanned they can be quickly converted into the digital format you require, with the most commonly used being HTML and PDF file formats. Optical character recognition – OCR – is then used to convert the scanned version of a document into a fully searchable format.

Can any data be captured?

The simple answer to this is yes. OCR allows for the conversion of most types of printed text, regardless of how the page has been laid out or how the text is placed upon the page. OCR produces incredibly accurate results and once a document has been converted, you’ll be able to share its data quickly and efficiently.

Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR) offers a way to take the data capture process even further. Designed to interpret and capture handwritten text; this incredibly powerful software has the ability to interpret handwriting of any size or style from purely handwritten documents or documents with a combination of handwriting an typed text. As with OCR, ICR offers an exceptionally useful way to capture, search and share data from written records, archives and historical documents.

Using data capture to free up storage space

One of the most significant benefits of data capture is the reduction in document storage space it can offer. Once documents have been scanned, a wide range of online document storage solutions are available, offering safe, secure storage.  Designed to help you streamline your business processes and free up valuable storage space, storing documents electronically, rather than in a traditional filing cabinet (or a pile on your desk!), can help you revolutionise the way you work and run your business. Online data storage facilities are actually pretty simple and once the original, paper versions of your documents have been scanned, the digital versions are stored electronically, ready to be accessed as and when you need them. It’s even possible to request copies of the original, paper documents, or to have the paper versions shredded, all at the touch of a button.

Data capture solutions from Pro-Doc

We offer a range of data capture solutions, designed to help businesses and organisations reduce their reliance on paper, streamline their systems and reduce storage. If you would like to find out more, or talk through your requirements, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

document scanning services from Pro-Doc

Is it time to step away from the printer?

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Document management services from Pro-Doc

As regular readers of our blog will know, it’s our aim to provide businesses with advice on how to transform their systems and cut costs by using a document management system. Although many companies are fully committed to moving to digital systems, it’s interesting to speculate on why many people are still dependent on paper to do their jobs.

Relying on paper is insecure and inefficient

Many offices still like to give their printer a work-out on a daily basis whilst the majority still rely upon outdated, inefficient paper processes to agreements, contracts and any documents which require a signature for approval. Not only is relying on paper an expensive, inefficient way to manage documents, the risk of leaving something important ‘lying around’ poses questions about confidentiality.

Tackle paperwork and reduce storage

However, many of the businesses we work with have made significant strides in reducing their paper usage by making using of our document management services. We work with businesses of all shapes and sizes and our document management services could help you tackle that paperwork mountain, reduce storage and printing costs, improve security and confidentiality or increase efficiency and improve workflows.

Contact us for information on how our document management services could help your business

Document scanning is one of the most effective ways to safely and securely deal with document storage issues, whilst archive management overcomes storage issues whilst allowing you to access data as and when you need it. If you would like to find out more or discuss your requirements, we’d be delighted to help – why not get in touch by calling Pro-Doc on 01274 883459?