document management services from Pro-Doc

Secure document management services from Pro-Doc

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Document management services designed to help you maximise your business’s potential

Today’s business world is highly competitive and with this in mind it’s vital that you’re able to store your documents somewhere that is safe and secure whilst allowing instant access. This is where Pro-Doc come in by offering a range of efficient professional document management services, designed to help our clients do what they do best: run their businesses.

Solutions for businesses of all sizes

A number of different professional document management services are available, designed to be tailored to meet the varying requirements of different businesses and industries. Regardless of the size of your company, or the volume or condition of your businesses’ documentation, we’ll work with you to find a solution that allows you to access the information you need when you need it.

Storing documents in a digital format, rather than in a traditional filing cabinet, is an excellent way to free up storage space. The vast majority of documents can be scanned, regardless of their size, type or how old they are. Here at Pro-Doc we use highly efficient digital scanning systems to scan multiple documents incredibly quickly, ready for them to be stored as digital files, ready to be accessed as and when you need them. Our scanning services can be used to scan everything from invoices and legal documents, through to architectural plans and historical archives.

Access information at the touch of a button

Once documents have been scanned, you’ll need to be able access the information that’s stored within them. We use OCR – optical character recognition – to create fully searchable digital documents, designed to enable our clients to find the information they need, whether it’s the name of a file or just a particular word, at the touch of a button.

Contact Pro-Doc to talk through your requirements

If you’d like to find a way to streamline your businesses process, improve security and free up storage space, why not get in touch with us to talk through the range of options available? Here at Pro-Doc we provide document storage solutions for businesses of all shapes and sizes so please contact us to discuss your requirements.

 

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?

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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?

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What is an enterprise document management system?

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Enterprise document management systems offer an effective, secure solution

Enterprise document management system (edms) is basically a system which is designed to oversee the electronic and paper documents used by an organisation, ensuring that they can be easily retrieved as soon as they are required.  The term edms was originally used to refer to paper documents which had been scanned into a digital format or electronic documents which had been created using a computer. Edms has now been broadened and can include multimedia, instant messages, emails and PowerPoint presentations.

To ensure regulatory compliance, an edms system must ensure that a range of issues are addressed; including how long documents should be kept and where they should be stored and how documents will be recovered in the event of a disaster.

Document storage solutions from Pro-Doc

Here at Pro-Doc we offer a range of document management solutions, with options to suit businesses and organisations of all shapes and sizes. By using one of our easily accessible and searchable storage facilities, we can help you make significant improvements to your existing document storage systems. Modern edms systems mean that the storage, display and security of all types of document is far more efficient and can help you streamline your systems and improve efficiency.

If you would like to find out more about how we can help you improve the way you manage your documents, please get in touch by calling 01274 883459 to talk through your requirements.

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Survey highlights the risks of paper-based document management

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Does your business still rely upon paper?

According to a recent survey carried out by M-Files, the extent to which many businesses still rely on paper documents and paper-based processes has been revealed. The survey shows that 81% of employees are still printing at least one paper document every day and that just under 30% have read a confidential document they shouldn’t have had access to because it had been left lying around the office.

The study also found that around 58% of all paper documents are left in their paper form in filing cabinets or on desks, whilst just over half of the organisations surveyed still rely upon paper-based processes for documents which require a signature before approval. In addition, whilst 38% of those who took part in the survey admitted that they had misplaced or lost at least a couple of paper documents a couple of times each month; this number is likely to be higher as 62% answered by saying that they didn’t know.

This survey further highlights what we regularly find – that many businesses and organisations still rely on paper-based document management. At the very least this leads to inefficiency and can easily spiral into a reduction in productivity and ultimately at decrease in revenue. Using an electronic document management system and secure file sharing system such as Egnyte, can help you take your business to the next level, giving you the competitive edge on businesses which still rely upon paper documents, files and folders.

Contact Pro-Doc for advice on secure document management and storage

Here at Pro-Doc we provide a range of specialist services, designed to help businesses and organisations reduce their reliance upon paper. Our services include document scanning services, data capture and archive management and if you would like to find out more, or to talk through your requirements, we’d be delighted to help.

Document storage systems designed to offer a solution for HR departments

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The paper problem faced by many HR departments

Traditionally human resources departments have been incredibly reliant on paperwork: from application forms and interview notes, through to training, assessment and staff management, the processes used by HR teams are paper-heavy. HR files must be easy to access but the space that they take up means that large amounts of storage is required to store confidential staff records and as the archive grows, managing such a huge quantity of paperwork can become a real issue.

Despite the fact that human resources departments are resource heavy, increasing numbers are embracing the digital revolution by working towards going paperless. It’s not hard to see why as it takes an awful lot of staff time to manage staff records and because records must be kept for the entire employment period and beyond (longer in the case of company pensions), the need for a digital solution is becoming increasingly urgent for many companies.

What’s the solution?

Digital document storage is a great way for HR departments to significantly reduce the amount of paper they add to what is likely to be an already over-burdened document archive. Instant access to information is also possible, as is the ability to share information quickly, making digital document storage a viable option for all HR departments.

However, digital document storage is likely to be just the first step in the long journey towards reducing the amount of paperwork generated by the average HR department as most organisations will still have their older, physical paper records. Whilst it can be tempting to start the undeniably laborious process of digitising these records, it’s far easier and less time consuming to call in the experts!

Document storage systems from Pro-Doc

Our services are designed to take the hassle out of getting on top of that paperwork mountain and the document storage systems we provide are ideal for HR departments of all sizes. Digitizing your paperwork will not only help you make significant a significant reduction in the amount of physical space you need to store documents, it can help you improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Data protection is an understandable concern for HR departments but by working with a professional document storage specialist such as Pro-Doc, you’ll have the reassurance of knowing that your paperwork and archives are in safe and secure hands.

Going paperless offers a number of advantages, not least in terms of the flexibility it could bring to your HR department. A cost-effective, practical solution for organisations of all shapes and sizes, a paper-lite HR department will help you streamline the management of your staff and increase productivity. If you would like to find out more, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Shredding – is it the best way to destroy data?

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There’s no doubt that scanning and document management technology has switched our reliance on paper documents to electronic forms of documentation. However, whilst paper documents are highly susceptible to loss or damage, they can also be used as absolute proof if required. Many businesses find having a collection of paper archive documents to be very comforting and it’s this reassurance that prevents them from making the most of the electronic document management solutions which are available.

Although the paperless office is still some way away, the move towards paperless systems is unstoppable. Even in this age of electronic filing and cloud storage, destroying paper evidence feels very dangerous to many companies and there is a real reluctance to make a complete move towards a digital system.

The majority of original paper documents are destroyed because they are no longer required, with the aim of freeing up document storage space. However, some forms of documentation are the exception to the rule and title deeds, leases and HMRC tax forms, for example, should be kept. Many companies labour under the misconception that these important documents have to be stored in their original paper format but this is definitely not the case. Provided that digital documents are captured and then managed in the correct way, they are equally as valid as their paper originals.
Using an electronic document management system makes sense on a number of levels. Efficient document management means a great deal more than scanning documents and then storing them in a digital format. It offers the capability to capture relevant information from data and to use this data to drive a fully automated electronic process. Of course electronic document management is a great storage solution but it also comes into its own when used as a way to track payments or to streamline and automate the approval of a wide range of legal documents, for example.

One of the most significant benefits of switching to an electronic document management system is that it will create an audit trail that will prove vital in the event of any potential legal challenge. Once operational documents have been captured and then stored in an electronic document management system, they will always be available for retrieval. Provided the provenance of a document is transparent and that its integrity cannot be questioned, then the question of Legal Admissibility will not come into play.

With the issue of Legal Admissibility in mind, it’s important that you make sure the electronic document management system you use will ensure you are on the right side of the law. Before shredding your paperwork archive, you should check whether the scanned documents are exact replicas of the original, if they can be used as reliable evidence and what the legal regulations are around electronic document management in your particular sector. Your electronic document management supplier will be able to answer these questions.

Whilst making the most of the latest developments in document scanning and electronic management, you should also make sure that your business’s internal processes are up to scratch. To ensure the legal admissibility of electronic information, the British Standard BS 1008:20081 should be met. Complying with this code will offer you the reassurance that you are doing as much as possible to meet official document storage requirements. Whether you decide to use a cloud based storage solution or a web portal, using an electronic document management solution is now no longer a luxury, it has become essential for businesses of all shapes and sizes.

Step away from the filing cabinet

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If you were asked whether you’d like to be able to share information more easily, free up storage space, improve business productivity and to increase your response time to your customers you’re likely to say yes, aren’t you? These are the kind of things that can give your business the competitive edge and improve your environmental credentials – sounds too good to be true? The answer is that it’s not – provided you rely less on paper and more on electronic document management.

Going ‘paper-free’ has been proven to offer a pretty return on investment: managing paper costs an awful lot of money and when you think about the costs involved in buying paper, printing costs, copying equipment and supplies, paper storage systems and then the price of postage and couriers, it can all start to seem very expensive indeed.

Electronic communication has been around for some time now and the possibility of a paperless office isn’t quite the futuristic idea it once was. However, although the technology now exists to turn the dream of a paperless office into a reality, it doesn’t look like this is about to happen any time soon. On the other hand, it is possible to take a few relatively simple steps towards moving away from your reliance on paper, files, folders and filing cabinets – all of which need space, time and money to manage.

Rather than setting an unrealistic goal of going completely paper-free, it perhaps better to introduce paper-free systems or processes one at a time. For example, you could start by introducing a policy to convert every paper document into digital as soon as it arrives in the office. This can prove to be highly effective – and surprisingly easy to implement – especially if it helps to cut down or even eliminate the amount of internal mail you, and your employees, have to deal with.

If you’d like to start the move towards a paper-free office, it can be helpful by starting with an audit of the types of paper your businesses uses such as contracts, invoices, receipts or personal correspondence, for example. Look at where paper is dragging your business down, any areas where paper is reducing flexibility or taking up too much space in the office. Work out what the biggest problem is and tackle that first – you’ll soon notice the difference.

A whole range of electronic calendars and project management systems are available; these are a cheap and easy way to cut down on paper and that seemingly endless round of documents which seem to be passed from one office department to another. Or why not try putting just a couple of hours a week aside to devote to document scanning and then shredding any paperwork which has recently accumulated, such receipts or the minutes of meetings? A few simple steps such as these really can make all the difference.

Going paper free can seem very daunting and if you feel unsure of your expertise, why not consider consulting a specialist document management company? The benefits are clear and wide-reaching and the sooner you get started on your journey towards a paper-free office, the sooner you’ll start to see a return on your investment.