With many businesses having to find smarter ways of working to address the difficulties of team working with staff spread far and wide, discovering strategies to make life easier is becoming increasingly pressing. Sending and receiving mail is one aspect of the new way of working which can prove difficult to manage. Here at PDM our hybrid Mailroom Services are designed to make managing outgoing and incoming mail as efficient and cost-effective as possible.

Outgoing hybrid mail services

Sending mail is easy with PDM Post! Our PDM-Post portal does all the work: letters are simply uploaded, either individually or en-mass, by the user and this can be done in a range of formats including Microsoft Word or PDF. To eliminate the expense of incorrectly addressed items, all post codes are validated before they are posted and once items have been sent, verification of posting is received using the PDM-Post portal. Finally, notification is end if any letters are returned as undelivered, whilst a copy of each letter is stored securely in the PDM-Post portal.

Incoming hybrid mail services

Receiving and distributing incoming mail can prove particularly challenging when staff are working from home or in a number of different locations. Our incoming mail service offers a cost-effective solution to this as mail is collected from a dedicated PO box, before being delivered to our fully secure production centre.

Hard copy mail is opened and digitally captured, before being sent directly to your PDM-Post portal inbox, from where it can be downloaded and then integrated into a system of your choice. In addition, as a further option, mail items can be named and sorted according to your requirements; whether this is the date received, details of the sender or the individual recipient.

Get in touch with PDM to find out more

If you would like to find out how we can transform the way you send and receive mail, get in touch with PDM by calling 01274 883459 or email info@pro-doc.co.uk

What is data capture?

Data capture is simply an electronic process which is designed to capture and then extract the data from paper and digital documents documents. Once the process is complete, data capture offers the capability to search or share information at the touch of a button. As a result, increasing numbers of businesses are using data capture to help them streamline business processes, free up time and reduce physical storage space.

Before the data can be extracted, paper documents have to be scanned and converted into a digital format. Scanning is quick and efficient and we use powerful scanners which have the capability to scan many thousands of documents in just one day. Regardless of the age, size or type, almost any document can be scanned; from legal documents and invoices, through to architectural drawings and even historical artefacts.

Once scanned, documents 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 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 and 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 biggest benefits of data capture is the reduction in physical storage space needed for paper documents. 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!) has the potential to 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

To find out more about the benefits of data capture for your business, get in touch to discuss your requirements.

The past 10 months or so have clarified what we already know: being able to access your data regardless of where you are is vital to the continuity and even survival of your business. Those organisations which still rely upon working with on-site system found themselves facing real problems in accessing information remotely; either because it was locked in a physical filing cabinet, or stored in an unreachable app on a local server.

As a result of having to embrace home working at such short notice, even organisations and businesses which tend to rely upon ‘traditional’ workflow systems are embracing remote working teams and turning to the cloud.

The benefits of cloud working are something that we often talk about in our blog posts: from gains in efficiency and universal access, through to a reduction in costs. However, getting to the point where you’re ready to switch involves thinking about the technology you need. Remember that for remote working to be effective, the right information has to be in the right hands at the right time in order to facilitate decision making or improve efficiency. Making all this happens is where document management services come in.

Although document management might feel like a relatively new concept, in layman’s terms it is simply the integration and aggregation of content from a number of different sources; it’s far easier to do this when documents are stored in the cloud rather than in a physical filing cabinet.

So where next? Moving to a cloud-based document management system will give you the capability to make sure content can flow and be easily shared between different applications, without duplicating, replicating or emitting any data. Unfortunately, seamless content sharing such as this simply isn’t possible with on-premises systems which can keep up with ever-changing legislation and technological developments.

Document management and storage solutions from the document management experts

Here at Pro-Doc we specialise in providing our clients with highly secure cloud-based document storage and management solutions designed to help them work smarter. We understand that you may be apprehensive about the possible disruption and cost of getting to grips with new technology. Our team are experts in working closely with businesses and organisations of all sizes and we can help you choose a system which meets your budget and requirements, whilst providing you with the support and guidance you need.

If you would like to find out more about how we can help your business save time and money whilst improving efficiency, get in touch by calling 01274 883459 or email info@pro-doc.co.uk

Document management and storage solutions from PDM

A New Year is the ideal time to make a fresh start and maybe try a few changes! With this in mind, the last few months have been incredibly challenging for many businesses who’ve had to cope with finding ways to management working from home, whilst maintaining normal levels of production or service.

At PDM we are experts in helping businesses to work smarter by providing a wide range of cost-effective document management and storage solutions including scanning services, data capture, PIQNIC archive management and mail room services. Here is an overview of how we can help your business:

• PIQNIQ is an innovative smart software platform which is designed to manage everything in one place: files, tasks, project, teams, communications and decisions. Where PIQNIC differs with other planning/management software is that it also offers highly secure and incredibly powerful document management. PIQNIC comes highly recommended by our team because it enables businesses to work in a way that meets current and future challenges, information is stored safely and safeguarded but ready for instant access, whilst replacing the need for multiple apps or software. In addition, PIQNIC also enables businesses to work smarter by reducing reliance on distractions such as emails and meetings.
• Scanning is idea for any business which needs to be able to access documents and records on a regular basis. Designed to offer a great solution to finding room to store large quantities of physical documents, scanning documents into a digital format makes them easily accessible.
• Not only do physical document archives require lots of space, they are also difficult and time consuming to search, regardless of how well organised they are. Data capture is used to extract information and files from physical documents, making them readily available for immediate access.
• We offer a range of hybrid mail services, designed to take the hassle out of sending and receiving business mail. Our PDM-Post service is highly cost effective; offering significant savings on printing, paper and mailing costs.

Get in touch with PDM to find out how we can help you transform the way you run your businesses

We offer a wide range of services, including specialist services for legal firms and schools, designed to help you run your business or organisation in a why that’s cost effective and efficient. To find out more, get in touch with us by calling 01274 883459 or email info@pro-doc.co.uk