Digital document scanning offers an effective solution

It’s all too easy to get lost in data and when data is being quantified in petabytes and zettabytes, it can be very difficult to uncover the important information hidden behind huge numbers. Digital document scanning offers the solution but what’s the best way to make a start?

Huge amounts of data are still stored in the form of paper files and it’s unlikely that this information is being fully utilised. To start making sense of data on paper, these documents need to be scanned into a digital format so that information management solutions can be applied.

Alongside uncaptured documents, there’s often a wide range of unstructured or semi-structured data which can be found in a wide range of resources including: system logs, social media sites and call detail records.

Integrating paper documents into digital systems

However, effective document management in this age of digital transformation means so much more than working towards the goal of a paperless office. The data that’s held in paper documents must be integrated into business processes so that it doesn’t end up being overlooked, just as it did in its paper-based format.

So what can you do to unlock the undeveloped, potentially valuable mine of information your business is sitting on? Investing in the most effective tools, moving from decentralised to centralised scanning and streamlining your business processes using automated systems are all productive steps you can take.

Using the right tools and document scanning solutions will enable you to unlock information which might be hidden in digital and paper formats, helping you to understand and extract valuable insights from the contents, before delivering the correct information to the correct people at the right time.

However, whilst the right tools and solutions are undeniably important, businesses must also ensure that they implement best practices to help them get to grips with what can seem like an endless stream of important information and content hidden away in documents.

Making the most of document scanning solutions

The information stored in documents can depreciate quickly and the data contained inside is likely to have a ‘best before date’. With this in mind, it’s vital that the information is extracted as quickly as possible by transforming the document into a digital format.

Document scanning solutions can either be distributed or centralised and the most suitable option for your business will be determined by which fits best with your processes and existing infrastructure. Centralised document scanning involves documents being routed to a mailroom before they are digitised, classified and then forwarded into the relevant process or to an employee.

Distributed scanning is, in contrast, most suitable for organisations and businesses that have offices and employees who are scattered far and wide. Distributed scanning offers the capability to capture documents quickly, whilst improving security and reducing the cost of storage.

Document capture is just the start

Data capture is just the start of the data storage journey and the faster, securer and more accurately the data flows, the more effective the document scanning solution will be. To capture and then extract information in the quickest, most cost-effective way depends on your business choosing the most appropriate solution.

Contact Pro-Doc

Here at Pro-Doc we offer a range of document scanning solutions with options to suit businesses of all shapes and sizes. To find out more about how we can help you streamline your business processes and reduce document storage costs, why not get in touch today?