The Truth Behind Document Conversion
Have you or someone you know recently begun (or begun to consider) the process of having business documents scanned? Well then, congratulations, you’ve taken the first step towards streamlining your business processes and going paperless.
You’re probably excited. Or nervous. Maybe even confused and a little bit terrified. We know – change can be hard. So relax your sweaty palms and let us be the first to pat you on the back, and we’ll address a topic that’s important to any relationship: managing expectations.
What People Think Happens:
Let’s see…you box up your loose documents in their current state of disarray and leave them at the door for a big white stork to carry off in a magical bundle. The stork will quickly organize and sort your paper, scan it, and deliver it to you in your preferred format. The end.
Or, a paper fairy flies through your office, gathering up only the documents which it knows are crucial to your business. With a twinkle of its wand, it teleports your files to some mysterious location where mythical creatures with photographic memories quickly transcribe the contents of your documents into a compressed format for your use. That’s gotta be what Optical Character Recognition means, right?
But then where do broken hearts go? Ahem…I mean, all dogs go to heaven, right? Don’t your boxes and files just disintegrate into oblivion? Or do they float up to their own private, encrypted document heaven? Actually, your hard-copy files are what landed you in paper purgatory in the first place, so you’ll need to discuss your options for how to handle the originals after they’ve been scanned.
What Really Happens (or Should)
1) A full-service conversion partner will consult with you to analyze your needs and customize your project from start to finish. You will be given a quote for scope and price of work to be performed, and once you sign off, the project can begin. Your chosen vendor will manage your documents according to your desired specifications and work within agreed-upon parameters for organization, identification, indexing, and classification.
2) Scanning can be completed on or off site, and the logistics of scanning off-site should be coordinated with your document management partner. A proof of concept will be delivered so that you can evaluate a “test batch” to ensure system compatibility and image quality.
3) If you’ve opted for value-added services, such as software/hardware implementation, your valiant prince charming will conduct the necessary training to ensure seamless integration with your existing systems, minimizing impact on operations.
4) Once the finished product is delivered and your processes have been optimized, this knight in shining armor will either return your files to you, securely destroy them, or help you store them remotely. Now you’re on your way to a wonderland of streamlined workflows with fewer paper-cuts, increased efficiency and better customer service all around.
Happily Ever After
No, happy endings aren’t just for fairy tales – although, you may have to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince. Your information is priceless. Don’t look for a one-time deal, look for a long-term relationship with someone who will become an extension of your team and learn your business.
We’ll guide you through it:
Download our information security white paper to learn what to look for in a trusted conversion partner.
Afraid of Commitment?
Need a few more dates before you decide to jump into anything and make it official?
No problem, we’re not shy.