Issue 1 2009 > Are you Ready to Transition to Paperless? Not Sure Where to Begin?
Are you Ready to Transition to Paperless? Not Sure Where to Begin?
For organizations that are considering converting their paper documents into electronic images, they should consider the many benefits they will enjoy:
- Faster retrieval of documents
- Simultaneous access to a single document
- Elimination of misfiled and misplaced paperwork
- Reduction in physical storage requirements
- Utilization of converted images for inclusion on a company’s website
- Competitive advantages due to quicker access to information, which enables better client service
Before beginning any transition to a "paperless" or "less paper" environment, some fundamental decisions need to be answered. One question is whether to implement a "back-file" conversion system, when the organization’s existing records are scanned and converted to electronic files, or implement a "day forward" system, when only newly generated documents are converted.
"Back-file" Conversions
To answer these questions, the retention periods of these records will need to be examined closely. For obsolete documents that are no longer required to meet compliance and no longer needed to be accessed by employees, scanning would be a cost-prohibitive option. For older records (that are not yet obsolete), retention periods need to be reviewed so the amount of time left in the records’ lifecycles, potential compliance requirements and frequency of access can be measured against the cost of scanning them into electronic files.
Regardless of whether an organization chooses to implement a "back-file" conversion system or not, they will still need to assess their needs for scanning their "day forward" documents. These assessments should be based on current and future retrieval patterns such as how frequently documents are accessed and used, why they are accessed and how many employees will need access to them.
"Day forward" Conversions
For documents that employees will need to access on a regular basis, having them available as digital files and accessible on their own individual desktops will improve efficiencies. It will enable one, two, five or any number of employees to access the files simultaneously. In addition, they will no longer have to retrieve, handle and store hard copies. This saves time and makes the process more convenient. If employees need to access and view images only, the digital files can be converted into "raw" images.
Or if the employees need to extract meaningful data that exists in specific index fields e.g., dollar amounts, weights, dates, etc., the images can be converted into electronic files using OCR (optical character recognition), ICR (intelligent character recognition) and other software. This process streamlines work flow systems and increases employee productivity.
Scanning & Conversion Locations
Once the assessment has been completed, the next step will be to determine where to conduct the scanning and conversions. Choices include on-site at the company’s offices, off-site with a professional imaging company or a combination of both. The decision will depend on:
- Business & legal requirements
- Physical space
- Cost of equipment
- Volume of work
- Confidentiality
- Staff resources
- Project deadlines
Before investing in any kind of imaging system, a significant amount of research will need to be done in order to determine what type of system will meet the needs and objectives as cost effectively as possible. The research process can be overwhelming. Examples include evaluating staff resources to prepare the documents, set-up and maintain the system; availability of physical space; scanning equipment and software, etc.
Costs & Confidentiality
The most significant cost associated with an imaging system is labor: organizing the documents, removing staples and paperclips, scanning the documents, performing quality control on the images, performing data entry for indexing, packing the files into boxes for storage, storing or destroying the files, etc. The activity of actually scanning the documents is only a small aspect of the project.
Another important issue to consider is confidentiality. Confidential and other sensitive material, when in paper form, may be sealed, placed in a secure location and made inaccessible to certain staff. When these documents are imaged, security measures must also be implemented. The contents of all sensitive and confidential records must be examined and procedures must be put in place to control access and maintain their integrity.
Ongoing Access
Once the files have been scanned and converted into electronic files, the next step in the implementation is uploading the images to an online hosting system. Once they are uploaded, designated employees are given login names and passwords and trained on the software. They are trained on retrieving, sorting, viewing and printing electronic images.
While the transition to a "paperless" system should be as smooth as possible for the staff, shifting from hard copies to viewing images on a computer screen may require a cultural change within the organization. If proper training and support is given during this transition period, the staff will quickly embrace the new technologies and enjoy the system’s many benefits. Throughout the implementation, it is critically important to keep the staff well informed of the status, as well as any problems or issues that may surface.