If your company is planning to outsource its document scanning requirements
, you'll want to make sure you hire the contractor that's right for your business. This article outlines some of the important factors to look out for and will give you some idea of the right questions to ask.
Scanning services required
Firstly you'll need to ascertain which services you actually require do you need just scanning and indexing services or a full document management solution?
Do you need hands-on help or just some consultation and advice?
Security
When it comes to documents, security is likely to be a key consideration for your company. Find out about a contractor's security arrangements and how documents containing sensitive data will be handled. In some circumstances, contractors will need to be registered with the Data Protection Agency ask about this too if you handle personal data.
Documents which need to be transferred to a contractor should be transferred using a secure courier service and all staff who handle confidential documents should be police-checked.
Ability
Don't presume that all document scanning companies can meet your requirements. Ask them how long they have been established. Who have they worked for? What sectors do they have experience in?
It might be a good idea to ask for evidence and case studies of when a document scanning company has worked with another client with similar requirements to you.
Companies should also be ISO 9001 accredited and have a wide range of equipment to handle all types of documents and sizes.
Software and support
Some contractors are tied in with third-party vendors and may not be well placed to offer you the widest selection of solutions for your scanning needs.
Independent companies can choose from everything that's available on the market to find the best solution for you.
Key questions to ask
These questions are a good start to help you choose the best scanning services contractor for you:
1.What relevant experience would your ideal contractor have?
2. Are there any key security issues which need to be considered?
3. What ongoing support do you need?
4. Once all your main files have been scanned, will you continue to maintain scanning in-house or do you require a contractor for this?
5. Do your documents include personal data?
6. What kind of documents can the contractor deal with?