subject: Don't file. Scan to disc or memory stick [print this page] Don't fileDon't file. Scan to disc or memory stick
Digital media storage has come a long way in the last 5 years. Its now possible to carry the contents of more than 10 filing cabinets on just one memory stick!Have you considered outsourcing your document archive problems? Not to physically store but to electronically store within your server. Nearly every business in the UK has a document storage problem. Accessing filing cabinets for important information that may have been misfiled or misplaced or just plain missing being one of them. There are literally millions of filing cabinets in the UK, most containing vital information that needs to be saved but is seldom referenced! Here is the alternative.What a waste of space and money this can be. Not to mention unsightly and poor use of valuable square footage i.e. revenue producing staff.The best and by far, most efficient way to store documents is NOT in a filing cabinet but to digitally store it directly to your computer or server. Scanning documents to disc, memory stick or uploading to a server guarantees nothing is lost of misfiled. The subject of document scanning is totally different however. Some businesses we talk to will have hundreds of filing cabinets or archive boxes containing historical files going back many years in certain cases. Taking the time to unpack all of these files and scan is a daunting task, taking up valuable labour resource and taking serious chunks of time to get right.Imagine how much simpler this could all be if you could outsource this. Digital document scanning is nothing more than a replication of your physical filing system. Its not reinventing the wheel, just allowing you to reference and search documents in a faster and more efficient way. e.g. A customer file when physically accessed requires the person viewing to find the relevant delivery note, invoice, letter, note or dispatch advice. By indexing these sections electronically when they are scanned, you can pull up many different reference points at the click of a mouse. For example, you may want to see all handwritten notes by a certain manager or author, all relevant technical drawings for a specific building or project. Indexing various search fields by document management software will facilitate this.Of secondary but equally important consideration is security. With physical storage you have no protection against unwanted eyes. Perhaps competition or a disgruntled employee. Ensuring security levels are maintained is a breeze with document scanning and management. Simply issue "need to know basis" passwords to staff, affiliates or partners. Job done!Finally, at the end of the outsourced scanning project you decide whether you want the originals back or, as in most cases, simply destroyed freeing up all of that valuable space that was taken by the ubiquitous filing cabinet(s) A certificate of destruction will be provided to show the audit trail and HMRC no longer require originals but are happy to see scanned copies so in very few cases do you actually need to keep the originals. Legally you can never shred or destroy a legal document such as a will or epa (enduring power of attorney). They must be kept for a minimum of the lifetime of the originator.If you are keen to move into the paperless world then outsourced scanning is a good start and highly recommended as a massive improvement over conventional filing methods.
