Document Scanning: Step One Toward An Efficient Organization

By Bill Thomas
From my “DocuBLOG” column
Bill works for USA-ONE Interactive

Ever feel like you’re drowning in paper? You’re not alone. Sometimes when I look at the bulging files virtually busting out of office file cabinets, I wonder if anyone really knows where a given document is located. The truth is, often they don’t. Whether you work in a doctor’s office, a manufacturing firm, a marketing company, a pharmaceutical giant or any of the thousands of mom and pop shops that dot the business landscape, the sheer mass of paper contained in your “paper trail” is probably overwhelming. Document scanning is the antidote to paper overload.

Document scanning is today’s way of taking control of the clutter, including everything from documents you refer to daily to those you haven’t looked at since your incorporation, but still need to hold on to.

Document scanning can encompass both paper documents and information currently stored on microfilm. It’s an excellent way to bring all the hodge-podge you call “files” together in one consistent, accessible system. Clearly, document scanning offers many advantages:

• Document scanning eliminates the need for all those disorganized, easily lost, paper records. This saves valuable floor space in your company.


• Document scanning greatly reduces the number of duplicate documents you have squirreled away in your “physical archive.”


• Document scanning saves search time. Everything you’ve scanned is instantly available on screen. You save hours scrounging through dusty files, often in a panic because a valuable document has vanished.


• Document scanning allows you to maintain a consistent high quality of document appearance over all the items scanned. Even if your scans include pages from rare old books, schematic drawings, old handwritten notes — whatever, you can count on document scanning to deliver the highest quality image possible.


• Document scanning helps you speed up your service to customers. Since everything you need for a customer transaction is accessible at your fingertips, you can answer questions and solve problems fast, and that makes everyone happier.


• Document scanning saves money by cutting the high cost of storage. No more ugly metal file cabinets overwhelming your attractive office décor, no more storage room stacked high with boxes filled with old records you don’t dare pitch out. No more employees spending costly time digging through this mess to find something that may, or may not, be there. Everything is neat and organized and that’s a real confidence builder for clients visiting your office and being served by your staff.

If a paperless office is the future — and it seems that this is certainly where American business is heading — then documentscanning is a key part of your success.

CMS - Discover the Reach of Software that Manages Content

By Bill Thomas
From my “DocuBLOG” column
Bill works for USA-ONE Interactive

What is CMS? At first blush, the answer seems simple, and frankly, obvious. CMS is a system that manages content. That’s clear enough, right? … until you begin thinking about it. To truly define, and understand, what CMS actually is you must first set some parameters. For example, what is the content the CMS will manage? In its simplest form, “managed content” could be names and addresses in a Rolodex. Content: names/addresses. Managed: alphabetized on a circular file.

However, in the electronic world, where the term CMS is most often applied these days, content usually refers to any variety of digital info an organization wishes to retain and use. This includes such things as text documents, graphics, records, sound — almost anything that could be managed in an electronic venue.

OK, now that we understand the vast variety of content a CMS can deal with, let’s consider for a moment, what we mean by manage? Do we simply mean store? Unfortunately, that’s what some systems’ reps seem to imply. However, a truly effective CMS will combine processes, rules and workflow considerations in such a way as to make the materials being stored more accessible and more logically organized than they would be otherwise. CMS is a tool to make information access — both internally and externally, as allowed — more efficient.

Often when someone refers to a CMS, they are talking about a system used to manage the content of a website. This CMS is actually a combination of two different components: the Content Management Application, which makes it possible for someone not schooled in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) to control the creation, alteration and deletion of content, and the Content Delivery Application which actually uses the information input to update the site.

In deciding to implement a CMS in your organization, a couple of considerations need to be pondered:

• How large is your organization and how far-flung are your offices. This is especially important if the CMS content will need to be used across international borders. This complicates the process of CMS implementation considerably.
  


• 
  How diverse is your organization’s data? If the CMS will control a wide variety of formats(video, audio, diagrams, text, graphics), management becomes more difficult.

For best results and long-term satisfaction with your CMS, work with a trusted representative as you set up the rules and protocols that will be followed by your system.

Document Archiving — Organizing and Storing for Later Retrieval

When it’s time for a document to leave daily use and go into document archiving do you have a moment of uncertainty? I’m referring to the tiniest prick of fear that you don’t know exactly where it’s going and, even more important, you’re not sure how or if you’ll be able to retrieve it from document archiving should the need arise. You know your mind is a steel trap, but you’ve seen it get a little rusty when it comes to remembering some of the bizarre things you’ve named your files. Do you even archive your documents, or do they just sit out there in “etherland” on somebody’s hard drive where nobody knows where it is at? Probably so . . .

Of course, if you’ve ever sent a file to document archiving and lost it in the black hole of cyberspace, your fears are understandable. I pause for a moment of silent empathy.

All kidding aside, document archiving is one of the most serious challenges a company faces. If you can’t be confident documents from the past can be pulled back and re-examined, and occasionally updated, you’ve built your organization on sand: it can’t possibly stand.

The truth is, organizations are creating digitized data at an alarming rate each year. A lot of companies that started out small with just a few people using desktop pc’s are now 3 or 4 years down the road and looking at 30 people merrily using desktop storage with no real electronic organizational plan.

Imagine document archiving and retrieval when …

• Mary names her files for her favorite flowers: The Johnson contract is under “pansy”
  because the client is kind of wimpy.


• Jon’s astute mind came up with a system based on car parts: Important contracts all go
  into the “engine” file because they keep the company going.


• Karl, a Ham radio operator, uses the most complete ISO 8601time-based format for naming files, his files look like 2008-07-16T19:20:30.45+01:00.

And, so it goes. With such a system there can be no real document archiving beyond just backing up everyone’s entire system every night and hoping for the best. If you have to retrieve something, (god forbid), you might as well have a séance to figure out what the sought after document is called and where it is.

Document archiving requires organization, planning and agreeing on (and using) document naming conventions. Only by having everyone follow the agreed upon rules will you be able to confidently send a file to your system for document archiving and know, in your heart, you have not just deep-sixed it.

Of course, the best time to set up your naming conventions and plan for document archiving is when your company is just getting started. Too late for that? Maybe you then, appoint a hapless group of courageous volunteers to establish your naming conventions and then require staff to spend a couple hours each day revising their old files and resaving them to fit within the document archiving naming conventions – no? Or, start with one department in your company; clean stuff up and then move on – no? Using today’s ASP based document management tools can help you forgo these time-sucking steps by utilizing meta data already built into each document. I’d suggest going this route – it’s much more cost effective. I always try to remember that the fully loaded cost of a $40,000/yr resource will cost me about $25 to $30 an hour – some of the better systems out there only cost a $120/mo. It doesn’t take too many hours of manual intervention to make that up every month.

Eventually, one way or another, you’ll get them all done. A word of caution: be sure everything is backed up before you start overhauling your crazy naming system and pitching stuff that can be tossed. That way, you won’t inadvertently toss out something irreplaceable.

 Of course, every file going forward will need to be created to fit smoothly within the new document archiving naming conventions. This can be prompted for using some of the better ASP document management solutions. Only when a solid plan is in force can you have a prayer of continuity in document archiving within your organization: i.e. when one employee leaves the organization, the new hire can immediately pick up and have the right document in his or her hands every time. What a concept!

Once you’re organized, you’re ready to store and retrieve. Avoid the common solution of storing your backup on tape. This is the digital age. You need to store digitally, have a third party ECM vendor provide your document archiving via the Internet. But, whatever you decide, at least you’ll have the confidence that comes from knowing that when the boss asks for the Holmes Contract from 1988, you won’t have to remember that you filed it under the name of your ex-wife’s mother.

Document management software delivered as a software-as-a-service (Saas)

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) is becoming a popular 'must' for business today. One such SaaS is document management. The market is flooded with vendors and software service providers who would be more than willing to give your company an excellent offer for you to try their product. Document management software basically allows you access to your documents from anywhere without any hassle through the internet and a web browser. Let's have a look at how this concept works:

Create and Preserve documents
Most Document Management software integrates itself with commonly used office software like Microsoft Office etc. enabling you to create and manage the document in its original format. What's more you can even scan and save paper document and forms that have been around your office for years, making your office truly paperless. All of these documents can be preserved and can be set up for easy access when one needs them, through a filing and cabinet storage system that can be customized to the user’s needs.

Document Security
Security and back up of their valuable documents is probably the most important concern for any organization. Traditional ways of managing documents can cost a lot of money and most often than not have manpower requirements that are not always affordable for small businesses. This is where document management software comes in. Most document management software also come with security features like limiting access to certain documents and files etc. Backup is another important feature that comes with these SaaS packages making these tools very viable to be used around the office place.

Archiving and retaining documents
Retaining, archiving and then administrating and tracking these archives are one of the most essential parts of document management in today businesses. Making sure that the organization has easy and quick access to these digitalized documents is critical. Using document management software can help you achieve all these things, making sure that you lower and maybe even cut out unwanted costs of operations hence turning your business in a more profitable one.

Document Control for the 21st Century

Managing an organization’s documents takes more than creating a file on the computer and then electronically categorizing it for later use. You need real “corporate wide” document control that allows you to access and make best use of documents from creation through use by multiple individuals and ultimately storage, archiving and retrieval for further use. Data mining is also very important.

With exceptional document control, a company can enhance productivity, tighten security and exert more control over the full life of their organization’s documents. That’s a pretty big return on investment in technology.

What are the key issues solved by a good corporate document control system?

• Organizations with multiple locations each running their own, independent document control operation.
• Multiple tools and programs in use that are not integrated together to accomplish company goals and objectives.
• Poor security: With multiple programs and ways of handling information in use, it is nearly impossible to oversee and control information and keep it secure.

An effective document control system should offer a number of key features that make communication and control both easier and more secure. These include such things as:

• Full security — A company must be able to limit access to only those persons, inside and outside the company, who should be able to view documents.
• Audit “time trail” — Document control must include virtual time stamps that indicate when the document was last used and who last modified it.
• Convenient access — Eliminate the fiery hoops many systems make you jump through to access documents you have every right to see and modify.
• Reports and analysis — Exceptional document control requires the ability to analyze data stored in the system and generate reports quickly and easily.
• Document history — The company should be able to track the status of a document that is in process or complete.
• Search ease — The document control system should make it super easy to quickly locate the exact file or document you need. No wild goose chases, no wasted time!
• Easy integration with other applications — If you can’t use your document control measures with applications already entrenched in your corporate culture, you have a problem. Document control should not be like forcing a square peg into a round hole!

Chosen carefully, with a full understanding of the breadth of features available in the marketplace today, a document control system will expedite communication throughout your organization and raise productivity enormously. It is well worth the investment of time researching document control options and the funds for purchase.

By Bill Thomas
From my “DocuBLOG” column
Bill works for USA-ONE Interactive

Document Management — Bringing Organization to Today’s Fast-Paced Office

Document Management is a science that has come of age with the advent of the 21st century. What once was housed in huge, space-consuming metal file cabinets and even sprawling warehouses is now contained far more efficiently on servers, disks and hard drives.

Today, document management is largely a paperless operation. That’s good for the planet and it’s also a sanity saver for office staff as well. While today the infamous “file search” for the missing hardcopy document may be a thing of the past, we can’t say all lost document problems have been resolved for all time with the arrival of the computer age. However, a well-organized and carefully thought out document management system will eliminate a lot of cyber-searching for missing documents.

The key is to set up your document management system the smart way, taking into consideration the most logical and practical ways information can be categorized and also the myriad ways it will be used. Any time invested on the front end of the process of choosing and setting up a document management system is time well spent. Get it right and your document management system will be a thing of beauty that will serve your organization well for years to come. Choose poorly, or do a half-baked job of planning and you’ll be gnashing your teeth and maybe even cussing every time you approach the cyber beast you’ve birthed.

For starters, you need to ask yourself and your key players some basic questions:

• Do you need to be able to store any type of file format including not just word documents, but faxes, images, applications and more?

• What are all the potential ways information in your document management system will be used?

• Do you need different levels of accessibility for different employees in your company?

• How long should documents be retained and how easily do archived materials need to be able to be retrieved from document management?

• If documents must be passed from person to person, what is the ideal way for the document management system to control work flow?

• What security threats will information in your document management system encounter?

• Where do you want your document management system to house files — within your firm or at an off-site location?

These are just a few of a number of questions to consider when beginning the process of selecting a document management system. There’s a lot of choice out there, but some document management systems are decidedly better than others. The important thing is to choose a system that is user friendly, secure and convenient to access. Don’t be afraid to ask your potential supplier a lot of questions. And don’t settle until you get the features and support you want and need. Document management is too important to your company’s functioning and success to do anything less.

By Bill Thomas
From my “DocuBLOG” column
Bill works for USA-ONE Interactive