Electronic Documents — Is the Paperless Society a Practical Reality?

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

It can be argued that the advent of the computer age and electronic documents is second in importance only to Johann Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press in the 1450s. Once computers were firmly entrenched in the world’s offices in the early 1980s, it didn’t take long for business people to start wondering whether electronic documents could become the primary means of communication. Futurists were quick to dream about the day when books would be presented strictly online as electronic documents, available to all and at much lower prices. Others saw electronic documents putting paper companies and many printers out of business.

While the reality of the electronic document revolution has panned out differently than the futurists predicted, the computer has brought extraordinary changes to communication. For example, the broad acceptance of electronic documents in everyday and business life has prompted the development of style guides and resources for citing electronic documents as references. Another sign of the impact of electronic documents is the arrival of the CIA’s electronic reading room which citizens can visit online to read about items of national interest. Likewise, physicians are more and more frequently getting away from thick patient files and instead relying on electronic charts. This move to electronic documents reduces the chances of losing vital information and also dramatically cuts down the chance of prescription errors.

One challenge with electronic documents that has emerged in recent years is the discovery of the difference in pixels in an online document vs. a printed document. Companies like Microsoft are exploring ways to alter the pixel density of electronic documents to make them more “eye friendly.” As this science unfolds, society will be positioned to take another step toward a more paperless society.

Today, electronic documents are increasingly becoming the norm for handling personal business. More and more people each year do their banking and bill paying via electronic documents. It saves time, effort and postage. Plus, many contend that it is actually more secure than mailing a check from your mailbox and risking it being stolen.

Government itself feels strong pressure to move toward a more paperless society. The 1998 Government Paperwork Elimination Act demanded that government agencies refrain from using paper to create, modify or store official records within just four short years. This act, in and of itself, forced the government to begin accepting electronic payments and signatures. The age of electronic documents achieved a new milestone!

Today what is classified as an electronic document has expanded to include a wide range of items such as emails, photographs, letters, depositions, x-rays, claims, medical records, video clips and even voice mail. Today, organizations use Document Management Systems to organize and manage these electronic documents. With the addition of each item, the move toward a paperless society again takes a step forward.

All this being said, most experts believe that we will never become a fully paperless society. There will always be those who want to print out a document and hold it in their hands. However, as people become more comfortable with the convenience of electronic commerce, finance and communication, more and more of our lives will be handled through electronic documents and our society will, as a result, become increasingly paperless.

USA-ONE Interactive Announces Document Management Solutions That Meet the Needs of Individual Industries

Denver, CO (PRWEB) November 11, 2008 — USA-ONE Interactive [www.usa-one.com], one of the foremost providers of document management solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, announces exciting new innovations in their Docuvation software. Now, customers can configure the highly flexible Docuvation ECM software to meet the unique needs of their industry and business. This is a significant advancement over the inflexible document management software others offer, which can’t be customized to meet the needs of specific industries.

Clients’ needs are unique, and with USA-ONE Interactive’s Docuvation ASP solution, a wide range of businesses get exactly the assistance they need:

Accounting Firms — The Docuvation solution can be configured to handle audit worksheets for each client; audited accounts and reports; IRS tax forms such as 1040, W-4 and W-9; documents relating to tax consultancy services; and accounting records for the firm itself.

Construction and Development Businesses — Excellent records storage, management and easy retrieval are critical when orchestrating the various phases of a residential or commercial building project, handling different subcontractors and maintaining licenses and permits. USA-ONE Interactive’s Docuvation software can be configured to meet the unique needs of the construction and development industry, giving clients more complete control of information.

Education — In this age of universal belt-tightening and required accountability for every dime spent, Docuvation gives educational administrators the document control needed to stay on top of budgets and eke the most value out of every dollar. Whether it’s managing curriculum to meet state requirements, using a database for fundraising with alumni or storing student records for easy access, Docuvation gives educators full control of information. Best of all, it is an excellent value for precious budget dollars.

Engineering — Few electronic document management systems are equipped to handle the CAD files used today. Docuvation is the exception. It can store, copy, distribute and allow a client to download and modify DWG (AutoCAD) and DGN (Microstation) files. Files are stored in their native format and accommodate clients’ unique document nomenclature for revision numbering and file naming.

Finance and Banking — Docuvation makes compliance with new federal regulation such as the FRCP Amendment, the PATRIOT Act, the Check Truncation Act and Check 21 easier. The solution’s rapid information retrieval system allows any bank employee to instantly provide customers with accurate information about loans, statements and other products. No tedious, time-consuming search — just quick accurate information at employees’ fingertips.

Insurance and Wealth Management — When it comes to a plethora of paper, few industries rival insurance and wealth management. Contracts, applications, claim forms, client profiles, policies, prospectuses — there’s no end to the documentation required. In this paper-intensive environment, Docuvation makes a profound difference in efficiency, service and information availability. Furthermore, in these highly regulated industries, an organization can’t afford the legal exposure that can follow when HIPPA regulations, the Patriot Act, Graham-Leach-Bliley and SEC 17a-3 and 17a-4 are not followed and documented in a way that is easily accessible electronically. Docuvation provides this peace of mind.

Legal and Litigation — Managing the myriad of files, graphics, hand-written notes, copies, emails and other components of a legal case demands an information management system that goes beyond the ordinary. For a minimal monthly fee, Docuvation makes every item involved in each case easily accessible. With USA-ONE Interactive’s built-in extranet capability and externally hosted disaster recovery capabilities, every item is completely secure. Law firms often simultaneously handle dozens, even hundreds of cases. Docuvation provides instant access to information so lawyers can keep clients informed about judgments, motions, pending petitions or contracts without spending precious time in tedious research.

Medical — Managing information in a physician’s office or clinic is an enormous undertaking. Every detail from lab reports, insurance claims, records releases, consent forms and more must be handled with extreme care and confidentiality. Docuvation is not only up to the challenge, but it provides the instant access to records that helps busy medical staff and physicians quickly get the information they need. Records for patients not seen in years or deceased can be archived, but still easily accessible if needed. It’s light years ahead of storing old records in boxes in the clinic basement.

Mortgage and Title — A paperless office is possible when a company uses Docuvation to scan, store and archive the many records needed for originating mortgages and creating or transferring titles. With Docuvation, vital information is always just a click away.

For more information about USA-ONE Interactive, Docuvation and specific industry solutions they provide visit the Industry Solutions page on the USA-ONE website [www.usa-one.com], and click on the industry you are interested in.

Bill Thomas.
USA-ONE Interactive
(866) 940-USA-1 [8721]
(303) 814-6088
http://www.USA-ONE.com
Information(at)USA-ONE.com

Edocs — What They Are; How They’re Used

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

Edocs is short for electronic documents, but it could just as easily stand for efficient documents because nothing improves efficiency quite like replacing the circulation of printed documents with an edoc.

Typically, organizations will say that their primary reason for using edocs is to “go green.” Edocs definitely cut down on the use of paper and therefore help save our forests, but probably the overriding reason companies actually turn to edocs is economical. The “green” edocs save is a lot of greenbacks!

Edocs are popular with banks, law offices and just about every other organization that circulates information. Even Amazon.com has an edocs division that offers a broad selection of publications available for fast — virtually instantaneous — delivery. Plus, the Amazon edocs are priced lower than traditionally printed works, can be conveniently viewed through Adobe reader and, as mentioned above, have zero negative impact on the environment.

One industry that has made a near complete move to edocs is the cruise industry. A few short years ago cruise lines spent considerable money mailing out fairly elaborate kits containing itineraries, luggage tags, excursion options, contracts, etc. Now, all that is provided through edocs. An added advantage for the consumer is the ability to reprint any edocs that are misplaced without incurring the cost of contacting the cruise line representative and paying a fee to have replacement documents sent. The only disadvantage to edocs used in this way is simply the difficulty in training the public, particularly the often-older consumers who typically populate certain cruises. Now that the system of communicating by edocs has been in use for a couple years or so, consumers have definitely taken a liking to its convenience.

Another industry that has made the switch to edocs is the airlines. Where once tickets were mailed out, now they are emailed as edocs, saving time and labor. Plus, with edocs the airlines have effectively eliminated the problem of lost tickets that have to be re-sent to consumers.

Banks are doing everything in their power to promote the use of edocs too. They encourage customers to switch to edocs for receiving statements and bills rather than relying on traditional snail mail. Both cut costs for the institution and save time and paper.

Whatever the real motivating factor behind the societal move to edocs communication — money savings, ecology, time savings or something else — it is a positive step that appears to benefit companies, individual consumers and the planet as a whole.

Digital Document - There's More to It Than You May Think

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

When you refer to a paper document, we all know what you mean. It’s something you can hold in your hands, or at any rate, physically touch that is made out of paper. Easy. And, at first blush, it probably seems just as obvious what a digital document is, right? It’s a written piece that’s not paper, but a file on your computer. Well, yes, that’s true, but it can also be a whole lot more.

A digital document is truly a product of the computer age. It can be anything that can be stored as a file on your computer. Anything. That means a digital document can be an architect’s schematic drawing that’s committed to a computer file, a photograph, even an application can be considered a digital document. While it’s not a rock you find in the park, a digital document can be a photo you take of the rock in the park. While an idea you have in your head isn’t a digital document, a verbalized recording of your idea can be. The definition of “digital document” seems to expand all the time.

The advent of the digital document is ultimately a move toward a paperless society. That’s a good thing for Mother Earth and also, when you think about it, for business too.

The file-stored digital document, whatever it consists of, is actually far more enduring and better preserved than a papyrus or paper document could ever be. Think about the condition of the Dead Sea Scrolls and imagine how much better our understanding of those texts would be today if they had been stored as digital documents through the ages. The truth is, our society might be doing certain things a whole lot differently today!

Amazingly, the advent of the computer age and digital documents has led to the creation of software that effectively “shreds” the digital document, removing it forever from your computer. This is important because even after you have deleted a digital document from your system, it remains in the memory recesses of your computer. This can be critically important if the digital document you thought you deleted contained a sensitive corporate information, “trade secrets,” meant only for select eyes.

Managing digital documents through their creation, use, sharing, storing, archiving and even deletion has become an essential part of business today. Because you have so much riding on the security of your digital documents, it makes sense to consult with information management experts as you set up your system for handling your precious and valuable digital document resources. It’s just good business.