Migrating from Paper Forms to Digital Storage: Six Ways Organizations Benefit from Desktop Scanning

Businesses today are constantly seeking ways to streamline operations and remain competitive. Particular attention is given to tools and strategies to help organizations achieve maximum results with fewer resources. As an increasing number of businesses tap into basic document management – even small companies or departments with a handful of employees – it is important for them to understand the components of an electronic document management system that can work together to help them achieve as much as possible from limited resources. This article is intended to introduce the reader to desktop scanning and the basic benefits it provides in everyday business situations. It also includes several tips for getting started and for building on the basics with digital workflow and process automation.

Desktop scanning: an introduction

Document scanning has been around for a long time. The hardware and software, however, are continually evolving. So, too, is the way that scanning is being deployed by organizations. Traditionally, larger companies would install a scanner in a centralized location or within a department. Documents typically would be brought to the mailroom for scanning, subsequently indexed by the mailroom scanning staff, and then the papers would be returned, stored, or destroyed. Departmental scanning stations operated in a similar manner. While this worked well (and still does) for some entities, not every organization needs a large, centralized scanning system. Some businesses that would benefit from one can not afford it. Recently, however, scanning has become affordable and easy to use for small and mid-sized businesses. It brings the power and convenience of personal scanning to the office counter or cubicle, and makes information instantly accessible to pre-authorized viewers. Just as the desktop PC revolutionized computing and brought it to the everyday user, desktop scanning puts the power of automation, consistency, and document control onto the countertop or desktop of frequent users.

Scanning documents into a centralized electronic document management system has multiple benefits. When information is available digitally and indexed thoroughly, the data becomes searchable. The results of your searches can be retrieved directly from your desktop. Inquiries from customers can be satisfied without delay, and work that depends on the forms you are scanning can be initiated more quickly. In the event of a disaster, digital data that is backed up electronically is infinitely more accessible than its paper counterparts.

Six benefits of desktop scanning

The benefits of desktop scanning are many, and they depend on the type of organization or department using it. Listed below are benefits typically experienced by all types of users.

1. Puts the power of scanning in the users’ hands. Organizations or departments whose employees interact regularly with customers benefit greatly from desktop scanning. When their onsite customer interaction involves collecting standard forms, it offers one of the fastest ways to import information into a searchable electronic data repository. Regardless of whether staff handles forms presented by customers at a counter, scans invoices or receipts on site, or processes high volumes of a limited number of document types that arrive in the mail, desktop scanning is an ideal solution. It helps ensure that time-sensitive documents are entered promptly upon receipt, creating searchable and actionable information. At the same time, it enables quicker decisions and reduces processing times.

2. Enables quicker importation of documents and greater data consistency. One of the challenges of paper-based organizations is the waiting time between document receipt and the availability of information for those who need it. Documents have to be processed, recorded, copied, filed, and distributed, causing delays. Organizations that manually type data into their computer systems for electronic retrieval have an advantage over their counterparts who operate only with paper copies, but manual keying still results in errors and data imperfections. If a document needs to be shared with other departments or individuals, it will probably be photocopied and distributed or mailed. Alternatively, staff has to wait until data entry is complete, hoping that no errors were made or items were overlooked.

A desktop scanning solution ensures that the information provided by the persons who complete forms is read accurately and indexed in accordance with an organization’s pre-established business rules. Text, images, photos, and other information automatically are validated for accuracy. Any doubts the system has about data integrity or accuracy are reported to staff indexers if an image is not 100% readable. In a paper environment, correction would occur whenever the error or missing data is eventually discovered — usually when a problem surfaces. In contrast, desktop scanning systems identify errors or potential errors and make them known immediately, proactively ensuring that your information, images, and the data that supports them are fully reliable.

3. Ensures information security. Confidential documents such as patient forms, policy and claims documents, college admissions papers, or loan applications contain sensitive information that needs to be restricted and barred from unwanted views. Although policies and procedures exist in paper-based organizations to protect privacy, papers are often in transit from one department to the next, sitting on a desk for action, or filed in a cabinet that is temporarily unlocked. These circumstances make paper an easy target for staff and others who are unaware of information security policies or do not intend to comply with them. Desktop scanning enables your staff and customers to control their information. It guarantees that — after it has been captured electronically — sensitive data will be seen only by authorized persons in accordance with your business rules. When counter scanning is done by staff, customers deliver the document for immediate scanning and the paper document is returned, ensuring that documents are not viewed by others. Financial, health, and other confidential information remains private.

Electronic capture also helps to secure your information for the future, even in the event that adverse circumstances arise. If your organization faces an unforeseen disaster such as a fire, flood, or even a staff walkout, you don’t have to panic about your information. The electronic data that has been captured and stored securely is instantly available within seconds, allowing business operations to continue.

4. Enables automatic, uniform indexing of data from standardized forms. Anyone who has ever searched frantically for a file, tried to find information that is bound to be included somewhere in a manual, or rummaged tirelessly for an elusive item in a grocery store understands the value of thorough indexing. If you have ever been involved on the cataloguing side, you also know that indexing information is not the most exciting of tasks. Nonetheless, it has to be given careful attention and must be done properly. People search for information in different ways, depending on what they need, which makes cataloguing a challenging task. If an office processes a high volume of routine forms, the only arguably fun part – considering the best ways to index the data for everyone’s use – disappears, and the tedium of repetitive indexing becomes mind numbing.

A good desktop scanning application allows the organization that is using it to decide how specific forms should be catalogued, and which fields it should read for further indexing information. As a document is scanned, the user may be prompted to indicate which of a small number of document types the form represents. Alternatively, the form may be recognized by a specific type of document number or a unique data field. The documents may be scanned and indexed into the repository directly. As another option, files that share the same document type may be sent into a batch so that they all can be indexed simultaneously at a specific time. Other vital information will be drawn from specific fields as dictated by the organization’s configuration of the software for their unique use and circumstances. This eliminates the boredom that results from manual indexing and frees staff to perform other tasks that are less confining (and more useful to the organization).

Take, for example, an application to attend a higher education institution. An admission form might be indexed primarily as an application. However, it may also be indexed by the student’s identification number, the specific college or department to which the student is applying, and whether or not the student has applied for financial aid. Depending on the subset of information that a specific department needs from the form, the search criteria will vary.

5. 1-2-3 instructions make it easy enough for customers to use. One of the greatest benefits of a good desktop scanning solution is that it is easy for non-technical people — including customers who are infrequent visitors — to use. Since desktop scanners are deployed most commonly in places where a high volume of a limited number of form types is scanned, the user is faced with only a few basic choices to make. These might include the document type and any other criteria that will assist the software in the indexing process. If the end user is a member of staff, that person can also decide whether the document should be sent directly to the information repository, or to an electronic batch of similar documents for subsequent batch indexing. Information control is put directly into the hands of the user, whose thought processes are restricted to a few simple drop-down menu choices and whose physical engagement with the product only involves pushing a button or two.

6. Can integrate with digital workflow software to automate routine procedures and tasks. Capturing your everyday, routine forms electronically with the aid of desktop scanning software is a significant step forward in organizational efficiency. The benefits are magnified when the system is integrated with digital workflow. The arrival of a new form adds data to the system, which can be used to initiate a specific action. This might include the electronic workflow sending a form to the appropriate persons for review; producing an email to someone on staff that a thank-you letter is needed; or generating appropriate customized letters automatically. It might even use a date field on the form to trigger a specific action. If the desktop scanning software and document management storage system are tied to electronic workflow and email, the scanned image and indexing data can be used to send the files to pre-designated persons for processing (or to their email Inboxes). This further accelerates processing and produces realtime information for better decision making.

Automating your routine business processes helps you to prioritize tasks, ensure that deadlines are met, instill employee accountability, and standardize processes in accordance with your business rules. Even exception cases generally have standard conventions, and the system can be configured to handle those consistently as well. By pushing the right work and documents electronically to the right people at the right time, tasks are processed on time. As a result, service is dramatically improved. Rules can be established to redirect work appropriately when productivity bottlenecks occur, ensuring smooth and consistent operations. Simultaneous review of documents, in accordance with your standard business practices, eliminates waiting times, dramatically reduces consumable waste such as paper and ink, and lowers mailing costs.

Applications in insurance

Whether you work with life/health, property & casualty, or specialize in a niche market, you have standard forms that you handle on a regular basis. Even if you already have online electronic forms available on your Web site, some customers will prefer to complete paper forms and will send them to you for processing. Policy applications, claims forms, and standard financial and other supporting documents can all be captured electronically and stored along with your imaged papers, photos, faxes, emails, voice messages, and other files. By migrating from diverse systems to a fully digital storage system for all of your information, you gain a global overview of all of your customer interactions. This supports your endeavors to offer stellar service, and may become critical in the event of litigation.

Applications in healthcare

Although desktop scanning can be used in a variety of ways in a hospital or clinical setting, one of the most common uses is in smaller medical practices. Printed lab reports, patient billing, and forms where patients indicate their preference for treatment are some of the many ways that desktop scanning can put information at your fingertips. When a patient is in the process of being treated, or an emergency occurs and the appropriate paperwork can not be found instantly, a person’s life can be put in jeopardy. Digital data removes the onset of panic that results from papers that are misplaced or simply ‘in transit’ and ensures that information can be located right away, one hundred percent of the time.

Although desktop scanning is only one method for capturing data, it is a vital ingredient for converting data that is stored statically on paper to digital information that is searchable within moments of entering the system. Doctors and other practitioners who have been granted admittance to the system can use Web-based access to retrieve the information they need, whenever they need it, regardless of where they are. When desktop scanning and storage are integrated with digital workflow software, the receipt of a form can launch the appropriate task. For example, if a form indicates positive results from a scanned radiology test, and the test results field is indexed, the indication of a problem can initiate a request to schedule a follow-up discussion or exam with the patient, expediting treatment. In such cases, desktop scanning and workflow automation work together, contributing benefits far beyond organizational efficiency. Together, they ensure that patients are handled properly and expeditiously, and even help to save lives.

Applications in higher education

Institutions of higher learning are bound by increasing regulations that add to staff work loads, yet budgetary constraints result in managers needing to accomplish more work, faster, with their existing staff. Implementing desktop scanning in areas such as the enrollment process produces an immediate return on investment, enabling employees to complete more work with less stress. Applications and standard supporting documents can be scanned upon receipt, and the federally mandated verification of financial and personal information by students and parents is expedited. By capturing and indexing standard forms as students bring completed paperwork to the appropriate offices, data is immediately available campus-wide. This enables decisions about applicants to be made more quickly. Highly qualified applicants have a better chance of choosing your college or university if you can make offers more rapidly than other institutions.

Human resources, accounts payable, academic colleges, alumni relations, and departments responsible for managing contracts also benefit greatly from desktop scanning — especially when it is linked to digital workflow. Information from job applications, invoices, credentials, and contracts enters the electronic storage repository, and specific data can be set to trigger tasks at the appropriate times. Workflow software can electronically route items such as vacation requests, invoices, and contract renewals for approvals, denials, and signatures in accordance with your institution’s business rules. Requests can be compared automatically with the terms stored in the digital repository, ensuring fair and consistent treatment of all parties. This creates clear transaction trails for proof. Manual tasks are streamlined, files can be viewed and acted upon by multiple parties simultaneously and more quickly, and errors that inevitably result from manual data entry and review are eliminated.

Other applications

Desktop scanning can be beneficial to any organization that has routine forms. It reduces the need for storage space, makes data searchable and infinitely more useful, and helps organizations to provide quicker answers and better service to their customers while guaranteeing information security. Although electronic forms are more appropriate if you are searching for ways to prevent paper from being produced in the first place, paper will not disappear completely any time soon. For organizations and their customers who find paper to be a more convenient, comfortable, or perhaps even necessary way to do business, desktop scanning provides the best of both worlds: it lets you conduct business on paper, while giving you the benefits of efficiency that digital information provides. When combined with automation of your routine processes via digital workflow, it can dramatically raise your productivity, processing speeds, and efficiency. This helps you to stay competitive, or even to gain an edge over the competition.

Getting started with desktop scanning

When choosing a desktop scanning solution, there are several things you should ascertain:

Does the scanning software have validation capabilities that will report the lack of data certainty or clarity? This is vital to ensure that every digital page is easily readable when eventually it is retrieved. Automatic reporting lets you re-scan pages in question or promptly request data that is illegible.
Will the system report blank images or missing data?
Will the software solution perform indexing functions based on data fields, or will you have to continue indexing the forms manually? Does the software enable you to scan items into a batch when you have a large volume of materials that will be indexed in a similar way? If you would benefit from a product that does screen scraping of data, can your prospective scanning software handle screen scraping?
Is the product you are considering configurable to allow different scanning settings for varied document types, or otherwise able to adapt to the unique requirements of your business?
Can the scanning software integrate seamlessly with workflow or business process automation software, even if you are not ready to add it to your system right now?
Will the software be able to expand with your organization and handle larger volumes of materials or additional document types as you grow?
Is the system easy to use for non-technical staff, and, potentially, for customers?
Can you configure short-cut keys to expedite data entry?
Will your vendor provide training and support to help you get started? Although some basic training may be necessary for staff who will use the system, little training should be required. Desktop scanning products are intended to make processing easier and faster for the end user. Ease of use should be a consideration as you choose a vendor.

Ask yourself questions not only about your current business situation; envision where your company wants to be in five years and what your future needs might be. Choose a solution that is right for today, and that will be adaptable to your business as you grow and change.

Summary

If you are looking for ways to handle routine documents, streamline business operations, centralize your information, and find it more quickly, desktop scanning may be a wise choice for your organization. Even if your technical proficiency (or that of your customers) is low, a good software system, a solid and reliable scanner, and a few minutes of training should ensure immediate success for you and your staff. With the click of a mouse or a few buttons on the scanning screen, all the information you require will be added to your searchable corporate knowledge base, available to you and to everyone else who needs it. It will be categorized, easy to locate, and ready for action. Not only will this please your customers; your employees’ backs, minds, and fingers will be glad to be spared the painful bending and mind-numbing tasks involved in manual search.

If your business is in the market for a desktop scanning solution, Optical Image Technology offers our DocFinity QuickScan module as part of the DocFinity suite of integrated document management and workflow products. QuickScan is an affordable, scalable, and easy-to-use solution that can help you to improve the quality and accessibility of your information, increase administrative productivity, and enhance your customer services. Visit our website at http://www.docfinity.com/products/quickscan.htm, call us at 1-800-678-3241, or email us at info@docfinity.com to learn more about our products and services. If you would like to receive links to additional reference and educational articles such as this, please visit http://www.docfinity.com/contact/subscribeform.htm.

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