Saturday, August 23, 2014

Corporate Document Scanning: The New Approach To Archiving

By Loris F. Anders


Transactions and other business processes require a paper trail. This is part of the law, and is also necessary for bookkeeping or tax purposes. In the past, this would have entailed the use and disposal of vast amounts of paper. However, the modern trend is to optimize office performance through the use of corporate document scanning, electronic document archiving and document cloud solutions.

A paperless office makes administration much easier, and also saves time. Paper records might be misplaced or accidentally discarded. This is not possible on a computer hard-drive if the files have been backed up. Processing and sending paperwork electronically is faster than using hard copies. The quality of the documents is also higher, because nothing is lost in printing them.

The document cloud concept is based on websites that make storage space available to their subscribers. The latter's files are then stored on the site, and not on their physical premises. This is a safer method of backing up records than physical paper or disks, since the cloud archives cannot ordinarily be stolen, harmed or lost. A basic technique of backing up files in this way is to e-mail them to a specially created e-mail address.

Attention to detail is imperative in corporate documentation. Paperwork of a legal nature needs to be entirely accurate, and remain so even if it is sent to other people. Printing and faxing sometimes make this difficult. The quality of a company's documents has an impact on its reputation, so electronic systems guarantee a favorable impression.

Record-keeping is another function that is related to customer service. Customers hate being told that documents are missing or that their file has been damaged. Yet this often happens in the older paper-based environments. Computer archives have the ability to hold many records or extensive business information in a safer format that can be quickly searched and takes up far less physical space. The corporate image of the business is thus protected by its immediate response to administrative inquiries.

Stationery as a budget item is reduced or almost removed through the use of paperless office methods. Computer software presents employees with many more possibilities in putting together documents, so that the company's brand and service to its customers are easier to emphasise and promote.

Any business should look at changing to a paperless office environment. In addition to the reduced expense, customers experience faster turn-around times and staff devote less time to paperwork and correspondence. Paperless operations are a part of the modern economy, and it is advisable to convert to this model, or management may find that communication with other role-players in the industry, who may already have done so, becomes more difficult.




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