For many businesses, the decision to digitize paper documents presents a critical crossroads: tackle the project in-house or outsource to a specialized service provider? Choosing the right approach can significantly impact your organization's efficiency, security, and overall success. 

However, outsourcing document scanning comes with its own set of challenges that need to be addressed to ensure a smooth and successful transition. This blog post will explore these challenges and provide best practices to overcome them, enabling you to leverage the full benefits of outsourced document scanning.

Challenges of Outsource Document Scanning

Outsourcing document scanning isn't without its challenges. Concerns over data security and ensuring the provider adheres to your specific requirements are key considerations. Additionally, managing communication and maintaining clear expectations with the external vendor are crucial to a successful project. Here are some challenges that you might encounter:

Security and Compliance

Protecting sensitive information is paramount. When outsourcing, it's crucial to choose a provider with robust security measures in place, including data encryption, access controls, and compliance with relevant regulations like HIPAA or GDPR.

Opt for service providers that are compliant, such as Exela. Exela’s document digitization maintains robust security and privacy compliant operations that protect data and documents received and processed on behalf of our clients.

Data Accuracy and Quality

Ensuring the scanned documents accurately reflect the originals is essential. Look for a provider with a proven track record of high-quality scanning, employing advanced technology and quality control procedures.

Exela offers document digitization with exceptional accuracy, exceeding 99% for most document types. Our advanced OCR/ICR technology automatically classifies documents, extracts data, and creates dynamic indexes based on your preferences. We excel at handling challenging images (skew, distortion, etc.) with minimal impact on accuracy, ensuring consistent and reliable data capture.

Cost Management

While outsourcing can save time and resources, managing costs effectively is vital. Clearly define your scanning needs, request competitive quotes, and factor in potential hidden costs like data storage fees.

Project Management and Communication

Effective communication and project management are key to a successful outcome. Choose a provider with clear communication channels, established workflows, and the ability to adapt to your specific needs and timelines.
 

Best Practices for Outsource Document Scanning

Achieving a seamless and successful experience with outsourced document scanning requires a strategic approach. Start by thoroughly researching potential providers, evaluating their security protocols, expertise, technology, and customer service reputation. Clearly define your needs, including document types, volumes, desired formats, and turnaround times. Here’s what you should keep in mind:

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• - Conduct thorough research: Evaluate potential providers based on their security measures, expertise, experience, technology, and customer service reputation.
• - Define your requirements clearly: Be specific about the types and volumes of documents to be scanned, desired file formats, indexing needs, and turnaround times.
• - Negotiate a binding contract: Ensure the contract clearly outlines the scope of work, pricing structure, service level agreements (SLAs), security protocols, data ownership rights, and termination clauses.
• - Implement data security measures: In addition to the provider's security measures, consider implementing your own data encryption solutions for added peace of mind.
• - Maintain clear communication: Regularly communicate with your chosen provider, keeping them updated on any changes and addressing any concerns promptly.
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By understanding the challenges and implementing these best practices, you can ensure a smooth and successful outsource document scanning experience. 

By leveraging the expertise and resources of a qualified provider such as Exela, you can unlock the potential of a paperless environment, streamlining workflows, enhancing accessibility, and improving security for your organization. Get in touch with us to learn more about Exela’s Document DIgitization offerings. 

 

While it may seem like a recent development, the trend of converting analog or physical processes and documents has been going on for decades. Digitization essentially began with the advent of computers in the 1950s. Since then, the non-stop march of digitization has transformed nearly everything into computer-friendly 1s and 0s and has changed the way we work, communicate, shop, bank, and even how we relax and entertain ourselves.

Here are some of the important milestones in the history of digitization.

1956 - IBM introduced the business world to magnetic disks and random access data with the 305 RAMAC and the 650 RAMAC (Random Access Memory Accounting), first used in United Airlines’ reservation system. Each incorporated the 350 Disk Storage Unit, which weighed 1 ton and offered a total capacity of 5 megabytes - that’s roughly the equivalent of a Mitsubishi Mirage and a single 4x3 inch HD image file.

IBM’s press release announcing the RAMAC claimed that, “business transactions will be completely processed right after they occur.”¹This captures the value of digitization, which was, and still is, faster, more efficient processing.

1960 - Not to be outdone by their competitor, American Airlines launched their Sabre flight-reservation system in 1960, which processed 84,000 telephone calls per day and stored 807 megabytes of reservations, flight schedules, and seat inventory.²

1968 - U.S. libraries began using Machine Readable Cataloging (MARC) records. The initial MARC Pilot Project was conducted by the Library of Congress and involved transitioning cataloging data for about 16,000 titles into machine-readable magnetic tapes for easier distribution. By the end of June of 1968, around 50,000 records had been distributed to be used in the production of book catalogs, catalog cards, and other library tools.³

1968 - While “cashpoint” machines (early precursors to ATMs) had been introduced in London nearly a decade earlier, the development of digital technology allowed Swedish savings banks to begin testing a networked cashpoint in 1968. The connection with the bank’s computers and digitized files delivered a more complete user experience, as they could now also check their account balances and withdraw different amounts without interacting with a human teller.⁴

1971 - Long before the popularization of eReaders and eBooks, Project Gutenberg was launched with the goal of making copyright-free works electronically available to everyone. The project’s founder entered the text of the U.S. Declaration of Independence into a computer mainframe at the University of Illinois, kicking off a trend of document digitization that continues (with a few key advancements) to this day.⁵

1979 - FedEx launched its Customers, Operations, and Services Master Online System. “COSMOS” digitized the management of people, packages, vehicles, and weather scenarios in real time, allowing unprecedented updates on delivery status.⁶

1984 - For the first time, the US Census Bureau asked respondents about their computer use in the home. At the time, 8% of all U.S. households owned a personal computer. By 2016, 89% of US households reported computer ownership (including smartphones), and 81% had a broadband Internet connection.⁷

1991 - The first 2G cellular network was launched in Finland.⁸By using digital signals rather than analog transmissions between mobile phones and cell towers, 2G networks increased system capacity and introduced revolutionary (at the time) data services like text messaging, which would go on to become one of the most dominant forms of communication in the decades to come.

1994 - In possibly the first ecommerce transaction ever, a large pepperoni, mushroom, and extra cheese pizza was ordered online from Pizza Hut.⁹

2003 - For the first time, electronic payments surpassed cash and checks as US consumers’ preferred method of payment.¹⁰This was fueled by the growing popularity of debit cards as a payment option.

2004 - Exela Technologies releases the first version of its DocuScan enterprise scanners, used to digitize documents and paper checks. DocuScan evolved into the IntelliScan line of scanners that include integrated optical character recognition technology and intelligent data extraction software. The IntelliScan is currently one of the fastest scanning platforms in the world.

2012 - Nearly 20 years after that large pizza was sold via the Internet, annual ecommerce sales topped $1 trillion worldwide for the first time.¹¹

2014 - The number of Internet users worldwide reached 3 billion.¹²

2020 - Mastercard and Exela partnered to launch a Request-to-Pay solution, which became the first of its kind enrolled with Pay.UK. This technology enables greater communication and flexibility for both billers and payers through a secure, unified messaging service.¹³

Digital Transformation has been one of the most persistent and notable large-scale trends shaping the modern era - and it shows no signs of slowing. Recent advances in OCR, ICR, and machine learning technology have made transforming paper documents into fully digital assets faster and easier than ever with an ever-increasing degree of accuracy. The development of real-time payment options is set to revolutionize peer-to-peer transactions. And myriad other advances are being made that will continue to expand our digital capabilities.

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1. https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/storage/storage_350.html
2. https://www.sabre.com/files/Sabre-History.pdf
3. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED029663
4. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/03/a-brief-history-of-the-atm/388547/
5. http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:About
6. https://mip.pmi.org/cosmos
7. https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2018/acs/ACS-39.pdf
8. https://whatsag.com/mobile-technology/the-history-of-2g.php
9. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230620
10. https://www.atmmarketplace.com/news/electronic-payments-surpass-cash-checks/
11. https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Ecommerce-Sales-Topped-1-Trillion-First-Time-2012/1009649
12. https://www.internetlivestats.com/internet-users/
13. https://www.exelatech.com/press-release/mastercard-request-pay-solution-powered-exela-software-receives-enrollment

Despite the push for paperless offices, many companies still rely heavily on paper, which has a negative effect on the environment. Companies may opt to recycle, which is a great way to address the environmental impact of paper usage and production, but we can take it one step further with paper digitization.

Contrary to popular belief, paperless doesn’t mean “no more paper ever.” There are major documents that may need to still exist as physical paper. Paperless means cutting physical paper use wherever we can. The great news is that creating a paperless office through paper digitization is easy thanks to modern technology. Paper digitization is also a great way to reduce manual tasks, free up employee time, and store and manage documents.

Many organizations have implemented document digitization systems to reduce or eliminate paper as much as possible from their processes. However, companies may only implement paper digitization in a few processes, leaving several manually intensive processes in place. With so much cost-effective technology today, companies can take advantage of becoming a paperless office and enjoy the many benefits paper digitization can offer.

Why Are We Still Using Paper?

Even today, paper digitization is being underutilized across all business verticals and this could be for several reasons, including:

Old Habits Die Hard

Companies have relied on paper-based business for centuries so it makes sense that paper digitization wouldn't happen overnight. At the same time, many employees may prefer having a piece of paper rather than looking at a document on a screen, particularly if they wish to take documents home or if they are planning on traveling.

By implementing document digitization gradually and by supporting employees as they adapt to the new technology, employees are more likely to respond positively to the new technology in place.

Difficulties Determining What Should be Digitized

Paper will probably never be entirely eliminated. Sometimes paper is necessary for various reasons, which can create a challenge for digital transformation. This may also create some confusion about which papers should and should not be digitized. In this case, it may be helpful to have a digital transformation expert help you determine what document digitization can do for you.

For example, contracts and other documents that require signatures no longer need to be on paper. Solutions such as Exela’s DrySign offer a completely virtual platform allowing people to gather, sign, and store documents anywhere.

Concerns About Hardware or Software Issues

Some leaders may be concerned about a document management system possibly crashing or losing data and not being able to access their documents. This is a valid concern and the good news is that many systems have an automatic backup feature so that your data is securely stored, typically on the cloud. However, there are many ways to back up your data to help prevent losing it entirely.

Focus on Other Priorities

Whether it's a lack of budget or leadership determining that spend should be focused elsewhere, some companies may not see paper digitization as a priority. Depending on the vertical and the company, this may make sense, but paper digitization is a foundation for digital transformation. Many digital solutions involve paper digitization in one way or another. Not to mention, it is a huge opportunity to save money given the rising cost of paper.

Benefits of Digitizing Documents

It can be easy to settle for a paper-based legacy system that has always been around. Pair that with the concerns about paper digitization and it makes sense as to why companies hesitate to implement it. However, paper digitization brings a host of benefits that can usher in vast improvements for your company.

Save Space

Imagine reducing or completely eliminating filing cabinets. What once started as one or two filing cabinets at your company may have quickly grown into a library’s worth of equipment as your business has grown. Many companies have rooms dedicated to their filing cabinets, taking up space that could be better suited for something else. Paper digitization offers the opportunity to save on office space by reducing the number of physical papers a company possesses.

Improve Document Organization

Physical papers can easily become disorganized. All it takes is for one person to misfile a document, which in turn creates a cascading effect where eventually all the paper documents will need to be reorganized. Organizing digital documents, on the other hand, is simple and streamlined. You don't need to worry about misfiling a digital document and creating confusion. Organizing digital documents is usually as simple as a few clicks of a mouse.

Save Time

Physical paper takes a lot of time to print, duplicate, file, find, manage, and organize. This difference in time can be significant depending on the situation. For example, if an employee needs to share a document with a client or a colleague, they need to first find the document, which may be in another room entirely, and then transport the document to wherever it needs to go. This could be right down the hall or it may need to be mailed to a different location. This is significantly more time-consuming than simply sharing a document online.

Reduce Waste

As companies are considering their corporate values and keeping environmental goals top of mind, digitizing paper is a great step forward toward making a positive environmental impact. With over 400 million tons of paper being produced each year around the world, many companies want to make a positive difference by lowering that number. Document digitization is a great way to do just that.

Improve Collaboration

With an online document management system, employees are better able to collaborate with each other, especially in a remote or hybrid office situation. Paper digitization enables employees to easily edit together, share documents, and update documents quickly and more efficiently.

Reduce Cost

As mentioned before, companies have the opportunity to reduce costs and save with paper digitization. Each benefit listed above allows for more potential cost-saving opportunities whether that means a company can reduce the labor necessary to manage documents, reduce the amount spent on physical paper, or reduce the amount of time employees spend handling paper documents.

If you’d like to learn about the benefits of paper digitization at work in a real setting, read our case study that shows how Exela’s document digitization services transformed the human resources department of a national retailer.

Paper Digitization Solutions

If you've been putting off paper digitization, now is the time to reconsider. Solutions like Exela’s document digitization or backfile scanning services enable customers to drive their digital transformation. These services offer quick implementation, secure storage, and can be tailored to meet your needs.

Slow Road to Digitization for the Public Sector

The reality of digital transformation has permeated all aspects of our lives. People not only demand smart solutions in private life, but also when interacting with public sector organizations.

Despite the advantages digital transformation offers, the public sector has been slow to adopt it due to obstacles such as concerns over data protection, user reluctance, and a lack of specialist skills. To fully benefit from digitization in public services, the first crucial step is to establish digital trust. Therefore, public administrations should focus on building digital trust to overcome current barriers hindering the digitization of public services, which will, in turn, create a modern, efficient, and citizen-oriented administration.

One of the biggest questions is: ”Where do I get started?”
While all operations can benefit from digital transformation, digitally transforming documents can be the first step. The public sector deals with a lot of paperwork and managing such big volumes of documents is a task in itself!

Starting Digital Transformation with Document Digitization for the Public Sector

Document digitization, or the process of converting physical documents into digital form, can bring numerous benefits to the public sector. Here are the key advantages:

• Improved accessibility: Digitized documents can be easily accessed from anywhere and at any time, making it easier for government agencies to share information and collaborate across departments. This can help increase efficiency, productivity and visibility.
• Cost savings: Storing and managing physical documents can be expensive, especially as the volume of documents increases. Digitizing these documents can help reduce storage costs and improve space utilization. In addition, digitization can reduce the need for manual data entry, which can save time and reduce errors.
• Enhanced security: Digital documents can be more easily protected through encryption, password protection, and other security measures. In addition, it maintains a chain of custody so you can better control your digital documents. This can help ensure that sensitive information remains secure and protected.
• Improved citizen engagement: Document digitization can make it easier for citizens to access information and interact with government agencies. For example, online portals and digital forms can make it easier for citizens to submit applications, request information, and provide feedback.
• Better data analytics: Digitized documents can be more easily analyzed and searched, allowing government agencies to better understand trends, identify patterns, and make data-driven decisions.

Overall, document digitization can help improve the efficiency, transparency, and effectiveness of public sector operations while improving citizens’ experience and visibility. Despite the apparent advantages of digitalization in general, the public sector has yet to unlock the full potential of digital transformation.

An Effective First Step to Enhance Daily Operations

Public administrators can take small steps towards digital solutions, offer information and services digitally to gradually build trust and confidence.

Solutions such as document management and scanning services can benefit many government departments and agencies, including courts, law enforcement, motor vehicle departments, public health and safety, energy, and natural resources departments.

Departments that have implemented document management solutions have experienced significant enhancements in their daily operations. Slowly embracing digital services and platforms has helped in building trust over time.

Service providers with expertise in digitization offer turnkey document management solutions, document imaging, and digitization of various formats such as paper, microfilms, and microfiches. In addition, advanced technology allows for an efficient workflow that simplifies the entire process from scanning to data capture, indexing, and storage.

Document Digitization to Suit Public Sector Requirements

Exela can assist with your public sector document digitization needs, whether you want to free up storage space and improve access to historical paper documents, implement a digitization process for new records in the future, or both. Our document digitization systems capture a wide range of data types with high accuracy. Learn how you can leave paper behind for good with document scanning and digitization.

Exela has been providing backfile scanning and day-forward records management services to prominent organizations across various industries, including healthcare, finance, insurance, and large federal and state agencies. We can digitize your index books, closed or active paper records, all forms of paper records, and even microform documents. Exela offers decades of experience and has successfully established a strong digital trust with customers with innovative and smart solutions. Whatever your digitization requirements, we have the tools and expertise to fulfill them efficiently. Contact us today to learn more.

Even with the advanced cost-effective technology we have today, the demand for paper is expected to double by 2030. Given that the price of paper is rising and that many companies are prioritizing digital transformation, now is a great time to implement a digital filing cabinet and document digitization service.

There are many reasons why leaders in the public sector and business leaders may choose to rely on manual-based processes, including concerns over compliance and security, focusing on other priorities, and hesitating to change from their legacy system. While it may seem like a paper-based system works just fine, there are many ways to benefit from backfile scanning and document digitization.

What’s a Digital Filing Cabinet?

A digital filing cabinet refers to a system that stores and organizes digital documents and information. This makes document organization more streamlined and provides easier access to documents. Depending on where you choose to store your files, a digital filing cabinet can be stored on a system's hard drive, in the cloud, or in a specific computer software program.

How Much Waste Does Paper Create?

While paper creates literal “waste,” accounting for around 26% of landfill waste and 33% of municipal waste, it also can contribute to waste you may not have considered.

Time Waste

It's not always considered, but paper can easily eat up an employee's time. With paper-based processes, it takes time to find the right documents, organize them, store them, make copies of them, destroy them, etc. The actual handling of paper itself can be time-consuming, depending on the task.

Waste of Resources

For most businesses, one or multiple employees need to maintain physical records which can include organizing, updating, and tracking them. Not to mention the time employees may need to spend finding any lost files. A simple misfiling of a document can become problematic. With a digital document management system, historical records can be found, updated, and organized easily within minutes. No more lugging around giant manila folders or binders filled with papers in order to find a document or organize a filing cabinet.

Spending Waste

Between 2020 and 2021, paper rose in price by 25%. Given that many businesses view paper as a necessity, they may feel trapped into spending more and more on paper each year. Annually, US offices use 12.1 trillion sheets of paper, and 50% of the waste from businesses is composed of paper. It's easy to see how companies can spend thousands or even millions on paper only to have it turned into waste.

Document Digitization Brings Optimized Organization

Not every piece of paper can be digitized, but many manual-based processes can be. With document digitization, you can maintain a digital filing cabinet where your historical documents are secure, backed up, organized, and easily accessible. This can increase productivity as employees can now easily access files without needing to go to the filing room and search through cabinets for a document.

Sharing documents is now significantly easier as well which means that collaboration between employees or communication with clients will become quicker and easier. This is especially useful with customers. Instead of needing to make copies, mailing documents, and incurring the cost of postage and shipping, documents can be shared online quickly with just a few clicks of a mouse.

Given that the documents are backed up, your important information will not be lost. Unlike physical paper, which is susceptible to natural disasters and human error such as misfiling, misplacement, or loss, digital documents will remain on the system where they were uploaded. Regardless of if your company moves to a different office or decides to become entirely virtual, your document organization system will remain the same.

While there's another layer of compliance and security to consider with the public sector, many departments and counties can benefit from backfile scanning and a digital filing system. Document digitization improves compliance and security by providing a clear chain of custody through extensive tracking, access controls to prevent any unauthorized user from accessing documents, and secure backups to prevent files from being lost.

Not only can backfile scanning and document digitization increase productivity within the department itself, but it helps the government to provide better support to its citizens, often giving citizens access to information much more quickly.

Leave Behind the Paper Cuts and Digitize

Exela’s backfile scanning solution is a great way to begin your document digitization effort. Our solution offers secure, cost-effective, end-to-end services for the confidential storage, retrieval, distribution, and disposal of hard-copy records. Utilizing state-of-the-art equipment and dedicated, knowledgeable staff, our backfile scanning solution helps organize and digitize paper documents and records.

Take the next step in your digital transformation journey and learn more about our backfile scanning solution.

In today’s digital world, it is becoming increasingly important to embrace document digitization. Moving away from paper-focused processes can be one big step towards achieving that goal. Document scanning and digitization can help businesses become more efficient, organized, and secure.

Document scanning and digitization involves the conversion of physical documents into digital formats. High-speed scanners can quickly read and digitize documents of different sizes with accuracy. Once documents are scanned, they can be stored in a secure digital repository, making them easily accessible to authorized personnel.

 

 

The benefits of document digitization are numerous. 

First, it eliminates the need for physical storage space. Documents can be stored in the cloud or on a secure server, freeing up valuable office space. Additionally, documents can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, making it easier for employees to collaborate and work remotely.

Document digitization also makes documents easier to search and organize. With physical documents, it can be difficult to find the information you need quickly. With digital documents, you can easily search for keywords or phrases and quickly find the document you need. Additionally, digital documents can be organized into folders and tagged with keywords for easy retrieval.

Finally, document digitization can help businesses save costs. By eliminating the need for physical storage space, businesses can save money on rent and utilities. Additionally, digitizing documents eliminates the need for paper, ink, and other supplies.

Overall, document scanning and digitization is a great way for businesses to save time, money, and resources. By leaving paper behind and embracing digital documents, businesses can streamline their operations and increase efficiency.
 

 

Do All Physical Documents Need Digitizing? 

Digitizing paper files is a great way to save on storage space, but it's important to know which files should be kept and which can be discarded. While digitized documents are convenient, there are some papers that need to be stored. Knowing the difference between these types of files is essential for managing both digital and paper documents in the most effective way for your business.

Documents such as contracts, legal agreements, business licenses, permits, and more should never be discarded. Even though you can digitize them, the original file is more important than the digital copy. Government and legal documents that are essential to your business should always be kept. 
 

Store Your Physical Files Smartly 

While you can choose to store your physical documents onsite, you may want to consider using a scanning vendor that can store your documents off-site if you need more space. 

If you opt to digitally store your files, you can create an efficient filing system that allows you to find the documents quickly and makes sharing effortless and secure. Exela's document digitization services have provided high-quality, high-volume document digitization for over 30 years, converting hundreds of millions of small- and large-format documents and microfilm into digital records.

Exela document digitization and scanning services include data capture, document indexing, electronic storage, record management, and more. Contact us today to learn more.

It may not come as a surprise to you that the cost of paper is rising. The Bureau of Labor Statistics pointed out that the price of paper rose by 14.2% in the last year. As the cost of paper rises and more companies consider taking steps towards digital transformation, document scanning and paper digitization are looking more and more appealing. The practice of using physical paper is cumbersome, tedious, and unsustainable in today's work climate where many employees work remotely or in a hybrid system.

When the pandemic began and lockdown initiatives took place, companies that already had digital solutions in place experienced a smoother transition when employees began to work remotely. Through digital documents, employees can easily share, access, and store important records. For this reason, it's time for companies to look into document scanning and how to digitize their business records.

Many companies continue to use physical paper documents stored in file cabinets and drawers. The idea of switching to a digital solution may seem costly, daunting, or time-consuming. We’ll be covering the topic of document scanning, answering questions you may have, and hopefully, helping you in your digital transformation efforts.

Why Digitize Documents?

The sole purpose of document scanning is to make the document digital. To see the value of digital documents, we need to cover what the benefits are of digitizing documents.

Easy Accessibility - Digital documents stored on a cloud allow for rapid retrieval and easy access to employees no matter where they're located. Where once employees needed to visit storage to obtain documents or have the documents mailed from a different location, now everything can be accessed through a single cloud. This solution saves time and money on paper and postage.

Chain of Custody - Various cloud systems allow you to see any changes that were made to the documents, when those changes occurred, and even who viewed the documents. Companies can provide employees with various accesses to ensure that confidential files remain confidential.

Simplified Organization - Whereas a storage room requires precise organization and accountability to ensure that no employee returns a document to the wrong location, a cloud offers users the ability to organize their digitized documents in simple folders. Many systems have a search function as well so that employees can easily find any document they’re looking for without having to sift through physical paper documents.

Save on Space - Though small as a single piece, paper en masse takes up a lot of room. Companies may find that they've dedicated several rooms or even a warehouse to store their backlog of records. By scanning documents and uploading them to a cloud, companies can cut down on that space and use it for other purposes or cut it from their costs completely.

Save Money - The cost of paper is one consideration, but the cost of storing paper documents is often overlooked. Storing, printing, copying, and disposing of paper documents can add up to 31 times more than the cost of paper by itself.

Increased Security - Digital files are encrypted and, as we already went over, you can control who has access to which file. This increased security ensures that your documents and records remain safe.

Better Recovery - Thanks to backup systems, files can usually be restored even if they're deleted. Physical paper, on the other hand, is completely lost once it's destroyed. Companies with large backlogs must be particularly careful when removing and returning any documents. Once a physical document is lost, it may be gone for good.

Long-Lasting - Paper doesn't last forever. Guaranteeing that any employee or customer who touches a file keeps it pristine is difficult enough. Time has its own plans and it's not very kind to paper. Paper files eventually begin to show some wear and tear on them. None of this is a concern for digital files that can stay uploaded on the cloud and remain pristine.

Sustainable - As part of companies' green initiatives, many are choosing to move toward a paperless environment. This is a great sustainable step. Document scanning and paper digitization allow companies to save money in various areas and improve file accessibility and sharing while leading the industry in sustainable goals.

How Do I Digitize My Business Documents

Let's say you've decided to move to a more paperless environment but now you're lost on your first steps. According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the average US worker handles 10,000 papers annually. With all the paper that a company handles on a day-to-day basis, deciding what to do first can be daunting. So let's break it up into two categories: backfile scanning and day-forward scanning.

Backfile scanning refers to scanning historical documents. Companies that have a particularly large backlog may choose to start their document scanning here. It is a great option if you are strapped for space, have a difficult time keeping track of your backlog files, or if employees consistently need information from the backlog but have trouble accessing it.

Day forward scanning refers to documents being scanned as they come into the company. If your company is receiving hundreds or thousands of documents or mail a day, you may choose to start your document scanning process here. This is particularly useful for companies that have employees who work remotely or in different offices, companies that don't have storage space available to store current and future documents, and companies who wish to take steps into a paperless environment asap.

Tips for Starting Document Scanning

Once you decide whether you’ll be moving forward with backfile scanning or day-forward scanning or both, it’s time to start implementing the change.

Gradually Transition

Rather than change everything all at once, it’s a good idea to determine which documents need to be prioritized first. Going paperless can disrupt workflows in the beginning so you need to keep that in mind when first implementing digital documents. Having it be a more gradual process allows you to implement new procedures and workflows into place so that employees know what to expect from this change.

Involve Everyone

Paper digitization affects everyone in the company so it's imperative to receive any feedback from employees and stakeholders to decide how best to move forward. You can also take this time to discover what your employees’ pain points are to help you prioritize which documents need to be scanned and digitized first. This will not only allow employees to have some ownership over the transition, but it will also help them stay engaged as these changes are implemented.

Inspect Document Management

Take a close look at how documents in your company are managed. People may print a document to keep as a reference, because they need a physical record, or so they can have a portable copy of the document.

How are these documents managed? Is there a way to streamline how documents are managed that could cut down on the paper being used? Taking a look at document management will give you a good idea of what needs to be optimized.

Consider Automation

Part of digital transformation is inspecting processes and workflows to determine where digitization would improve efficiency and optimization. This can greatly relate to paper digitization. For example, let's say your company has been using paper invoices, and the accounting team processes everything manually. While it makes sense to digitize the invoices and receipts the company's receiving, it may make more sense to go a step further and automate the AP process. In this case, not only are the documents digitized but many of the repetitive processes are now automated and more efficient.

Buying a Scanner or Outsourcing Document Digitization

Once you’ve determined your company's priorities for document digitization, The next step will be to decide how to actually scan the documents. You have two options here: a scanner and cloud service or a document scanning service provider.

Both of these have their benefits and downfalls and it depends on what your company needs to determine which one is the better option to go for. Purchasing scanners and a cloud service may be a better option if you prefer to do everything in-house with your employees. A scanning provider may be a better option if you have limited resources and a lot of documents. We'll go further into this later.

Document Scanning Equipment

Document scanning equipment can include anything from an app to a commercial scanner. For a small business, a simple multifunction scanner may work and for a large business, it may be worth investing in a high-speed commercial scanner. But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

You have a few options when it comes to selecting document scanning equipment.

Mobile Apps

You can find and download document scanning apps for your phone or tablet. If you have a few papers to scan, this is a good option. It's a very economical choice and offers a simple and quick way to digitize documents.

However, if you have more than a small stack of papers, using an app is going to become tedious very quickly and won’t be as cost-effective in the end. On top of that, the image quality of the document may not be as good as a high-quality resolution you can get from a scanner. 

Desktop Scanners

Probably the most common item you think of when you consider document scanning, desktop scanners provide a simple way to digitize paper documents. There are many varieties of desktop scanners that range greatly in price and function.

While this can be a cost-effective option, it may become tedious since it may require an employee to physically scan every document and check the quality of the image. Some scanners can automatically upload it into a cloud system, but others may require manually uploading and organizing each scanned document adding more tedious work.

If you're considering a desktop scanner, you'll want to look at the sizes of paper that the scanner can accept, different color options if color is necessary for your business, the speed of the scanner itself, resolution options, and software capabilities. Also, keep in mind that not all desktop scanners are going to work with all cloud systems.

If you have a small backlog or are receiving a couple dozen or so papers a day, a simple desktop scanner may be right for your business.

Commercial High-Speed Scanner

Commercial high-speed scanners are built for speed, produce high-resolution images, and work with various paper sizes. Businesses that receive various sizes of documents and a lot of documents may benefit from a commercial scanner

If your company has a significant backlog that they need to sort through or they're receiving many paper documents a day, a scanner can help to quickly digitize all of these documents and sort them appropriately.

How to Choose a Document Scanner for Your Business?

Knowing what's right for your business starts with knowing where your priorities are. If you've already completed the steps we listed above to start moving toward a paperless office, you may have already discovered what your document scanning is going to focus on.

The next step is to determine which scanner your company would benefit from. To do this, you need to look into how many documents need to be scanned. This doesn’t have to be an exact number, an estimate will do. You have to determine when you want the documents to be scanned by if it's a backlog.

If you're considering day forward scanning, you need to determine how many documents your company receives daily so you can then calculate different prices for scanners that can accommodate the number of documents you're receiving.

It's also important to consider how many employees can help with the document scanning process. If you have few employees who can dedicate their time to this, a commercial high-speed scanner like the Exela Raptor may be the way to go because it doesn't require multiple employees to use it and is capable of scanning thousands of pages a day.

On the other hand, if your company is currently working on digitizing documents and too many employees are needed to continue the operation, it might be time to upgrade your scanner to a high-speed high-volume scanner. A business process outsourcing (BPO) service provider experienced a reduction in labor costs by up to 50% once they used the Exela XDS5 scanner.

If your company doesn't already have a cloud service, research cloud services that would benefit your company to make file accessibility, sharing, and storing easy. You'll need to include this cloud service in your budget. You will also need to confirm that whatever cloud services you chose are compatible with the scanners you're looking at. Sometimes certain scanners may not work with certain cloud services so be sure that both function well together.

Document Scanning Service Providers

Let's say your company doesn’t have the employees or the space to purchase a scanner and do in-house document scanning or you have too many documents that you want to be digitized as quickly as possible. If that's the case, looking into a document scanning service provider may be a great option for you.

With a document scanning service provider such as Exela, companies can choose whether to have the scanning done in-house or at a different location. Exela’s Document Digitization service can help to digitize an entire backlog or digitize day forward documents.

In some cases, it may be more economical to outsource document scanning than to do it in-house. A document scanning service usually has a service delivery team that works closely with the company to ensure the physical quality and accuracy of the source materials. The team sorts and prepares documents including removing clips, staples, and bindings.

Document scanning service providers will use their own high-speed scanners, and in Exela's case, we use scanners that are capable of processing up to 654 ppm to get the job finished quickly. With Exela’s Document Digitization, the data from the pages are automatically indexed and transferred into the company's content management system so that you can then search and access any document easily.

Having a document scanning service provider take care of documents for your company allows it to continue day-to-day operations without needing to add a new department for scanning or find the space for bulky scanners.

 

Should You Buy a Scanner or Use a Document Scanning Service?

So now comes the decision of having to purchase a scanner or go with a document scanning service provider. To make this decision, it's important to look at some key factors.

Backfile or Day Forward Scanning

The first factor to look at is your goal for document scanning. Do you plan to scan a backlog or do you plan to go with day forwarding scanning?

You may have a backlog of hundreds of thousands of documents but are only receiving a few documents every day. If this is the case, it may be a good idea to look into outsourcing for scanning your backlog while looking into getting a scanner in the office for the day forward scanning. Each situation will be different so consider what your priorities are.

Number of Documents

Make sure to find an estimate for how many documents need to be scanned whether it's a backlog or day forward. This is a crucial step in determining what solution would work best for your company. While the number of documents fluctuates, you can get a general ballpark figure to determine the next step for your company. If your company has a massive amount of records to digitize, outsourcing may be the better option.

Security Measures

Some companies prefer to do everything in-house so they have complete control over the security of their document scanning. While many document scanning services offer high security and compliance, some companies still prefer to scan in-house. If stakeholders prioritize security and would prefer everything done in-house, a scanner would be better than outsourcing. This will give the company full control over the entire document scanning process.

Number of Employees

How many employees do you currently have or would you need to hire to complete your paper digitization goals? In some cases, it may be a more economical option to purchase a scanner if you already have employees in place able to scan documents. However, if you have a ton of documents that need to be scanned and limited resources, it may be more economical to outsource.

Deadline

This is always a tricky factor to consider which is why we’re putting it last. With so many employees working remotely, there may be a deadline as to when leadership wants to get a digital solution in place. So the priority may become digitizing documents as quickly as possible.

You may have multiple employees ready to scan, but without high-speed scanners, you may miss the deadline. Consider the speed you require and whether or not outsourcing or purchasing high-speed scanners would be more efficient and cost-effective.

Once all these factors are considered, you'll get a better idea of exactly what your company needs and whether a scanner or outsourcing would be better for your company. Each company is different and its needs vary widely so it's important to determine what exactly your company's needs are. For some, it may be a smarter choice to purchase a commercial scanner while for others it may be a better choice to outsource the entire document scanning process.

Final Thoughts on Document Scanning

As more companies move toward a paperless office, there are many factors to consider when it comes to document scanning and digitizing records. However, we hope we outlined enough for you in this guide that you can make an informed decision about the next steps for your company in terms of document scanning. Digitized documents offer many benefits in today's work environment with companies that have employees working across the globe and collaborating.

Business process outsourcing and business process automation providers such as Exela can help companies to take the next step forward in their digital transformation process. So it's time to look toward the future and digital solutions as we say goodbye to paper.

Businesses have been discussing paper digitization and using digital documents for decades, yet paper still seems prominent in offices. While more and more businesses are transitioning to a paperless environment, some companies prefer to use paper for various reasons. However, many companies are moving from paper to digital documents as one of their first steps toward digital transformation. 

Many industries including medical, legal, banking, and financial, could benefit from digital documents due to the amount of paper that gets shuffled around day-to-day. At the same time, different departments in different businesses have increased their digital documentation. A 2020 study showed that 62% of sales departments and 57% of marketing departments employ digital documentation tools. This number is expected to rise not only within these departments but also within the business as a whole.

Why Move to Digital Documents?

In addition to the cost of paper, which has recently been increasing, comes further expenses such as the cost of storage, copying, printing, disposing of, sorting, and organizing. These extra expenses can add up to 31 times more than what the cost of the paper was. This leads to the first benefit of digital documents:

Save Money - By investing in a digital documentation tool and transitioning to digital documents, you can reduce or eliminate the need for storing, copying, and disposing of paper. This often results in freeing up resources and employee time. Depending on what you choose to do and how you choose to store them, digital documents can be easier to find and significantly easier to share.

Improve Business Processes - Digital documents allow companies to expedite and improve critical business processes. Where once it may have taken days or even weeks for parties to sign a document, thanks to e-signature solutions like DrySign and digital documents, that process can be done within a matter of hours. Sharing files between co-workers or clients becomes faster and finding digital documents within a digital archive allows employees to search and find specific documents easily.

Save Physical Space - Switching from paper to digital documents frees up space in any office or building. Employees are handling around 10,000 pieces of paper annually. That amount of paper quickly adds up and quickly fills up space that could be better used for something else.

Reduce Carbon Footprint - Sustainability and environmentally friendly practices have been at the forefront of many companies' minds. Every year, around 1 billion trees worth of paper is thrown away in the U.S. alone. On top of that, 60% of consumers consider sustainability an important purchase criterion. Part of taking responsibility for sustainability initiatives and improving brand reputation could include paper digitization.

Improve Security - With the right security measures in place, digital documents can be more secure than physical documents. Unlike physical documents, digital documents can't be lost or misplaced. Also, particular documents may require a certain level of access to view or handle. A digital documentation tool would allow only authorized personnel access to sensitive documents.

Prevent Paper Documents from Moving - In some situations, businesses want or need to keep physical documents for their records. Digitizing these documents prevents the physical documents from being misplaced, being moved around, and being lost. Digital versions of these documents can easily be shared and emailed to customers or employees without handling and possibly losing that physical document.

Moving Toward Digital Documents

When considering moving to digital documents, businesses have two options to consider: digitizing their current documents and/or choosing to go paperless with current documents.

Digitizing a current backlog and uploading it to a digital archive will not only free up storage space, but will also improve business processes. As a first step, backfile scanning is a great way to start moving toward digital documents. A document archive is a great way to keep documents organized and easy to access. With a digital archive, companies can also choose who is allowed access to which documents.

As another option, businesses can choose to stop using paper presently and move to digital documents. This means that any document that comes into the business will be digitized including everything from signed contracts to invoices. By opting in to accept digital documents from the start, companies reduce their need for physical paper and ensure that they will not be gaining another backlog.

Security with Paper Digitization

While digital documents would certainly improve many aspects of business, there are some considerations to take into account. One of the first things companies need to consider with digital documentation is security. Because security breaches are a real threat, it’s important to ensure that any digital solution chosen has proper and high-security in place. Likewise, if companies are choosing to digitize a backlog, securely disposing of the current physical copies will also need to be taken into consideration.

As companies continue to propel forward with digital transformation, paper digitization is a logical step forward. Many companies choose to rely on solutions such as Exela’s Document Digitization for secure, efficient, and fast digitization and storage of their backlogs and paper documents. So consider what it would mean for your company to embrace paper digitization and be truly paperless.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses regarded digital transformation as a potential long-term goal. While they recognized the benefits, there wasn’t much urgency to make the transition. Amid the economic uncertainty, lockdown guidelines, and remote work arrangements brought about by the pandemic, digital transformation became a much higher priority for companies looking to maintain business continuity.

One of the most accessible, high-impact digitization projects for businesses to invest in is document digitization. Digitizing paper documents via high-speed, high-capacity scanners with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software enables easier adoption of digital solutions downstream, making it one of the best starting points for implementing a digital transformation strategy.

This can be accomplished by investing in your own scanners and handling the digitization in-house, or by partnering with a business process optimization specialist who can absorb some of the upfront costs while still delivering the same long term benefits.

Another key benefit of digitizing records and documents is the ability to enforce stricter security measures with greater confidence. Digital documents can be managed with strict security protocols that simply can’t be applied to physical documents. Access logs, revision histories, and audit trails on digital documents allow your organization to maintain clear visibility into who has viewed or changed documents and when. Physical paper documents can also easily be lost or accidentally destroyed in unexpected events like fires or floods.

Challenges that Led to Digitizing Paper Documents

While paper may seem thin, storing years’ worth of documents can add up quickly. Considering a standard 4-drawer filing cabinet takes up about 17 square feet, when you include the space necessary to open the drawers, your organization may be devoting a lot more space to paper records than you realize.

An organization with 500 employees can save an average of $4k annually in file cabinet real estate space by digitizing paper documents. A digital records management system can provide that storage and bring down the necessary square footage even further.

COVID-19 has many businesses reassessing the importance of enabling their staff to work remotely, a trend that’s likely to continue even after the pandemic has passed. Digitizing documents is an important step in ensuring workers are able to access critical information and for business processes to continue without a hitch, no matter where workers are clocking in.

Optimizing Digital Transformation by Scanning Documents

It’s clear that digitizing paper documents is a worthwhile endeavor. But in order to maximize your digitization process, keep processes running smoothly, and actually capitalize on the efficiency digitization can offer, you need a scanning solution that is up to the job. So, how do you select the optimal high-speed production scanner?

Here are three key points to consider:

Throughput

When dealing with a major digitization project or working in a field with continual high-volume demand, one of the biggest potential limitations is how quickly a scanner is able to process individual pages. Whether you’re looking to digitize a large backlog of historical documentation, an influx of incoming forms or checks on a daily basis, or both, it is important to optimize your throughput when scanning high volumes of documents.

Put simply, throughput is how many pages can be scanned in a given amount of time. Scanning device manufacturers publish “page per minute” (PPM) ratings based on non-stop feeding of perfect documents. However, these are not real-world conditions. A device’s rated speed may provide some indication of its capabilities, but throughput actually takes into account several additional factors.

You should look for scanners designed to minimize stops and enable operators to quickly recover from them. Stops may occur for various reasons including double feeds or issues related to difficult or damaged documents. The layout of a scanner’s paper-handling system (paper track design) can make a big difference in this area.

Even minor restrictions on the paper path can slow down the entire process and lead to bigger problems like jams or accidental double feeds, negatively impacting throughput. Look for devices with an open track for better paper handling. You may also want to look for scanners that have hand feed capability for quick recovery from stops and greater flexibility to scan irregular, damaged, or fragile documents.

It’s also important to consider the variety of documents you’ll be scanning. For example, not every system is optimized to handle check processing at speed. So make sure your scanner has the capabilities to efficiently process any special documents.

Image Quality

One of the most important considerations when selecting a high-speed production scanner is image quality, as it affects the usability of the images in downstream applications. Many believe a higher scanning resolution is the only important factor for better image quality. However, when a document is skewed, folded, or cut off in any other way, the resolution doesn’t matter.

The key to maintaining image quality is having a system that automatically checks scanned images, in real-time, against a baseline of pre-defined metrics. This continuous image quality monitoring makes it easier to detect and resolve issues earlier in the scanning process, saving time and reducing costs.

Ease of Use

Even highly-automated technologies are still fundamentally tools to be used by human workers. The gains in speed and efficiency a scanning solution offers can be limited or even negated by a complex or overly-technical user interface that makes it difficult for employees to use. This applies not only to the physical machine itself, which should have intuitive operating features, but also to the software component.

And don’t forget to look for systems that are designed to be easily integrated into existing workstreams from manufacturers that offer on-site training services.

Out-Sorting Options

One aspect of the scanning process that many people may overlook is what happens to the paper documents after they’ve been scanned and digitized. When dealing with a high volume and a potentially wide variety of documents, a scanner with sorting capabilities provides a great opportunity to separate documents based on specific criteria.

Using intelligent classification technologies, some high-end scanners are capable of identifying information on each document as it is scanned and sorting it into separate pockets based on that information. Scanning solutions that offer more customizable pockets therefore can save even more time and labor costs by automating this post-scan process.

Document Scanning Considerations

Of course, there are other things you might take into consideration when evaluating scanner options. For example, compared to competitors, Exela’s Document Digitization solution uses advanced high-speed scanners that have a very low total cost of ownership. 

Digitization also doesn’t necessarily have to happen in-house. Exela offers expert business process outsourcing services at our facilities including document digitization services, giving you yet another flexible option to kickstart your digital transformation journey.

Find out how our Document Digitization solution can help you kick start your digitization journey.

Digital technology has revolutionized the way business is done across industries and around the globe. Businesses that embrace digital transformation are more likely to thrive as they benefit from the increased efficiency, improved accuracy, and overall cost savings that digital solutions offer.

Digitizing your business’s paper documents is an excellent option to kickstart your own digital transformation, and many organizations turn to high speed, high volume scanners to get the job done. Powerful document digitization platforms like Exela’s line of IntelliScan scanners enable prompt and accurate digitization of all kinds of documents, and make a great first step in your digitization journey.

What Are High Volume Scanners?

The main difference between traditional desktop scanners or multifunction printer/scanner machines you might find in most office settings is, as you might have guessed, their scanning capacity. High volume scanners are designed to quickly digitize large volumes of paper documents with minimal user interaction.

These scanners are capable of high resolution imaging while still operating at high speeds, and are usually used in industries where large quantities of information need to be recorded and kept secure, including the legal industry, financial services, healthcare, and the public sector, among others.

Why Invest in a High Volume Scanner?

Any organization that deals with large amounts of physical documents stands to benefit immensely from investing in a high volume scanner. When properly integrated into appropriate workflows, these machines improve output and efficiency to a degree that will be noticeable on the bottom line as well as in the day to day lives of employees.

Here are some of the most important value-adds that make high volume scanners worth considering:

Time Savings

The most important benefit of high speed, high volume scanners is their ability to reduce the time and effort it takes to digitize potentially huge quantities of paper documents. This frees up valuable time for your employees to focus on higher-value, more creative, and often more fulfilling tasks, leading to greater productivity and worker satisfaction. 

Accuracy and Error Reduction

While scanning speed is nice, it’s worthless if the resulting digital documents are fuzzy, out of focus, skewed, smudged, or otherwise illegible. High-end high volume scanners are designed with accuracy and image quality in mind, utilizing the finest hardware to capture clear images and avoid paper jams, and cutting-edge software to fix skew and other legibility issues.

These platforms are often integrated with optical character recognition (OCR) systems that can identify text and transform a scanned image into a searchable and editable digital document. This enables advanced indexing, routing, and sorting with a high degree of accuracy.

Document Flexibility

One of the downsides of physical paper documents is that they can be easily damaged or torn. They also come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, which can make filing and storage more complex. High volume scanners are designed to handle documents in a wide range of sizes, thicknesses, and even conditions. The IntelliScan Raptor features a convenient hand-feed option that enables easy and efficient processing of fragile, damaged or otherwise difficult to auto-feed documents.

Is a High Volume Scanner Right for Your Business?

Still not sure if high volume scanners are right for your organization? Here are a few signs to consider:

Do You Have Too Many Desktop Scanners?

Many businesses may not even realize they need production level scanners, instead loading up on more and more desktop scanners to handle an increasing demand. While this may seem like a minor expense in the short term given how inexpensive some desktop scanners can be, it can be costly in the long run, especially for businesses that will face large digitization jobs. Given that each scanner still requires a human operator, spreading large jobs across multiple scanners can be not only inefficient, but costly. A high-volume, high-speed scanner is much more efficient and requires fewer people to operate.

Are Your Scanners Out of Date?

While it may seem obvious, it still bears mentioning. The maintenance on older machines can get expensive - especially as models and parts are discontinued in favor of more efficient newer models. Upgrading your old machines isn’t just about new bells and whistles, either. The core functionalities of volume scanners - including document handling, image quality, and overall scanning speeds - have all seen major improvements in recent years.

There’s also the key question of compatibility. Document scanning represents a key bridge between the paper-based processes of the past and today’s digital-first environment. Many modern scanners are able to seamlessly integrate with software used to automate a wide variety of internal tasks, making your processes that much more efficient.

Do You Need More than Just Images?

We’re living in a digital age. More aspects of day to day life and business operations are handled electronically than ever before. In this digital-first world, physical paper can be a serious hindrance, slowing down processes, exposing vulnerabilities, and capping the potential of other downstream digital solutions.

In order to take full advantage of the benefits these new digital technologies can offer, businesses need a way to quickly and accurately transform paper documents into digital assets - not just simple scanned images. Real-time recognition and extraction of document information allows advanced systems to take immediate action, like updating databases, routing documents to specific users, and indexing them for more convenient storage and retrieval.

Modern scanners are able to use optical character recognition (OCR) and intelligent character recognition (ICR) along with AI and machine learning systems to turn paper documents into editable, searchable digital documents. This makes them easier to feed into downstream systems that can further capitalize on automation and digital efficiencies.

Whatever your scanning needs, Exela’s Document Digitization solution has you covered.