How Businesses Can Benefit from Bulk Document Scanning Services

All businesses deal with tons of paperwork. This means that they’ll need to organize and store their physical documents, which can take up a lot of time and office space. Well, this process can become much easier by opting for document scanning instead. If you’re looking to make storage easier and more efficient, here are some of the benefits of bulk document scanning services.

What is Document Scanning?

Before we begin to explain the benefits of bulk document scanning, we believe it’s important to explain what it is. Bulk document scanning is a process through which physical copies of documents are put into a scanning machine and are rendered into digital images. This will allow users to view the files on a digital device like a computer or phone.

That said, it’s not enough to leave the scanned copies as images, because you won’t be able to search for keywords in the text that way. Therefore, to make the text readable and editable, Optical Character Recognition software is used. This recognizes all the characters in the image and reproduces a digital copy of a document.

Frees Up Space at the Workplace

One of the great things about having document scanning at your businesses is that you’ll free up a lot of space. Organizing and storing physical copies of documents can take up a lot of space, especially if your business deals with a lot of paperwork. In most cases, businesses dedicate an entire room for filing their physical copies. In addition to that, there are also filing cabinets spread around the workplace and in individual offices as well.

By scanning your physical copies, you can use the space the filing cabinets took for other purposes. Empty space can give your employees more space to move around – something which can be necessary when coming up with new ideas. Switching to digital files is a good option for small businesses in particular, who can’t afford to increase the space at the workplace.

Better Data Encryption

Having digital files can be a much more secure option than keeping physical files. Even if you lock your file cabinets, the locks can be broken, and the contents can be stolen. Also, it can be difficult to monitor who accesses the files and when, because sometimes, employees may not document what they retrieve and when they retrieve it. Difficulties in monitoring can make theft easier.

However, by having digital copies on a secure and encrypted server, the chance of theft is significantly lower. In addition to that, it will be much easier to monitor who accesses which file and what time because it will be recorded digitally. You can even protect certain files with a password. In addition to that, you can assign clearance levels for certain files, ensuring that you keep some files restricted.

Improves Your Business’s Customer Service

When you’re dealing with your clients, you should always aim to provide them with what they’re looking for in as little time as possible. Having scanned digital copies will help you do that. You can search for a particular keyword on the server and find the files on your client. You can also share the bills, contracts, and other important documents through email. This way, your clients won’t have to wait until a physical copy reaches them in the mail.

Digital Files Don’t Deteriorate

It’s not uncommon for physical files to get damaged during handling. Something can spill over the pages, a page may tear, or a file may get misplaced. However, none of these things can happen to a digital file. The digital copy will always be available on the cloud, even if you lose the file.

Also, in case there’s a disaster at your workplace, you don’t have to worry about losing your files. Disasters include earthquakes, floods, or fires. All of your digital scanned files are constantly backed up on the cloud, meaning that you can recover your documents. This way, you won’t have to start from scratch.

Better for the Environment

If your business aims to promote a greener way of doing business, digitizing your files should be your next step. Creating paper requires cutting down trees – which harms the planet when done frequently. Therefore, you can significantly reduce the use of paper, if not completely eliminate it, by using digital files.

Sharing Files Is Much Easier

Sharing digital files with colleagues can be much more efficient than creating physical copies for them. All you have to do is email the files to them or share the files via a Google link. This way, you won’t waste energy going to the photocopier machine and creating copies for your colleagues.

Quick and easy sharing can also encourage your employees to collaborate with each other more often. They can quickly share a file with a colleague and ask them for their input. This can help your employees work better as a team in the long run.

Saves Time

Because of document scanning, you don’t have to leave your desk to retrieve any of your files. All of them will be available on the cloud, so you can search for the keywords to find the file you’re looking for. On the other hand, if your workplace uses physical copies, you would have to spend time getting to the filing room, sifting through various files, and then walking back to your desk. And if you planned on sharing it with other colleagues, you would also have to make copies of it. With digital files, you can save time and be more productive in the process.

Makes Audit Adherence Easier

All businesses are required to follow strict organizational requirements for auditing. With digital files, you can make the relevant changes without much effort.

Document scanning services ensure that your business’s documentation stays secure and easily accessible to you. Digitizing your documentation is the next step forward in improving efficiency and productivity at the workplace.

Author Bio: 
Brandon Harris is the vice president of Smooth Solutions founded by his father Michael Harris, who has been a pioneer in document scanning industry for over 35 years. A leading Document Imaging Services in New Jersey, they are experts in providing document services and affordable book scanning services and Convert Microfilm to Digital.