A company that stays on top of its scanning is doing a lot of things right.
A smart scanning policy has the potential to help businesses become more organized and efficient, free up valuable office space, improve security and privacy, and, to really speak the language of modern commerce, save money.
Nevertheless, some employees – and even managers -- find ways to drag their feet on implementing a proper scanning regimen. Perhaps a legal or medical office will allow some types of document digitizing, but prefer some items remain as hard copies. Other companies resist electronic document storage entirely, no matter how many valid reasons there are for a move in that direction.
John Gilbert from nQueue recently shared his view on why some companies balk at document scanning. He told readers of Law Technology that the reasons basically boil down to three key points: Return on Investment, Recalcitrance and Risk.
There are likely many specific objections at different companies since every business can be a little different in terms of its policies, employee make-up and management experience. But by and large, the bulk of objections to document digitizing have to do with a blend of all three of Gilbert’s observations.
Some companies are fine with continuing hard copy archiving, since this process may have been firmly established decades ago and hasn’t changed a bit. To switch toward a digital archive can potentially create a lot of confusion at first, such as putting together a team or individuals to help decide which documents should be scanned, a training program to get everyone up to speed and a vendor to help arrange the details.
The risks of heading down this path can include concerns about possible destruction of electronic records, and fears that unauthorized people – internal or external – can access your system and have a heyday with your data.
Interestingly, it may even be easier for an unwanted person to access your hard copy archives vs. your electronic document storage, and some company’s files are more susceptible to physical damage than if they were archived in the data cloud. In a fire, for instance, valuable papers may be lost, but archived data can be retrieved from anywhere.
If your company is ready to learn more about the document scanning process, consider Scantronix, which can help create a truly paperless workplace, including secure scanning and storage solutions.