Blog

Poor Paperwork Management Blamed for FSA Sting

A respected hotel in the Isle of Wight was recently shocked when the Food Standards Agency gave them a rating of zero – and has said that a paperwork error was to blame. The George Hotel in Yarmouth used to be a Michelin starred restaurant and has played hosts to celebrity guests.

A rating of zero means that an establishment requires ‘urgent improvement.’ A manager at the hotel has said that an administration problem was the main contributing factor to the unforgiving rating, after the inspection in September. The paperwork error is said to be resolved, but the hotel will have to wait until the next visit to be rated again.

Poor paperwork management has obviously been a recipe for disaster for The George Hotel. Unorganised paperwork can be a problem in all businesses, but to many it would seem unlikely to affect a hospitality establishment. But all businesses have files to keep and standards to upkeep, so having an efficient system is a must.
In November, a spokeswoman for The George Hotel said that the administrative problem had been rectified, to the satisfaction of Environmental Health Officers. She said, "Although we now have a clean bill of health we have to wait until the New Year to be given our official new rating which we are confident will be back to our previous high standards. We apologise to our customers for any concern caused by these administrative errors."

Improving Document Management

If your paperwork was to be inspected by an industry body, do you think you’d pass? Businesses drowning in paperwork should take action before it starts to affect quality of work and compliance. Electronic document management has already been embraced by many organisations, and these forward thinking companies have seen results.

Firstly, using digital files instead of paper frees up lots of space, which can be put to better use. Some businesses can even save on storage costs or choose to move to a smaller office.

Implementing an electronic document storage system also increases productivity and efficiency. Your staff will no longer have to search through filing cabinets to retrieve information – it’s all available at the click of a button. Basic admin tasks will take less time which means that valuable time can be spent on other important jobs or business development.
If you think you need to improve your document management, see how Pearl Scan’s scanning services can help.

Schools are all about education, however this can be disrupted when things go wrong; whether with homework, worksheets or inner-school communication. Better school processes means a reduction in stress, improvement in grades and an overall greater productivity rate from staff and students alike. How could your school benefit from process streamlining? ...

Implement Technology

This can be expensive, especially for schools who are yet to embrace the technological age. However, this doesn’t have to be done all at once and it doesn’t mean that every child should be working off a tablet device straightaway. Technology allows the streamlining process to become easier, especially with the array of apps and software available for instantaneous download.

Consider Cloud Storage

Something as simple as a cloud storage solution can help develop the way things run in class and in a school as whole. With storage software such as Halogen, lost files can no longer be an excuse for holding up the teaching day. All files can be uploaded no matter the format and downloaded from cloud storage off any device, so teachers don’t have to worry about leaving a lesson plan at home.

Digitise Library Collections

While nothing beats the smell of a good book, many schools within the UK are battling against the rising number of school students. Library collections can be digitised so the space can be better utilized to make room for more classrooms. Files can still be accessed within seconds and weigh a lot less than carrying three or four books at once which is perfect for any little bookworm.

Transitioning a collection over to a digital format also allows schools to distribute more copies of a text to more students. No longer would students have to wait for a copy of a book to return. If a book becomes overdue then files can automatically remove themselves from a device. No more late fees and no more angry librarians tracking children down.

Do Away With Pigeon Holes

Sometimes the school environment can get so busy that teachers don’t get the chance to check their pigeon holes every day. This means that memos, letters and work can build up over a couple of days. Implementing streamlining solutions such as a digital mailroom enables messages to be directed to who they are intended for, without the need to sit around waiting to be read. Cutting out the middle system and improving in-school delivery systems will increase productivity, improve communication and decrease the chances of a message becoming lost in the post.

Wonder if your school can benefit from an operational streamline. Visit our website http://www.pearl-scan.co.uk or phone us on 0845 225 5923 for a no obligation, friendly conversation.

How do you think schools can streamline their processes? Share your thoughts with us on social media. We want to hear from you!

Are advances in technology making it easier for businesses to adopt a more digital and paperless approach to every day working?

The Paperless Dream

The paperless office has been a long time dream of many businesses who can see the wide ranging benefits of ditching inefficient and bulky paper processes in favour of digital and more streamlined alternatives. Unfortunately, it hasn't been easy to part with our beloved paper and many offices still insist on storing their files and documents in hard copy despite its obvious downfalls.

So, Are We Any Closer to Success?

There have been some huge improvements in technology for businesses over recent years. Not only are there more digital devices to speed up the way we work but lots of these devices have now become portable giving access to the tools you need, wherever you are.

We have gone from static desktop computers to semi-portable laptops and we are now at the stage of seeing tablet devices like iPads introduced into the workplace letting staff pull up information in meetings and benefit from flexible working without being tied to the desktop.

Automating Business Processes

With these portable devices, it is easier to switch to paperless business processes. Paperwork you would normally store in hard copy format can be digitised and stored in either a shared network or in the cloud. By storing documents like this, you will be able to retrieve them instantly on your portable devices even if you are working remotely.

Whether you need to retrieve invoices, client information, HR records, contracts or anything else, they can all be in one place, fully indexed for easy text searching and retrieval. Going digital also means you can share and edit documents without having to print copies. There are even extensive capabilities to collaborate on documents simultaneously with applications such as Google Docs meaning you can be in separate locations editing the same document while seeing each other's edits too.

What's So Attractive About Going Paperless?

Adopting a paperless office brings many advantages including;

• Businesses can become more agile as a result of less reliance on paper.
• Paper can be difficult to manage, store, archive and search.
• Managing your documents digitally can speed up efficiency in your office.
• You can save costs on paper, ink and printing equipment.
• You can free up office space with the removal of bulky filing cabinets and boxes.
• Going digital offers the chance to be compliant without losing physical space for document storage.
• With digital storage you can minimize data loss by up to 99% and boost the longevity of your information.
• You will get a greater control of your documents and workflow leading to better productivity and higher office morale.

Make the Paperless Office Your Reality

With Pearl Scan's paperless office solutions, you can outsource your document scanning project to professionals with over a decade's worth of experience. We can scan your documents whether you have a little or a large volume of files, folders and boxes.

To aid with your paperless transition, we also offer a range of solutions to help you manage your documents once they have been scanned. If you want to store them on a cloud platform, we can offer our fully managed cloud system, Pearl Cloud. If you don't already have a system in place to manage digital documents, we can provide your scanned documents with Halogen. Halogen is our in-house developed document storage and retrieval software which has a powerful but easy-to-use interface which enables you to search through hundreds or even thousands of files and retrieve the one you need in seconds.

For more information about all of the paperless office solutions we offer, why not browse our website or you can get in touch and speak to a member of our sales team who can explain which solutions will suit you and your business. We can even draw you up a quote free of charge with no obligation.

Request a Quote   |   Contact Us    |    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Scan-do People^tm


For more information feel free to give us a call: 
Nationwide: 0845 22 55 923          London: 0207 183 1885
Manchester: 0161 832 7991         Birmingham: 0121 285 1900