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What could go wrong with in-house scanning?

Going paperless is great, but having the right strategy while your organisation undergoes the transition is critical. Scanning technology has improved enormously over the past decade, making scanning easily one of the best ways to digitise information. Advances in optical character recognition, intelligent character recognition, and data indexing have led many people to believe that scanning bulk amounts of documents is a simple, easy process.

In truth, despite these advances, scanning documents in bulk can be a very tricky process. There are many reasons that companies choose third party scanning services like Pearl Scan to aid them in digitising their data.

Cost

Cost is generally the reason administrators cite for choosing to have documents scanned in-house. That is, they’re of the belief that they’ll save money by doing so. This is rarely the case.

A low end scanner is simply not good enough for digitising all of an organisation’s documents. A professional scanning service will have the most up-to-date equipment. Furthermore, most companies can’t afford to maintain multiple backup scanners in the event that their primary scanner breaks down. That leads to backlog whenever there’s an issue with the scanner, which puts a dent in productivity.

Additionally, having the right software to effectively and efficiently both scan your documents and capture data can be extremely costly.

Training and manpower

With this high end equipment and multiple types of sophisticated software in mind, the next problem that in-house scanning organisations run into is training. While innovations have greatly improved the equipment and software necessary to scan documents and capture data, knowing how to use that equipment and software is critical.
Who will train the employees who will be scanning documents? Can you afford to train your entire office to scan documents and index the data they contain? Or will you need to delegate the responsibility to a select few? Is there any department that is equipped to handle the extra work load?

Other issues

The safety and security of certain types of documents can be extremely important. Legal documents, medical records, and other paperwork that contain sensitive information need to be handled with care when capturing and storing that data. That’s not only to protect those to whom that information is personal, but also to protect your company from liability or regulatory concerns. Data is one of the most important resources your company has. Why not treat it as such and use a professional scanning service?

Find out how Pearl Scan can help with your document scanning needs.

The contemporary world of business relies largely on technology to streamline everyday internal operations. Digital mailrooms are at the forefront of this trend, with cutting edge technologies used to transform the traditional mail management into a fast and efficient process.

But what exactly are digital mailrooms and how can they help your business save both time and money? Read on as we define the concept, and explore the benefits a digital mailroom could have for your business.

The basics

As the name suggests, a digital mailroom is essentially an electronic version of your tangible postal correspondence. Using sophisticated document scanning and image capture technologies companies can digitalise incoming mail, automate the classification process and systematically deliver it to relevant recipients.

Modernising your business

Today, business growth and the rise of mobile workforces has led to the exponential growth of corporate mail. On average, a medium sized company processes around 100,000 pieces of mail a month, with documents distributed to over 200 different departments. Digital mailrooms bring an efficient electronic edge to managing the huge influx of mail that’s received on a daily basis.

Slash operational costs

Far too many businesses waste time and money on processing mail, filing documents and tracking down content. Digitalised mail rooms take the hassle out of post management by storing all content in electronic form. Staff can then use keywords to search for, locate and send digital mail, at their fingertips.

Backing up files

From unavoidable incidents such as file and theft to simple human errors that result in mail becoming lost or misplaced, traditional post handling services simply don’t offer businesses the total peace of mind that all documents will be 100% accessible on demand. As well as bringing a huge amount of convenience to the mail management process digital mailrooms also ensure that companies comply with legal obligations to retain certain documents. This includes legal obligations to archive documents such as accounting records, staff contracts and so on.

Save paper (and the environment!)

When all mail is digitalised it eliminates the need for staff to photocopy and reprint documents. Instead they can simply search the database to bring up the relevant document, then refer to it on a computer screen or email it to a recipient. This is guaranteed to save businesses money on paper spends, as well as boost eco-friendly credentials.

Think your business could benefit from a digital mailroom? Get in touch with the Pearl Scan team today to discuss the solutions on offer for businesses just like yours.

The oldest operating theatre in England, Bristol Old Vic, has been awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £220,500 to create a landmark heritage project to celebrate its 250th birthday. The grant will support the nine month development project, and another grant is being submitted for a further £.2.26m in funding.

Already recognised as a centre of artistic distinction for its history and high quality programme of events, the nation’s oldest theatre will now also be an important heritage attraction. The project includes a refurbishment of part of the theatre, a conservation project for the original 18th century theatre façade, the protection of the theatre’s paper records and the creation of new public spaces and programmes, including an online archive.

Not only will the historic landmark be protected thanks to this funding, but also the records of the theatre will be preserved and available to a whole new audience. Archives of theatrical heritage will be brought to life during the project by scanning the heritage records which are currently held between the Bristol Record Office and the University of Bristol Theatre collection.

Creating a digital archive of documents which could date back hundreds of years isn’t without its difficulties – it’s vital to keep the originals in mint condition throughout the scanning process. Pearl Scan are experts in scanning delicate documents and books of high importance, ensuring the technology does not damage the records.

The Old Vic was originally named The Theatre Royal, and was built between 1764-1766. The lottery funding for the heritage project has been awarded at the perfect time so the artistic institution can celebrate its 250th birthday. The building can be restored and enjoyed for many years to come, and modern audiences will have access to some of the theatre’s programmes and archives online.

Emma Stenning, chief executive at Bristol Old Vic said, “We’re thrilled that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us this support as it will enable us to push forward with our exciting plans to transform the theatre into an internationally-significant hub of cultural and historical interest. This major redevelopment project will allow tourists, theatre audiences, day visitors and schoolchildren to engage with Bristol Old Vic’s fascinating heritage like never before.”

If you have a large collection of historical records or archives which you’d like to protect, we can help you digitise your collection with our heritage scanning service. Get in touch for more details.