Seven Things You Should Know about Document Scanning Software By: Manuel J. Montesino
Document scanning software is the core of most modern electronic document management systems (EDMS). These new paperless methods of doing business have proven to have radical advantages over the old paper-based methods of document filing and retrieval, and it's changing the face of modern corporate life. Here are seven things about document scanning software that you may or may not know, but either way, you should. Documents have been getting 'imaged' for decades, but 'scanning' is relatively new. Copiers, fax machines, microfilm, microfiche -- people have been finding ways to turn documents into portable items since the invention of the scribe. But only in the past eleven years have people regularly been using document scanning methods to turn paper documents into electronic ones. Scanning is only the first part of the EDMS process. A document, once scanned, is just a picture as far as the computer is concerned. There are no words that the computer can recognize. This leads to‌ Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is the next critical step. Once the document scanning software processes the document with OCR, it can then recognize the words on the image, which it compares to previously-created templates to decide how to index any given image. Metadata Analysis is optional, but useful Metadata is just that: data about data. In the world of document management, metadata specifically applies to things like barcodes that are put onto a document before it's scanned. A barcode or other amount of metadata might hold specific instructions for the computer on how to handle the attached document. Location is irrelevant. Unless you specifically tell the computer to identify and sort by the location a document came from, you can put a document into the computer from anywhere and retrieve it from anywhere. Paperless offices reduce costs. The up-front cost might seem mildly intimidating, but over the next business year, between paper costs and the sheer amount of time saved retrieving documents (time you have to pay your employees for), document scanning software pays for itself (provided, of course, you actually use it.)
EDMS means never losing a document again. That's not just 'lose' as in 'be unable to find'. You never need to worry about a fire or flood destroying old records forever, because electronic content can be stored in multiple sites at once and instantly backed up whenever it seems prudent. Document scanning software, when paired with a proper EDMS, means faster, more efficient workflow. Employees that can get more done per hour, reducing costs while improving security. These are great reasons for any business to join the paperless-office revolution and gain money and effectiveness at the same time all from the benefit of the right document scanning software.