5 Things to Consider Before Starting a Scanning Project

Document digitization is the way of the future for many companies today and they oftentimes begin with a scanning project of stored files. Beginning a scanning project may sound as simple as placing paper in a scanner or hiring a scanning company, but there are a number of factors to consider at the outset of your scanning project to achieve the results that you want. A good scanning company will walk you through these considerations and how they will benefit you and your company in the long run.

What Needs to be Scanned, and What Doesn’t

It may sound obvious, but determining exactly what needs to be scanned should be the first consideration when beginning a scan project, and one that companies are sometimes unsure of. When you have a collection of documents, you should ask yourself what needs to be kept and what can be destroyed. If you are sure about scanning a certain type of document, are there any parts of folders or cabinets that can be omitted? Sometimes you may not think you need documents, but retention laws dictate otherwise.

Indexing and Document Retrieval

Once you know what documents you need scanned, determining how to index them should be the next step. When documents are made digitals, the files must be named something and they should be categorized based on information you want to be able to find later. For example, HR files may include names and employee ID’s, while financial documents may only warrant monetary values.

Use of a Content Management System

It is also important to determine how the documents will be retrieved after they are digitized. Will they be kept in a file system on a server or in a cloud-based content management system? Determining this may also help you determine index values, as these are the fields you would search for in whichever system the files are kept in.

Storage and Resources

After a scanning project is completed, the physical documents can either be destroyed or stored elsewhere and it is important to know which route you’ll take early on in the project. If you are destroying them, making sure this is some securely is key. If they are going to be kept in storage, knowing where is important and if your company even has the room to do so.

Who should do the project

Finally, determining who will execute the scanning project will help you allocate resources and determine the cost of the project. If you scan internally, you’ll need the personnel and time to do so, but if you outsource your scanning, you’ll want to find the right scanning partner and work out the logistics with them.

At Image One, we have been a reliable scanning partner for companies across the State of Florida and beyond. To learn more about our services and how we can help you determine the best way to complete your scanning project, please call (800) 956-9000 or visit our document scanning services page here.