How to make managing documents easier with the right tools
Paper cuts and long hours spent sifting through manila folders may have defined the days of many office workers in the past, but thankfully, times have changed. There is now a plethora of records management services that businesses can utilize to make dealing with mountains of documents a less tedious, error-prone task. Whether you’re just now transitioning to digital records or you’re looking for a better way to organize those files, these five services can be a valuable addition to your document management toolkit.
Our ultimate guide covers the benefits of records management, how to develop processes for your organization, and services that can help. Learn more here.
5 records management services to consider
Document digitization
Digitizing your documents by scanning is the easiest way to preserve, secure, and share them. Having to make copy after copy of the paper original is not feasible in an increasingly digital world, even for industries that historically relied heavily on paper records (such as law offices and insurance agencies). For one, you may simply have more records than your facilities can reasonably store. Then there is the fundamental fragility of paper — one cup of coffee spilled can ruin an entire file of important client information.
If you are in the healthcare, legal, insurance, or financial industries, you may also be subject to various compliance regulations, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which means you are legally required to safeguard clients’ protected health information (PHI). Scanning documents and storing the digital version in a secure cloud or server is typically more cost-effective than investing in fire hazard protection for a room full of filing cabinets or dealing with the fallout from misplaced client information.
Most businesses choose a few reliable, fast scanners to digitize their documents on a daily basis, but if you have a backlog of records to scan, you can also enlist a scanning service for help.
Did You Know?:The fi-7900 is a powerful enterprise scanner made with the operator in mind — you can scan while sitting down at the pace of 140 pages per minute. Click here to learn more.
Off-site storage for physical documents
If you need to keep physical copies of documents after scanning them, partnering with an off-site storage company is your next best bet. A document storage service will take away the administrative burden of organizing and tracking files from you and your team so you can focus on more impactful tasks. Because most document storage companies have secured and fireproof facilities, you can also rest easy knowing that important client and company documents are safe and can be easily retrieved with a phone call or email. As a bonus, you’ll gain back some much-welcome square footage where your piles of documents used to be.
Document management system
Tracking document versions and retrieving files is a challenge with digital files as much as with paper ones. A reliable, user-friendly document management system (DMS) can make the frustrations of file management disappear. Besides making the day-to-day realities of working with copious amounts of information easier, it can also keep you in compliance with consumer privacy laws. The majority of document management systems on the market are encrypted and have user access control features, which means they can be accessed by and shared with only trusted parties. There are a variety of options for document management depending on your industry (law, healthcare, insurance), so look for a solution that caters to your specific workload.
Did You Know?:If you need help managing your documents, a document management system can be a great option. Click here to learn more about how a document management system works.
Document shredding and disposal
Sometimes the only way to keep information safe is to destroy it — or at the very least destroy the paper document that would be an unnecessary liability if it were left lying around. Therefore, responsible document destruction is arguably one of the most important records management services. If you digitize your paper documents and are not required to keep the originals, either purchase a few durable cross-cut shredders or hire a document destruction company. Small businesses and sole proprietors can shred their documents at community shred events or stores like FedEx or UPS. Larger enterprises will need to enlist a professional document destruction company with clearly laid out policies and procedures for collecting, shredding, and disposal of documents.
Records management consulting
What if you’re not sure what to do with your old documents? Perhaps your company has come under new management or your leadership decided to go fully digital and now you’re stuck walking down hallways of filing cabinets wondering where to start. Maybe the documents you have contain personal or sensitive information that could be used to harm clients if it falls into the wrong hands. In this case, talking to a records management consultant can help you parse through what your obligations are and decide on which records management services you need. Take a look at the provider directory on the Association for Intelligent Information Management (AIIM) website if you’d like some help finding a records management solution.
Our recommendation: fi-7900M
Those in the market for a high speed document scanner have no shortage of options. We take great pride in having spent the last 50+ years researching, designing, and developing some of the most advanced and powerful electronics in the world, including our professional grade fi and SP series of scanners.
Built to purpose for the most demanding document handling jobs, fi and SP scanners are capable of processing tens of thousands of pages per day at the highest levels of accuracy. Their intuitive integration capabilities with all existing work suites minimize time-to-value for businesses looking to invest in tools that will pay dividends for years to come.
The fi-7900 is one of our most powerful backroom scanners capable of handling high-volume jobs in a multi-shift environment. Despite being a high-speed scanner, the fi-7900 operates silently and is built to be ergonomic and low-profile. The automatic skew correction and document separation features make for a stress free and rapid scanning experience. Click here to learn more or shop the rest of our production scanner line.
Note: Information and external links are provided for your convenience and for educational purposes only, and shall not be construed, or relied upon, as legal advice. PFU America, Inc. makes no representations about the contents, features, or specifications on such third-party sites, software, and/or offerings (collectively “Third-Party Offerings”) and shall not be responsible for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of such Third-Party Offerings. Please consult with a licensed attorney regarding your specific situation as regulations may be subject to change.