Remote scan software lets employees upload documents to shared storage from anywhere with an internet connection
The modern workforce is more distributed than ever. Over a quarter of businesses have employees working remotely at least part of the time. That's created new challenges tied to communications, information sharing, and data security. How can employees across the country — let alone the globe — quickly and safely share critical information?
One solution: the remote scan. This technology allows teams to quickly and safely pool their information, no matter how far apart they work. That can lead to significant savings and smoother operations.
Want to know more about how scanner software enhances productivity and streamlines workflows? Read our guide, A Guide to Scanning Software.
What is remote scanning?
At its most fundamental, remote scanning is simply scanning that happens away from a business's main offices. It typically refers to employees at other locations scanning documents into the company’s shared system. This is made possible through remote scan software and the cloud.
First, the software component. Distributed employees may not own the same scanning devices available in an office. But with remote scan software, their organization can retain control over their scanning. It can configure settings, clean up scanned images, and route scanned documents to their chosen location. That lets the organization maintain standards of quality, consistency, and security.
When a page is scanned, it uploads directly to a cloud storage location chosen by the organization. That location can be an on-premises server or one in the cloud. Once it's there, employees anywhere in the world can access it.
Did You Know?:PaperStream NX Manager streamlines scanner setup and management, making it easy to run a fleet of devices in any number of locations. Click here to learn more.
Benefits of remote scanning
Enhanced flexibility
Standard scanning requires IT administrators to configure and maintain devices in person. Employees must have physical access to configured scanners, connected computers, and the same network. That means no scanning outside of the office, on the go, or from distributed offices.
Remote scanning unlocks a world of flexibility. Employers no longer need their workers to live and work in specific locations. Instead, they can hire from anywhere with an internet connection. No matter where that employee works, they’ll be able to safely scan documents to a central location. And IT will have just as much oversight of their scanner use.
Reduced document shipping
Remote work without the ability to remote scan means a lot of costly shipping. Employees in one location need to make copies of any documents, records, or invoices they worked with. They then package and ship these pages to the central office. Workers receive those pages, sort and process them, and finally store them.
This process is expensive, time-consuming, and risky. Postage fees are significant for even small packages, with expedited shipping costing even more. Traveling by post typically takes a few days, longer if weekends or holidays are involved. The whole time the package is in transit, it’s at risk of being lost or stolen.
A simple remote scan avoids all of these pitfalls. There's no need to pay for postage. Documents upload in a matter of seconds. And with a high-quality remote scan solution, encryption can keep them secure the whole time.
Workload distribution
Scanning on a single device — or even a handful — can lead to bottlenecks. Each device can only take on one job at a time. If too much demand lands on a single scanner, it can slow down work and chip away at productivity.
Employing remote scanning spreads that demand across many more devices. As a result, your employees can distribute the scanning load and avoid backups. That means less waiting around and more productivity.
Automation
The sooner documents arrive in central storage, the sooner they can benefit from document management efficiencies. Remote scan software can improve the scan quality of phones and other nonstandard scanners. When it does, it makes it that much easier for Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to turn the scan into a workable document.
OCR powers tagging and sorting by letting your DMS crawl the text in each document. It can then pull key information and automatically populate identifiers. That leads to better and faster organization with minimal risk of human error. Then, when your employees need to find something, they can do so quickly with a powerful search function.
Improved decision-making
Making the best decision means having the right facts at your fingertips. That can be difficult to achieve without remote scanning. Say an employee creates an invoice at the New York office. Their colleague in California needs that invoice to produce an accurate budget. But the New York employee can’t scan the document directly to a shared cloud location. They may have to mail the document cross-country, and that delay can lead to an inaccurate budget. Say hello to administrative headaches.
If the New York employee could simply perform a remote scan, the invoice would go straight to the company’s shared server. Their colleague would gain instant access. That would empower them to create a more precise budget, leading to better spending decisions down the line. Headache free.
Imaging Solutions as a Service (ISaaS)
Your organization probably manages all of the workflows associated with scanning. You have to manage your own storage solutions and automations. That has its advantages, but it requires a lot of research, upfront work, and maintenance.
One alternative is Imaging Solutions as a Service (ISaaS). Take Ricoh's EdgeXperience service as an example. With EdgeXperience, your business pays a monthly subscription for a remote scanning service hosted in the cloud. That gives you access to all the workflow automations, remote device management, and integrations of remote scanning without having to operate your own infrastructure. Plus, the service's zero-footprint architecture makes it easy to scale.
ISaaS keeps mental overhead low for your employees. All they need to do is authenticate each scan job and scan as usual. It also takes a load off your IT staff, as the service has dedicated employees who keep things running smoothly.
Did You Know?:EdgeXperience Capture Service is the industry's first ISaaS, using Microsoft's Azure cloud platform to make scaling and central management a breeze. Click here to learn more.
Our recommendation: RICOH fi-7300NX and software
Those in the market for a remote scan solution 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.
Thanks to its WiFi and Ethernet connectivity options, the fi-7300NX makes an excellent choice for use in a remote scanning environment. Its greatest advantage is the Ricoh software it uses. PaperStream NX Manager uses a cloud-based solution that makes it easy to control up to 1,000 scanners across several locations. That eases the burden of administration while keeping scan quality and security high. 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 or financial 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 professional regarding your specific situation as regulations may be subject to change.