A guide to bulk scanning with high volume scanners

The hardware you need for bulk document scanning is different from a standard office scanner. While smaller models can scan a few dozen pages per minute, high volume scanners can handle hundreds. Features that are less important when you’re only scanning a few documents become high priority when you’re dealing with hundreds or thousands of papers.

Benefits of bulk scanning

• Saves time and money for your business
• More efficient than distributed scanning
• Digitized data is accessible and actionable

Features to look for in a high-volume scanner

Scanning Speed: A high-volume scanner can handle tens of thousands of pages per workday or millions of pages per month. The faster employees can digitize documents, the sooner that data can go to work for you — letting staff spend their valuable time on more specialized tasks.

Image quality: Even if you’re scanning at high speeds, your digital documents need to be just as legible as their physical counterparts. A high-speed scanner should offer image resolution of at least 300 dots per inch (dpi). While 600 dpi may be better for very small text or detailed images, it also takes longer and uses more resources.

Powerful software: The best hardware in the world won’t do you much good unless it has strong software to go with it. Features like auto-naming, auto-routing, and OCR can dramatically reduce the time you need to devote to organizing or archiving your scans. Encryption and redaction tools can keep your information secure and compliant.

While you’re researching which high volume scanner to buy, check out How to Choose the Best High Volume Scanner and How to Pick the Right High Speed Scanner for Your Business for more recommendations.

How bulk scanning can streamline office work

Less physical storage space: Paper records require folders, binders, and cabinets, as well as valuable real estate in your office. An archive could take up a whole closet, a small office, or an entire warehouse. Offsite storage is often expensive and inconvenient. On the other hand, digital documents require essentially no space, particularly if you store them in the cloud.

Easier data entry and retrieval: Without a scanner, turning a physical form into a digital one can be tedious. An employee must enter all the data by hand, which takes a lot of time and is prone to transcription errors. A high speed OCR scanner can digitize and store documents in seconds. It can also automatically name and sort files as it scans.

Better document backups: Physical documents are easy to damage and easy to lose. They degrade over time, particularly if your storage space is exposed to air and light. Digital records can remain in pristine condition for decades and each copy will look at least as good as the original. Multiple employees can also access the same record from different locations.

Read How a Production Scanner Boosts Office Efficiency to learn how a high volume scanner can improve your workflows.

Using an automatic document feeder (ADF) for bulk scanning

A high-capacity ADF is one of the most important tools in bulk scanning. The more sheets you can fit in an ADF, the less time you’ll spend manually loading pages. A good ADF can also complement other important features in a scanner, such as double-sided image capture, skew correction, and the ability to process many different paper sizes.

What can ADFs do for you?

• Feed source material with minimal oversight
• Reduce paper jams and similar errors
• Straighten documents as they scan

Important ADF features to consider

Double-sided scanning support: If you scan double-sided documents, having to flip them over manually and run them through a second time adds a tremendous amount of work to the process. Look for scanners that support double-sided image capture and the ADF will handle the rest by itself.

Loading error correction: Being able to load hundreds of documents in an ADF won’t do much good if you have to fix a paper jam every few minutes. Make sure that your ADF automatically straightens and flattens pages as it goes. That way, you’ll get smooth, uniform scans. Keep an eye out for devices that offer automatic skew correction.

Support for different paper types: Most ADFs can handle regular letter-sized paper. However, you may need to scan other documents, from fragile receipts to sturdy business cards to IDs. Be sure that your ADF supports a variety of paper sizes and thicknesses, otherwise you might have to load one document at a time rather than dozens.

For a full breakdown of ADF functionality, check out Automatic Document Feeders: The Key to High Volume Scanning.

 

 

Use double-sided scanning to speed up bulk scanning

Just as double-sided printing saves space and paper, double-sided scanning saves time and effort. If your device can digitize both sides of a document at once, you’ve essentially halved your workload. Most high volume scanners offer double-sided options, but not every device offers the same speed, accuracy, or ease of use.

Qualities you want in a double-sided scanner

• Scanning speeds of at least 100 pages per minute
• ADF with the capacity for hundreds of sheets
• Intuitive controls built into the hardware

Best practices for efficient bulk scanning

Scan your most important documents first: Some documents are vital to your day-to-day workflows. Others are good to have for reference or as backups. Prioritize the papers that you really need, capturing and indexing their data as you go. Save the “nice-to-haves” for later in a project.

Choose a storage location: Before you start scanning, you should know exactly where your digital documents will end up. Determine whether you want cloud storage or a local server. Look for scanning software that lets you choose a default location for scanned files, including cloud services.

Comply with industry regulations: Depending on the fields and countries your business operates in, you may have to comply with industry or government regulations. As you scan documents and upload data, be sure that only authorized personnel can access the relevant files. You may also have to delete these files after a certain amount of time.

To maximize your high volume scanner’s efficiency, read How to Make the Most of a Double-Sided Scanner.