At accounting firms everywhere, high-quality fi Series document scanners and tax-document automation software are saving CPAs and accountants hours upon hours of work by streamlining manual processes. The scanners enable seamless document classification and strong search capabilities—the heart and soul of a great document management system. And greater efficiency—especially during tax time—leads to better customer experiences and saner employees.
Mellott & Mellott P.L.L. is a third-generation family business that puts an emphasis on trust and tradition. They believe in exceptional client service— whether auditing, accounting, or financial planning—and they stand shoulder to shoulder with their clients throughout life’s ups and downs. Fostering a culture of courtesy, kindness, and respect, they’ve grown to nearly 40 associates, many of whom have been with them for decades.
During tax season, the firm scans thousands of documents each day—tax returns, W2s, receipts, bank statements, 1099s—the typical accounting fare. Using the fi-7160 document scanners, they were happily and efficiently scanning on serviceable equipment that never once actually needed service. But it was still nice to know that if they did require anything beyond an occasional replaced feed roller, they’d be up and running again fast.
In 2020, the Mellott & Mellott IT team migrated to a Microsoft Azure cloud network environment. The new data center had some challenges integrating the existing scanners, so the firm wanted to look into network-enabled scanners. They were also interested in having decentralized scanners untethered to PCs placed throughout their office, and also on desktops of executives, as needed
Since fi Series scanners had worked so well for them for years, the decision to expand upon their existing fi Series collection was easy. Mellott & Mellott chose the fi-7300NX document scanner and deployed five throughout their office, equipped with Walters Kluwer CCH software for OCR and data indexing. Adding the new scanners was so easy that Spencer Skaats, Director of IT, proclaimed that the installation of network cabling was more involved than the actual setup of the scanners.
Today, the fi-7300NX scanners are used by practically everyone at the firm—staff accountants, partners, administration, and bookkeepers—without a hitch. Clients’ documents are sometimes crumpled, dirty, or torn, but PaperStream IP image enhancement ensures excellent image quality. Hundreds of tax documents are accurately scanned at once while best-in-class paper feeding technology prevents jamming and provides skew correction. Using Wolters Kluwer CCH software, tax returns are prepopulated, which saves hours of time and research. And the 4.3" touch screen makes it simple to perform operations intuitively. When asked about next tax season, Spencer said “We’re more than ready.”
