Organizational efficiency translates to work simplification. Published in 1950, an interesting article based on work simplification in a paper-based office says that this means three things:
- Activities should be productive
- Activity should be arranged to ensure smooth flow from operation to operation in a process or a balanced motion pattern for an operator at a work place
- Activity should be as simple as possible
Paperwork, recording, transmission, analysis, distribution and storage of facts, is a non-productive function, says the author, but necessary to stay in business. These things are relevant even today. The difference is that smart businesses know that the efficient way to deal with their paper documents is to digitize them through document scanning. Digitizing your documents and storing them on office computers or electronic devices such as CDs can help you move towards a paperless office where activities are productive, ensure smooth flow of operations, and simplify work processes. Digitization of documents is indeed the short-cut to work simplification. It improves data search capabilities, reduces the need for manual filing and retrieval, improves compliance, reduces cost, and enhances productivity and revenue.
As document scanning allows data to be stored on computers, CDs, DVDs, and magnetic storage devices, it helps organizations ensure easy distribution of documents as well as simultaneous access of information. Even if 50 people wish to refer the same document, all of them can view the pages simultaneously, without worrying about loss or damage of the document. Data sharing results in faster response times, improve collaboration, accelerates departmental processes, and productivity.
In any work pattern, activities should be well arranged for smooth flow from one operation to another. OCR scanning allows your documents to be arranged systematically so that you wouldn’t need to hunt for specific documents when you need them. Proper filing and easy retrieval and access to information facilitate systematic workflow. OCR can also consolidate data entry and reduce data entry errors. Businesses with data stored on microfiche or microfilm can go in for microfiche scanning and microfilm scanning for long-term storage and easy access on a computer.
Another important solution that business offices can take advantage of is document conversion to convert documents to any format they want. Documents can be converted from XML to HTML, Word to PDF, EXCEL to PDF, JPG to TIFF, and much, much more.
Scanning of documents can be done either in-house or outsourced to a document conversion company. Setting up an in-house team can be uneconomical and difficult to manage along with your core operations. That’s why smart entrepreneurs look for document scanning services in their march towards a paperless office.
