June 17th 
Many companies are using document imaging to save time and money in managing paper documents, convert their business operations to “paperless” work processes, and convert their paper documents and archives to digital format.
As the market for document imaging services continues to grow, companies are seeking a higher level of sophistication from their document scanning vendors.
Several key trends are emerging, as document imaging takes on a larger role in process improvement, data extraction, and information security.
Document scanning is not a stand-alone project; it’s part of a larger picture.
More companies are approaching their document scanning and conversion projects from a broader perspective of process improvement and business efficiency. Document scanning is being used not only to convert static files to digital format, but to improve the ongoing operations of the organization by capturing crucial data earlier in the process, digitizing documents, and automating workflows.
It’s not just about who can deliver the highest volume of digital conversion at the lowest cost; choosing a scanning vendor also involves considerations of efficiency, advisory services and specialized expertise. Clients are seeking scanning services that provide the best overall fit for the unique needs of each project.
One of the key requirements for any document scanning project is the proper handling of metadata.
Metadata matters more than ever.
As documents are collected and scanned into digital format, companies are seeking more efficient methods to gather the “metadata” – the reference information and identifying data that corresponds to each document or category of documents. Every document scanning project needs to include a detailed plan for processing, recording and sorting metadata so that the company can easily reuse and share the information.
Whenever possible, data capture should be automated to save time and money. More companies are relying on automated tools for Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for digital fonts, and Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR) for handwritten documents like surveys and response cards. It is becoming faster and easier than ever before for companies to quickly extract key metadata from scanned documents, such as case numbers, invoice information, or customer identification numbers, and to sort, search and identify key documents once they have been converted to digital format.
The most popular format for saving scanned documents is Adobe Acrobat PDF, as this format enables users to search for specific metadata, key words and phrases within the scanned documents.
Just as the newest techniques in document scanning make it easier to sort and search by metadata, they also present certain risks that need to be managed. Information security needs to be top of mind for any document scanning project.
Information security is a growing concern.
Companies want to avoid getting into the news for the wrong reasons by inadvertently creating a data breach or allowing their customers’ confidential information to be exposed. Whether the sensitive information involves medical records, financial statements, credit card information, Social Security Numbers, or any other confidential or high-risk personal data, every document scanning project needs to include safeguards and clear processes for information security.
Top Information security concerns include:
- Categories of information: One of the primary steps to ensure information security is to identify different categories of information and treat these categories differently – with minimal information security procedures for low-risk information, and more restrictive measures for highly confidential information.
- Chain of custody: As part of the document scanning project, the company managing the process needs to ensure that there is a clear chain of custody for all information, but particularly any confidential or sensitive information. Whether the information is shipped off-site to be scanned at a remote location, or if the information is being scanned at the company’s own location, there needs to be a clear process in place to decide who has access to the different types of information.
- Safe disposal of paper documents: Once the paper documents have been scanned and converted to digital files, the company needs to maintain a safe process for disposing of the original paper versions. Carelessly discarded paper documents can all too easily fall into the wrong hands, leading to bad publicity, loss of the company’s reputation, regulatory fines or lawsuits.
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- The 5 biggest benefits of document scanning
- Client responsibilities in working with an outsourced scanning service
Learn more about how microMEDIA can fulfill your imaging services needs.
Thank you so much for telling everyone how scanning is a part of a much larger picture. The more people that I talk with, the more I can tell that message is not getting through like it should.
This is an amazing article. Thanks for sharing this with all of us.
excellent thoughts regarding document imaging. I believe imaging is here to stay for the near term.