When you think about it we are all the Scan Man these days, with the capability to capture information anywhere at any time. Capture of paper-based information is now a commodity available to any and all using devices of all types. I know people who have flatbed and sheet feed scanners in their homes and offices. There are multifunction devices (MFD) available at prices so reasonable it is almost silly not to get one for the home rather than just a printer. I use my MFD for many things and when it comes to scanning, I capture expense receipts, tax documents and even old photos that I want to preserve and share with other family members and friends.
When we hear the term scan, we now think of it as something we can easily do and in some cases, try to transfer this into the workplace so we can capture business information to manage it better. The challenge here is to select the appropriate device and develop a working strategy on who will capture, what gets captured, when it gets captured and where it will be captured. If you have remote offices, will you set up a scanner in each location and assign the responsibility to an individual in each location? Perhaps you choose to have a dedicated resource in a central location to capture all company information. Capture is something we can all do but we have to ensure in business we perform this function in a way that enhances the business and maintains the levels of compliance we must adhere to.
In my view, capture provides great benefit and while you can readily perform this function, consideration must be given to establishing a standardized practice within the company to ensure quality, consistency and compliance are met. You should look at resolution, recognition and metadata as part of your capture strategy and establish a documented procedure on how all of this will take place. If you are not sure where to begin, seek training from a professional association like AIIM or get professional assistance from a qualified consultant. The idea of capture is to preserve and protect your business information in the best possible way. Be a Scan Man but be the best Scan Man you can possibly be.
What say you? Do you have a story to tell? What are your thoughts on this topic? What is on your mind? Do you have a topic of interest you would like discussed in this forum? Let me know.
Bob Larrivee, Director and Industry Advisor – AIIM
Email me: blarrivee@aiim.org
Follow me on Twitter – @BobLarrivee
www.aiim.org/training
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