It used to be that paper documents were the only option for businesses. They were stored in bulky filing cabinets, and employees would have to search through them to find the documents necessary for the task at hand. However, times and technology have changed. With document scanning, you could free yourself from the hassles of paper and reap the time and cost savings.
Document Scanning for SMBs
Document scanning involves making an image of the document that is saved digitally. From there, optical character recognition software can turn them into searchable text documents, allowing for rapid access with a simple keyword search. Scanning your documents in this manner can dramatically change the way you do business.
Customer and Employee Benefits
Scanning your documents into searchable digital files saves your employees a significant amount of time in retrieving necessary documents. While this benefits your company directly, it also improves your ability to serve your customers.
Digital files improve collaboration among your employees. Files can be accessed in the cloud, whether in the office or on the go. Because employees are up to date with the latest version of documents, they can complete their work, share files and ideas, and finish the job more efficiently. So whether it’s a simple query or a complicated project, document scanning can help you get the job done faster – to the benefit of your customers.
Save Money – and Storage
According to the Paperless Project, each four-drawer file cabinet holds an average of 10,000 to 12,000 documents, takes up to 9 square feet of floor space and costs $1,500 per year. Large bulky filing cabinets take up precious real estate in an office, raising your costs. By transferring documents into easily stored digital files, you free up that space, and the associated costs with maintaining filing cabinets for paper documents.
Security and Compliance
Businesses face two big concerns in today’s world: keeping documents secure, and meeting all industry compliance standards. Document scanning can help with both of these tasks. Digital files can be secured with password authentication, encryption, and other technological means, minimizing the risk of files being stolen or damaged. At the same time, they can help you keep all your records fully up to date, able to produce the needed information on a moment’s notice.
Document scanning can dramatically change and improve the way you do business. With substantial savings in both time and money, document scanning has many benefits for SMBs.
