Outsourcing Electronic Document Management

Why outsource document management?

Document management services help organizations better utilize and manage both old-fashioned paper documents and the modern computer printout reports. Each format comes with it's own unique set of problems with managing them. A well-planned document management system can offer a multitude of benefits. A centralized document archive that can manage paper-based information can handle documents stored in electronic format (TIFF) that are easily retrievable through a web browser. Compared to old-fashioned file cabinet solutions, this is definitely a lot easier.

Outsourcing document conversion services

Converting your old stuff

After deciding on the kind of conversion of your documents to electronic format, the next step is actually starting the conversion. Even here though, there are several questions you may want to ask:

• Should I convert all my old files?
• Should I do some or all of the conversion myself?
• How can I make the process cheaper and faster?

Should I convert all my old files?

A common question is whether to convert all your old files (Backlog) in addition to your new ones (day-forward). Most often, the best decision is consistent with the decision to move forward with an EDMS in the first place - that is, yes, convert the whole lot. The point of EDMS is to improve the diverse ways in which you do business - speed in handling customer requests, answering (with the right answers, that is) complicated questions from customers, increasing worker productivity and so forth. Moving into the modern world of EDMS while relying on antique file drawers is usually a very awkward and expensive anachronism.

Should I do some or all of the conversion myself?

Your choices are - do it yourself or hire a scanning service bureau to do it for you.

To do it yourself you must be:

• Experienced in managing and organizing the workflow of large organizations
• Surrounded by a trained staff and management team
• Equipped with suitable scanning hardware and software

In addition you will require workers for the conversion who:

• Have excellent language skills
• Can operate scanners and OCR equipment
• Know Document Management software
• Will work for competitive wages

Meeting all of these criteria is a daunting challenge for most personnel departments. Usually, managers cannot find enough skilled workers to complete the job. The result is compromise: Your workers perform the conversion as well as their own jobs - quality on both fronts suffer. It is estimated that it costs twice as much, and takes twice as long to complete large-scale conversions yourself, rather than using a scanning service bureau.

Speeding up the Outsourcing Process

How can I make the process cheaper and faster?

There are a number of things one can do to facilitate the document conversion process:

• Spend extensive time thinking through all the details. Write down all the rules you want to use during the conversions. For example, "How are post-it notes handled?"
• If you use a consultant, have him or her talk to your scanning service bureau as early as possible in the process.
• Thoroughly understand the indexing scheme you want to use, and whether you'll need OCR, formatted OCR or ICR.
• Work with your staff and consultants on all the "what if " scenarios.
• Get rid of "junk" documents you don't really need.
• Prepare your documents in-house before shipping them to your scanning service bureau. For example:
  
  
  • Remove all staples.
  • Mark each carton with a simple, effective serial number.
  • If you'll need some of your documents while they are being converted, make copies for yourself.
  • If you are giving your scanning service bureau documents in pieces (separate boxes), develop your own indexing scheme for the boxes so you'll have an audit trail of where the boxes are (service bureau will maintain a "mirror" trail with you).
  • Preparation time is usually 15% of the total conversion - Preparation takes one to two hours per thousand pages.
  • Do a trial run with your scanning service bureau to validate sample scans, file structures, and indexing schemes. Provide samples of all sizes shapes of documents to be scanned.

Legal Considerations for document conversion

Copyrights In general, if you can scan someone else's copy righted material without their permission, you are breaking the law. Copying by the "extract means" of photographs, drawings, paintings, and other documents by photography, scanning, or photocopying can be infringement of copyright laws. The persons doing the unauthorized copying could be potentially subject to a number of remedies, including actual and statutory damages, impoundment of materials, and other penalties. GET PERMISSIONS FROM THE SOURCES FIRST! An exception to this is the concept of fair use - When the amount of work being copied is not substantial, or is for a different use than the original (Example: not for profit).

Legal documents

Scanned and electronically stored documents, especially on CD-ROM disks are often admissible as court evidence. The law varies from country to country. SEC, the IRS and many other U.S. Govt. agencies accept electronic documents. Be aware that there is a substantial rapidly changing body of U.S. law, which is still coming to grips with the implications of electronic data, scanned documents, and Intellectual property in general.

Insurance

You will have to make sure that your documents are insured at the scanning services bureau and also during transit from your warehouse to scanning service bureau and back.

Some of the benefits of outsourcing Document Management include:

1. Increased productivity
2. Reduced document distribution costs
3. Elimination of lost and misfiled documents
4. Remote document access
5. Efficient use of office space
6. Fast and simple implementation

How does outsourcing Document Management work?

The important stages in document management are:

Document Management application areas

1. Supporting organizational processes
2. Improving publication processes
3. Enhancing communication between teams
4. Improved access to external information
5. Maintaining corporate records
6. Promoting training and education
7. Creating knowledge management repositories

Challenges and opportunities in outsourcing document management:

A challenge would be to use the right kind of technology. Technologies are evolving rapidly, but sometimes, when these emerging technologies are adapted in specific applications without any plan what you will have are "islands of automation". A document management system that uses the right technology appropriately, but also makes sure that a well thought out strategy is involved is what you should look out for. The objective is to manage data and not just the documents. The bottom line is that organizations need enhanced productivity and performance. Electronic Document management promises to leverage new technologies and generate improvements in productivity and performance.

Managers will need to educate the different departments within their organization about the benefits of Electronic Document Management. Complete coordination is essential to evolve the infrastructure and applications that are needed to support Electronic Document Management.

India is one of the most popular outsourcing locations with some of the finest information technology companies, products, and services available. Technology companies possess the requisite knowledge, skills, and expertise to carry out even the most complex projects.

To Find out about outsourcing EDM to India click here.

Read more about the essential need for Electronic Document Management and Outsourcing CAD Conversion.

Please contact Outsource2india here with your outsourcing requirements.

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