How to Scan a Large Number of Documents

My name is Jessica, I’m the Solutions Manager with Managed Outsource Solutions (MOS) and I’m here to talk to you about – How Do I Scan a Large Number of Documents Efficiently?

00:12 Why is Document Scanning Vital For All Organizations?

The demand for document scanning services is rising rapidly in today’s digital world as it helps businesses to save, store, and protect large volumes of critical documents. As a business starts expanding, the number of documents generated each day keeps rising. Storing large volumes of paper documents is always a challenge and it leads to lack of office storage space, piled up paperwork, loss of valuable data, difficulty in accessing and retrieving documents, and compromised data security. The best way to manage these ever-growing paper records is to convert them into their digital format.

It is critical for all businesses and organizations to store and preserve their documents. Even in this digital era, some organizations still consider it a good idea to store all types of files, documents, records, and financial information in paper format, but this can lead to problems in the future. If your company is very large, you may be filing hundreds, if not thousands, of documents each day in your archives.

Even with the greatest archive management procedures, this implies that paper files will soon start to take up a lot of space, raising both expenses and the time it takes to search for and recover a specific file or document. Therefore, document scanning is vital for all organizations.

01:38 How Document Scanning Services Help with Scanning Business Records

1. Prepping the documents: The majority of documents to be digitized are in A4 format. Other paper formats, as well as pictures and smaller cash receipts, can generally be scanned. Remove all documents from folders, envelopes, files, and sheets first. Staples, paper clips, bindings, and sticky notes must all be removed in order for all pages to pass through the scanner without mistakes.
2. The process of scanning: The documents are scanned in this step. The scanner or scanning program should be able to capture text and make it searchable automatically. For this, optical character recognition (OCR) is frequently utilized. However, artificial intelligence-assisted extraction methods now exist that work much more precisely.
3. Organizing and filing documents: The scanned papers are saved and sent to the document management system automatically. The system determines whether the document is a delivery note, an incoming invoice, or a contract by categorizing the scanned content. You can then use the documents in following digital workflows with ease.
4. Document accessibility via the internet: The digital materials may be immediately and easily retrieved. All you have to do is use a search option to enter keywords. Since the papers are kept on a server, they can be accessed from anywhere even without an internet connection using mobile apps. You can also organize access by assigning different access rights to different people.

03:24 Advantages of Document Scanning

Many businesses begin the process of digital conversion when they realize how much space it can save, how much paper waste it can eliminate, and how much security risk it can avoid.

So, here are some of the reasons why document scanning service is beneficial for businesses.

1. Saving storage space: Rather than storing all of your vital documents in cardboard boxes or paying for storage space, scanning your documents allows businesses to “go paperless,” or at the very least reduce the quantity of paper they use. To put this in context, the quantity of digital data that can be saved on a single DVD is similar to the amount of data that can be stored in almost two dozen file cabinets.
2. Minimize waste: By scanning paper documents, companies can not only free up workplace space, but also minimize paper usage and waste. It is an eco- friendly solution as well.
3. Improved data retention: Keeping significant historical records safe for future generations is difficult. Unfortunately, every time they are handled, the ageing process accelerates. The “final touch” solution is document scanning. To begin with, this allows you to safeguard sensitive information against physical damage. Second, it has the added benefit of making old hard copy records more legible.
4. Improved data protection: Protecting hard copy data is tough. Documents that have been scanned can be encrypted, password-protected, and securely saved in the cloud. Then you may assign certain users access levels and keep track of all file activities.
5. Better collaboration with employees: Without having to reproduce information on paper, document scanning makes it simple to exchange papers and collaboration on projects. This means that employees in different locations can access and read electronic documents at the same time.
6. Compliance with audits: For most businesses, compliance is a given. To begin with, document scanning makes it easier for your business to comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Second, digital files may be promptly structured, categorized, and created to meet even the most stringent auditor’s requirements.

05:56 What Equipment Do You Need to Scan a Large Volume Paper Records?

• Automatic Document Feeder: To convert your documents into digital format, you will need a scanner. Flatbed scanners are a good choice but it requires you to raise a lid and replace or turn over each page of the document. Furthermore, the speed of a bulb travelling across the glass bed limits flatbed scanners. A scanner with an Automatic Document Feeder is a better solution for scanning multi-page documents. ADFs have a paper tray from which individual sheets are drawn across a light, albeit their implementations differ. They will be able to pull a full stack of papers one by one in this manner.
• Duplexing: For one-sided paper, traditional ADF trays are useful. However, many documents are printed on both sides. Purchase an ADF scanner with duplexing capabilities to accommodate double-sided documents. A duplexer pulls the paper one way, then flips it and pushes it back over the lamp with a series of rollers.
• Software for Scanning: Quick scanning is dependent on both the hardware and the software that runs it. Despite the fact that many scanners come with scanning software, most of these programs are ineffective for sorting, processing, and naming groups of documents. Advanced tools such as Adobe Acrobat, offer further features to help with automation and indexing. Acrobat, for example, can conduct optical character recognition, or OCR, which allows you to search scanned texts.

You can reach out to an experienced provider of document scanning services to convert large volumes of important business paper records into digital format for easy access and safe storage.

Thank you for listening and we hope you have a good day!