If yours is like most businesses, you are always on the lookout for ways to save money. Storing customer, client and patient information is always a challenge. Luckily, it can also provide you with ways to save money and improve your bottom line. Finding a good document scanning solution can be one of the best ways to cut your costs.
5 Benefits of Scanning Documents:
- It is much more secure than storing paper. If you run a medical or legal office, you know how important it is to be careful when managing and storing certain documents. Doctors’ offices and insurance offices are required by law to shred patient information. Scanning these files can provide a safe and secure way for you to keep the information you need while keeping it safe from being damaged, lost or stolen. Keeping customer, clients and patient data safe in an electronic form can also mean that is is more accessible when you need it. As much of a problem as identity theft is, it is much less of a problem for companies that scan and store their data electronically. Only 10% of all identity theft is done online. These files can be backed up on a regular basis to make sure they are safe. Unlike paper, digital copies of files do not deteriorate over time.
- You get more office space. Using a document scanning solution saves a lot of space. Keeping paper copies of files can be more than just annoying, it takes a lot of space. The data that can be stored on on DVD would take up the space needed by 30 filing cabinets. Some companies find that they can move to a smaller office space to save money on rent. Other companies use that space to expand and hire more staff. The filing cabinets do not do much for your bottom line but reclaiming that space can be great for your bottom line.
- Document scanning is better for the environment. When find a document scanning solution, you can then take the paper documents and files and shred and recycle them. Paper is the most common waste found in landfills around the planet. You can reduce the amount of paper you throw away by shredding your sensitive files. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), at least 80% of United States paper mills can take recycled paper and use that to make new paper. When you shred your documents you also eliminate any costs associated with transporting the files from one place to another, which is another way you can reduce your carbon footprint. You can either handle the shredding with onsite document shredding services or you can take it to a paper shredding service somewhere else.
- Lower your risk of fires. When you store tons of paper files, you also increase the chances of having an office fire. Paper is incredibly flammable. You will greatly reduce your risk of an office fire spreading out of control by getting rid of your paper files. Using a document scanning solution and combining that with shredding the paper documents means you do not have tons of paper sitting around and posing a fire threat to your business. You should talk to your insurance carrier about potential discounts for storing information electronically.
- Save time with document scanning. It may seem counterintuitive but when you have all of your documents scanned into your computer system, you will save time later. Staff will be able to search online for files and get results in a few seconds. When your files are all printed out, your staff has to manually go through and find the files they need, which can take a lot of time. Searching electronic records can take a mere fraction of the time to look through paper records.
Initially, it may take a little more time to scan in files rather than store them in a filing cabinet. That initial time expendure will be paid back later when that information is easier to retrieve. You have different options available fro document shredding and document storing. With all of the options you have available, you should be able to find a document scanning solution that is right for you and your business.