Does your office have too many filing cabinets? Is your desk covered with racks of folders? Sounds like it might be time for you to consider scanning all those documents for a digital archive instead of letting your paperwork fill up your whole office.
It can take a lot of time. Think about the last time you used a copier machine. It probably took longer than you expected. Even using the document feeder, just one drawer of a filing cabinet can take a lot of time to scan. Don’t forget that it will take longer if the documents have been stapled together or even more inconvenient, bound. If you’re planning to use in-house resources to get your documents all scanned, make sure to schedule it in intervals so you won’t lose access to documents you need.
Not everything needs to be saved forever. Before scanning everything, sort out what needs to be kept and what doesn’t. You’ll save time spent scanning, decrease the amount of computer memory needed, and make future archive access much more efficient.
You need to back up your digital files. Without creating a back-up of your new computer files, you’re running the risk of losing it all and needing to scan everything again. That’s a bet most people can’t afford to lose, especially if they’ve already disposed of the paper copies. With at least two copies of your data, you’ll be much less likely to lose everything. This is definitely important!
Recycling and shredding is important. Just because you’ve thrown something in the trash definitely does not mean it will never be seen by anyone again. Take precautions and shred any documents containing financial or personal details and any other sensitive information. You don’t know whose hands they might fall into. You don’t need to shred everything so be sure to recycle whatever you don’t shred to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Sometimes your recycling company will also accept the shredded paper. If not, and you really want to make sure nobody sees your discarded paperwork again, burn the shreds in a bonfire or furnace.
You can hire someone to scan your papers for you. Professionals who offer document scanning services, like Image Source, know all the tips and tricks. We will maximize your efficiency and address all of your needs. Give us a call today to find out how we can help you!
