By Emma Isichei, Worldwide Category Director, Capture Solutions at Kodak Alaris
C suites around the world are buzzing about digital transformation. But here’s the truth: A huge number of business processes still run on paper. More than three-quarters of global professionals are reliant on paper at work. So why do we mistreat our documents during the capture process?
As per a report ‘Paper Jam: Why documents are dragging us down’, brought out by Adobe Systems; 82% of respondents have been unable to find documents they know exist, 61% would change jobs even if the only benefit was dramatically less paperwork and 55% say mundane and inefficient processes distract them from more important tasks.
Torn or crumpled papers result in headaches down the line, adding costs and impeding efficiency. And without intelligent capture solutions, critical data never makes it into business workflows. Here’s how smart scanning features protect business data as it moves through the organization:
1.1. Sorting: The Key to Reducing Pesky Pre- and Post-scanning Tasks
Scanning is only part of the workload. Before information can be captured, employees have to remove staples, insert header sheets or sort documents by type or department. After scanning, they index documents, correct errors or remove exception pieces that need to be returned to their owners.
The amount of labour that goes into prep and post work is often far greater than the amount that goes into scanning.
These tedious tasks are a major roadblock to productivity. New sorting functionality provided by some of the latest high-production scanners reduces both the pre- and post-scanning workload. Whether it’s automatically depositing patch sheets into a separate bin for reuse or isolating documents like stock certificates or driver’s licenses, sorting is a valuable time-saver.
1.2. Four-layer Document Protection: Keeping Papers Intact
Sorting alone isn’t enough. Even with the best document preparation, there are a number of conditions that can cause challenges for the scanning operation. Enter, four layers of protection. This capability prevents the “train wreck of documents”—when one sheet gets caught in the transport and sets off a chain reaction of trapped or torn papers. Length detection protects against papers getting stuck or overlapped and appearing as one long document, when in fact they are two documents. Ultrasonic double document detection also ensures that only one document enters the scanner at a time, which is especially helpful when a small document sticks together with a larger document. Intelligent document protection “listens” for a tell-tale crumpling sound and immediately stops the scanning process to protect the papers. Lastly, metal detection prevents forgotten staples and paper clips from throwing a wrench into the process and scratching the scanner glass.
1.3. Barcode and Data Extraction: Getting the Most Out of Your Data
Barcodes provide essential data needed to index documents. When barcodes aren’t interpreted until after documents have been scanned, critical data can be lost. New scanners read the barcodes during scanning. They capture a high-resolution raw version of the barcodes, which is more easily interpreted through barcode recognition engines. This results in fewer cases in which employees have to manually enter data due to a blurry barcode that software couldn’t read.
1.4. Intelligent Printing: Making it Easier to Track Documents
Disorganized documents are a pricey threat to business workflows. One solution? Intelligent features that help track paper documents. Some of the modern day scanners comes equipped with intelligent features to physically or digitally print on documents and images. Image addressing, indexing and patch counting all help track data in business systems, automating tedious tasks and boosting efficiency.
When handling just a couple of documents, rescanning one page may not be a big deal. But in a high-volume environment, that kind of rework is a major drag on morale, productivity and efficiency. The above features solve the biggest problems posed by capture processes today—and can set businesses in the Middle East up for success.
