how to Plan A successful data imaging project
Without proper planning and support, data imaging projects are more likely to fail or stall out. This article will help you develop a successful data imaging project plan as you prepare to transition from paper to electronic images. Data imaging, when done right, is extremely beneficial to companies as it allows them to be able to streamline business processes for more efficient operations. However, many data imaging projects fail to start or stall out because they lack the proper planning knowledge for successful implementation. But with proper research and planning, your data imaging project can be a success.
plan for scanning paper to electronic images
Whether you’re a library, office, or warehouse, if you’re planning on converting to a paperless office, you’re going to need to be able to communicate the benefits of imaging to get the funding support and resources required for a successful project. Being able to communicate exactly how digitizing documents will streamline your department’s business processes for users is imperative.
The first part of your plan should include an overview of what documents you will be imaging, how they will be stored, and how users will retrieve these documents. Next, your plan needs to communicate the workflow of electronic images. Will you use an imaging center or desktop scanning? Will your imaging be a day-forward process or include back scanning files? Will you outsource the scanning of older files or buy scanning equipment to scan documents in house? If scanning in house, who will manage the scanning team and perform quality control measures? And finally, how will documents be received and routed to automate the workflow process?
Another important consideration of your project is document retention schedules. Destroying documents that are past their retention schedule date helps to comply with regulations and saves time by reducing the amount of paper to convert. In addition, document prepping rules should be established on how to handle duplicate records, post-it-notes, and photos before you start imaging data. Separating and destroying documents that are unnecessary to convert from paper to electronic images will reduce not only the volume of paper to be scanned, but also the cost of converting them to electronic images.
When all of this has been done, then you will be able to ready to present your data imaging plan to your team and convert your paper to electronic images.
contact us to Develop a Successful Data Imaging Project Plan
Southwest Solutions Group® provides consultation and document scanning services to all types of business planning on converting their paper to digital images. SSG’s onsite or offsite scanning services are completely CJIS and HIPAA compliant and we will even scan a box of your records for free so you can try our services before you buy. For more information or to speak with an information management specialist, call us at 1-800-803-1083 or send us a message today.