Products/ Fileplus: Why Digitize?


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  1. Cut Costs & Increase Productivity with our Document Imaging systems

  2. Problems of a Paper-Based Filing System

  3. Paper vs. Electronic Documents

  4. Resolving known issues

 

Cut Costs & Increase Productivity with our Document Imaging systems

In a business climate where organizations are looking for ways to cut costs and increase productivity, document imaging systems are providing the most dramatic impact since the copy machine replaced carbon paper. Finding and retrieving a document using our document imaging system is significantly faster than with a paper-based system. The amount of time saved using our electronic retrieval system is enormous because it eliminates the wasted manhours spent filing, searching, retrieving, and refiling paper documents. This “found time” gives a business the option of either re- allocating an employee’s time to more productive tasks, or to reduce the size of its workforce.

When information is freed from the physical limitations of paper and converted into an electronic format, it becomes a more valuable strategic resource. Our document imag- ing system allows you to create electronic documents that can be viewed, searched, and printed from virtually any networked PC, while retaining their original look and feel complete with text, graphics, photos, and color.

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Problems of a Paper-Based Filing System

The average document gets copied 19 times

• 7.5% of all documents get lost, 3% of the remainder get misfiled

• Professionals spend 5-15% of their time reading information, but up to 50% looking for it

• There are over 4 trillion paper documents in the U.S. alone growing at a rate of 22% per year

• 90% of corporate memory exists on paper

• Of all the documents that get handled each day in the average office, 90% are merely shuffled

Source: Coopers & Lybrand

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Paper vs. Electronic Documents

 

Paper Filing System

Document Imaging System

 

File Retrieval

May take minutes to hours, depending on whether the file has been properly filed, is on someone’s desk, or has been removed from the office. Archived files are a particular problem it they are
stored off-site.

You can search and retrieve documents in seconds right from your desktop PC - including archived documents.

• It is virtually impossible to lose a filed document using our system 90% of an organization’s knowledge resides in paper.

Lost Documents

According to Cooper & Lybrand, 7.5% of all documents get lost, and 3% of the remaining are misfiled.

It is virtually impossible to lose a document filed using our system.

• Print, fax or e-mail documents with our system using password-protected security at the document level.

Document Filing

May take from a few minutes to several hours. Off-site filing is especially time consuming

Easily managed from your desktop PC; once accessed, documents are. re-filed instantly with the click of a mouse button.

• Approximately 23,000 electronic documents can be stored on a single CD costing under one dollar.

Document Sharing

Requires making multiple copies using a copy machine. The average document gets copied 19 times and most of the copies get filed.

Everyone accesses the same digital document, eliminating the need for physical duplicates.

 

Sending Documents

Mail 2-5 days, overnight mail, fax (poor copy). Faxed copies can be seen by anybody that walks by the fax machine.

Print, fax or e-mail documents. E- mail can be password-protected so that only the intended recipient can view the document.

 

Storage Space

One incurs the cost if filing cabinets plus the cost for the space that they require.

Approximately 23,000 documents can be stored on one CD, which costs under one dollar. Active files reside on your server (which requires
minimal space).

 

Customer Service

When a customer calls you must usually pull the file and call him/her back. Many times this results in a game of “phone tag.”

Customer files are retrieve instantly from any networked PC, reinforcing your professional image and avoiding many return phone calls.

• The time saved by electronic documentation is enormous!

Disaster Protection

Inherently vulnerable to physical insults (e.g. fire or water damage).

Duplicate electronic backups may be maintained off-site.

 

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Resolving known issues

Known Filing
Problems

Does Imaging Overcome Problem

Does Paper Filing Overcome Problem

Sorting records prior to filing

Yes - no need to sort physical records

No - Files must have at least one logical sort process

Group and label before filing records

Yes - Index from page, but no need to group or label after imaging

No - Some grouping or labelling is required to locate the file in the filing system

Storage housing for paper files

Yes - Paper can be destroyed after imaging, only computer housing for image storage and backup media such as CDs

No - Paper must require housing, in some cases special buildings are erected for this purpose costing $100k and even millions

Misfiled records, although index register is correct

Yes - Imaging overcomes misfiles by software and permanently capturing images in electronic backup media

No - Misfiles can easily happen at time of filing or after an inquiry to the file. In a large filing system, misfiles are almost permanently lost. Generally 6% or records are misfiled.

Lost records due to handling

Yes - Same as above once a record is scanned it is focused permanently. Through integrity checks, preloading and comparing image against expected data any anomalies are easily detected

No - There is no guarantee that a file makes it to the filing system or is returned after an inquiry. Very few companies perform detailed or 100% accountability audits on their paper files after filing

Lost records due to environment

Yes - As above, the environment cannot affect both the source and the mirror site, unless a catastrophic event happens to the planet. The mirror site can be located on the other side of the world if required.

No - Vermin, moisture, dust, dust mites, chemical interaction between ink and paper all can effect the durability of the paper file, illegible data is the same as lost file.

Lost records due to malicious intentions

Yes - As above, once a record is scanned, it is locked permanently. Unauthorised access is easily blocked and authorised access with grievous intentions can be easily tracked

No - Any person having access to the filing system can remove records without anyone else's knowledge. It's only when it's too late that someone may take notice and by that time, it's difficult to pinpoint a culprit.

Lost records due to disaster

Yes - As above. The worst case scenario is a disaster such as a fire, flood, bombing, earthquake, terrorist act, etc., causing damage to the central operating area in these circumstances the mirror site will maintain continuity irrespective

No - Unless a photocopy and exact replica of the same record exists elsewhere, a one-time disaster will be enough to cripple the department or organisation dependant on the destroyed files

Concurrent access to files

Yes - The imaging solution through an internal intranet or internet network can provide simultaneous access to any file

No - Unless a photocopy, facsimile and exact replica of the same record exists elsewhere

Desktop access to any file

Yes - As above. Files are retrieved in seconds not minutes or hours

No - A person must physically move from their desk to retrieve a file. This not only causes a distraction to their productivity but also can affect customer service if a call back is required to satisfy a query

Blocking access to select files

Yes - Software control permits files to blocked from unauthorised users

Yes - Only if the selective files are moved to a separate filing system

Adding electronic records to the physical file

Yes - A letter or spreadsheet or photo image can be easily attached to an existing imaged file all from the desktop and recorded permanently

No - The electronic record will need to be printed and taken to the filing system and added to it manually. Productivity losses will be experienced in the process

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Fileplus
Why Digitize?