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Key advantages of scanning over traditional methods
The costs associated with document handling are often not considered carefully enough despite their all too likely significance. Consider the following statistics:

92% of information is kept in manila folders
80% of technical information is on paper and microfilm
Document management is now the largest cost to most organizations
Paper files are doubling every 3.5 years
The average document is copied 19 times
Each day, one billion photocopies are made
The average worker has a 34 hour paper backlog
Half an office workers' time is spent handling paper or data entry
50% of all projects are behind schedule
Paper costs:

Services 5%
Supplies 6%
Space 7%
Equipment 12%
Labour 70%
(Sources: AIIM, Forrester, Star Securities, US Department of Labour)

Areas that are a little more difficult to measure but still add significant costs to the organization include:

Retrieval costs
Loss of documents
Security
Risk Management
Misfiling

There is no doubt that taking the time to measure the commercial benefits associated with improving document handling efficiencies will be worthwhile.

Timely Document Retrieval
How often do we think, where is that document? How much work do we duplicate because we can not find the right information?
The unfortunate reality is we do not measure the impact of an inefficient document system. We would need to measure the time spent filing, retrieving and the opportunity lost because we could not quickly and easily locate the information we required. The easiest way to understand the benefit is to think of the times you get a request for a file, you know its exact location and can retrieve it quickly, compared to being asked for a document you are not sure exists and/or where it could be filed.

Scanning your documents into digital format removes the difficulties associated with the retrieval of files using traditional manual system
The computer will quickly access the required file without further effort required

FEATURE	THIS MEANS	THE BENEFITS
Documents can be retrieved by simply typing in a name	The difficulties with retrieval of files associated with traditional manual systems are eliminated	Saves time Requires less resources Saves money $$
The computer does all the searching	The search process is fully automated	Much quicker and efficient retrieval Saves money $$ Retrieval is a matter of seconds
Documents cannot be incorrectly filed	The filing structure is designed to maximise filing efficiencies	There will never be a problem finding a file because it is in the wrong place
Scanning to CD	No boxes, cupboards or storage rooms to search	Reduced physical space and effort required to retrieve files
Information can be retrieved from remote locations	A document can be accessed without the need to wait for couriers or to drive to a storage facility	Increased efficiency Less frustration Lower overheads Faster transaction of important information Opportunities are not missed

Easy Multiple Location Access
With the increasing requirement to improve customer service, companies often need to access stored information as quickly as possible, perhaps while a key client is still on the phone.

The requirements for information being available from multiple locations typically stem from any of the following:

Regional offices
Staff working onsite
Staff working at home
Project offices
Conferences
Regional customers

There are many reasons, but they all come down to one thing, a need to have fast access to the most accurate information, no matter where the location.

The easiest way to achieve this is through electronic distribution of records.

FEATURE	THIS MEANS	THE BENEFITS
Documents can be centrally controlled and stored	Only one location is required for document storage and control but retrieval can be from multiple locations	No need for multiple copies to be available and reproduced for each location
Documents can be distributed securely	The chances of loss or security breach are eliminated	Peace of mind in terms of security
Simultaneous access of the same information	You can discuss and view the information with a person that is not located near the documents	Less travelling Faster decisions Better decisions
Living documents	The information viewed from remote locations is the latest version	No need to distribute copies of the same information No need to train librarians to ensure the correct and latest data is on file Reduced courier costs Confidence in data Lower equipment costs No need to purchase equipment Duplication costs are no longer a consideration
Information can be portable	Information can be accessed in the most remote locations, eg aircraft	Productive use of time Decisions need not be guesswork

Maximise Space
Most offices these days waste an incredible amount of space storing documents. Research shows that an average office contains one-third space for people, one-third for walkways and the last third for storage.
Using the above figures it can be agreed that one-third of rent, electricity and heating costs is being spent to keep filing cabinets warm and happy. The cost of storage is not only the space but also the physical resources used to store the information. For example, boxes, dividers, folders, plastic sleeves, filing cabinets, shelving, etc.
If the fixed costs associated with storage were eliminated the impact on a company’s results will be very significant.

FEATURE	THIS MEANS	THE BENEFITS
The contents of one four drawer filing cabinet fits on one CD	A significant amount of information can be transferred from a large number of forms onto CD	Significant reduction in the physical space and resources committed
Future planning of space utilisation, filing and personnel requirements simplified	Long term planning for expenditure on personnel space, furniture and equipment is simplified	Budgeting for storage of CDs is straight forward compared with budgeting for the costs associated with hard copy documents expanding to double their size every 3-5 years
Storage space in the general office area that is required due to the need to access the information regularly can be reduced	The filing cabinets, shelves and store rooms can be moved to lower cost buildings or may not be needed at all	Lower fixed costs Less time spent travelling to the documents A better location for the office can be chosen An improved work environment
Reduced clutter and mess	Improved appearance	Better image for clients Happier and more motivated staff
Simplification of storage requirements	No special document storage requirements exist	No requirement for fireproof rooms No special air-conditioning No special security arrangements No need to reinforce floors No difficulties if you need to move

Minimise Security Risks
Document loss or theft comes in many forms. It is most likely to be because of the following:

Unmotivated staff not taking the care to return or re-file documents correctly
Documents simply lost
Staff leaving the company to work for a competitor taking files to better position themselves for success at their new company
Documents damaged

Recently, a major high profile company lost just six plans; they were not sure they were not stolen or just misfiled. Replacement of the plans required redrawing from scratch at of a cost between $10,000 to $15,000 per plan. To prevent this from happening Scan Conversion Services scan documents into electronic format. Once in electronic format, software is provided that controls and monitors access. The best part about this solution is it does not require an extra staff member to waste time trying to be a security guard 24 hours a day. Staff also feel trusted as they are not constantly, and obviously, being monitored.

FEATURE	THIS MEANS	THE BENEFITS
Access to documents can be tracked	Whoever accessed documents can be identified easily	Quick and accurate awareness of who is doing what
Individual records can be assigned security levels	Only people with the correct authority will be able to view the document	Effective control of staff access to any documents Unauthorised personnel will never be able to access or even know of the existence of restricted files
Scanned documents do not get stolen or lost in fires or floods	Electronic images on CD are always duplicated and stored off site so a copy is always available Back up CDs kept off site hold vital information for recovery	Staff can not remove files and microfilm leaving no supporting information Recovery from fire or flood and retention of vital information is assured

Protecting Documents from Fire Risks
Nobody plans for a fire. The unfortunate reality is that most companies could not recover from a devastating fire. With the majority of important information stored on paper, companies often put themselves in a very vulnerable situation.
A few interesting facts:

34% of all buildings are underinsured
About half of all policy-holders have too little liability insurance
31% of households have neither building nor contents insurance
52% of the people with contents insurance are underinsured
After the Newcastle earthquake 60% of businesses closed their doors
20% of small businesses have no insurance

FEATURE	THIS MEANS	THE BENEFITS
A significant amount of information can be stored on one CD	CDs can be much more easily stored in a small area	Can be stored in a fire proof safe for protection
CDs save the vital information required	Protected CDs can easily be loaded onto a new computer	Fast and effective re-establishment of computer files
Sound risk management approach	Ability to re-establish the business has been considered and a plan is in place	Lower insurance premium Improved financial reports when viewed by interested parties
Protection against malicious damage	Disgruntled people can not easily cause harm to your business	Less likely to be attempted
Copies of CDs are cheap	Data can be stored in more than one location	Significantly reduced fire risk

Reduced Document Retrieval Costs
It is hard to calculate the amount of money spent retrieving and storing documents. Most companies simply do not have the money or resources to calculate how much time and money is being wasted.
Computer based indexing of document information running on a low cost system can permit fast and remote access.

FEATURE	THIS MEANS	THE BENEFITS
Documents can be retrieved by simply typing in a name	The more involved steps associated with traditional methods are eliminated as the computer does all the searching	Much quicker retrieval and therefore reduces labour costs Retrieval time is reduced to seconds
Documents can be accessed from all locations very quickly across a network	Documents do not have to be couriered from location to location	Reduction of courier and photocopying costs
Critical information is at your finger tips	Faster decisions	Better decisions Opportunities can be taken advantage of
Less guess work	Information can be checked	Future work is based on sound footings
Less travel costs	Information stored remotely can be accessed without the need to travel	Save money Reduce delays