Providing quality, accurate scanning of documents is only the first step toward offering adept commercial imaging services. When the end-user client is in government, legal, health care or other verticals that require a documented chain of custody, security and regulatory compliance, that’s where a service provider is truly put through the paces.
One of the perks that come with providing commercial imaging services through a manufacturer such as Ricoh—which is the case for Woodhull LLC of Springboro, Ohio—the dealer reaps legal compliance across the board. Robert Woodhull, marketing manager, likes the assurance this provides whenever a project comes along for a municipality, where court cases are involved, or in dealing with intellectual property concerns with large manufacturing firm clients.
Woodhull adds that while the dealership could develop internal compliance measures, it would require time and monetary investments to build out an infrastructure. Utilizing Ricoh’s services achieves the desired end.
“Ricoh has a highly-secured facility with multiple verification points,” he said. “On our website under scanning services, we have a video that nicely expresses their process. They hold all the certifications and chain of custody requirements. We get the benefit of a global, multibillion-dollar organization doing all that research and legwork for us. We’re just the local face that’s going to provide the local support with the giant behind us to fulfill the project.”
Another dealer that leverages the services of Ricoh is Repeat Business Systems of Albany, New York. President Dawn Abbuhl marvels at the chain-of-custody process the OEM employs and is equally impressed with its quality control procedures and the degree of accuracy.
“It really provides the customer with peace of mind,” she said. “The quality control is amazing. It’s so easy to make a mistake when scanning—the resolution is off, it’s not clear, double scans. But in using Ricoh, we haven’t had any complaints so far; their system works great.”
Buy or Build?
One option is to obtain a company that specializes in commercial imaging services. That was the approach taken by Aston, Pennsylvania-based KDI Office Technology, which acquired IMR Digital in 2019. Security and compliance are two of the hallmark competencies for IMR Digital, which has 24×7 building monitoring, fire suppression and motion cameras. Only authorized workers are permitted in the building’s production area, notes David Mielnicki, director of sales, conversion services for IMR Digital. And all workers are required to undergo background checks.
Key fob access is required to enter the building, and the fobs only provide access during a given employee’s shift. The comings and goings of all employees are logged.
“We have these requirements to ensure confidentiality and security,” Mielnicki said. “We also have cameras recording the facility on a regular basis, which is being monitored at our corporate headquarters and archived in Aston.”
For Nashville, Tennessee-based RJ Young, security and compliance can be a factor depending on the types of documents being imaged, notes Chad Lagrone, vice president of technical services. This growing need prompted the dealership to install additional safeguards to its process.
“We are outfitting our centers with current access control and surveillance monitoring that we now offer in our overall portfolio,” he said. Our goal is to meet any chain of custody or certification requirements that our customers need.”
Sensitive Materials
Security considerations typically account for just a fraction of engagements for Applied Imaging of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mari Martin, the dealer’s ECM and backfile specialist, notes it primarily comes into play when converting court records, police records and HR-related materials.
When the job does require working with materials of a highly sensitive nature, clearance is an across-the-board proposition, with no exceptions.
“In the case of court and police records, there are state and federal requirements/certifications that are required,” Martin noted. “In these instances, everyone from the drivers securing the records to the staff handling and scanning the records—even the cleaning staff—must meet specific requirements of these agencies.”
