Many industries, including health care, government, finance and education, still rely on paper to manage critical information and their business—and with good reason. The familiar look and feel of paper, and the ability to hold, read and mark up physical documents, continues to provide compelling value
However, workflow is becoming increasingly digital. Scanning and digitization can help organizations reduce the environmental impact of paper and keep up with competitive pressures to move towards a paperless office. The most successful organizations efficiently manage the paper they need while capturing and digitizing important documents so information can be effectively used, archived and preserved.
Need for Digitization
Today’s business world relies on an essential combination of both print and digital files and processes. However, there’s a growing need for efficient digitization to help businesses save time. A 2020 McKinsey & Co. report states that American workers spend one-third of their time collecting and processing data.1
In addition, with many employees working remotely or in a hybrid environment, digitization can make workflows easier. According to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, about a third (35 percent) of workers with jobs that can be done remotely are working from home all the time.2
Benefits of Digitization
When documents are scanned into digital workflows and made available via document management solutions, organizations can benefit from increased business agility, faster information sharing, improved cost savings and greater collaboration across multiple workgroups. Professionals can focus their time and effort on better serving customers, clients, partners, patients and more.
In financial services, “insurance claims processing works far better when paper is replaced by workflow automation using digital forms. Even scanning the paper forms to digital images allows everything to flow more easily between people while process managers have visibility of the state of each case,” notes George Westerman, senior lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).3
Digitizing records can also improve workflow in health care, making it easier for all caregivers involved in a patient’s care to access the information they need, whenever they need it. “Electronic medical records enable doctors to easily scan a patient’s history with the push of a button,” says Westerman.
In contrast to paper documents that can only be viewed in a single location, scanned documents can be managed and tracked between multiple locations and team members. They can be automatically converted into PDFs and uploaded into the organization’s document management system, allowing team members to easily manage workflow and search for a specific document.
Reducing or eliminating paper can also help deliver benefits throughout the entire information life cycle. “A lot of companies get rid of a lot of their data after a certain amount of time, such as seven years. Trying to identify the paper record and dispose of it after seven years is a very, very daunting process. It’s much easier to do it digitally. Backup of data is also much easier,” explains Dion Hinchcliffe, vice president and principal analyst at Constellation Research.3
Furthermore, research by International Data Corp. found that digitizing your processes serves as the foundation for further digital transformation efforts, allowing companies to take advantage of more advanced technologies that can help them edge out competitors.3 By finding a balance between paper and digital processes, organizations can stay productive and focused on the needs of customers.
Tools for Digitization
To optimize time, keep up with workflows, and support clients and customers in a timely manner, it’s important to eliminate tedious, time-consuming manual data entry and have a robust paper-handling system. A range of advanced portable, desktop and workgroup document scanners exist for ideal digitization of thousands of paper documents and improved efficiency in a variety of industries and uses.
Advanced document scanners capture data safely and accurately, helping businesses of all sizes cut costs and optimize workflows. Insurance companies and financial institutions, including banks, tax and accounting firms, are leveraging high-speed duplex scanners to accurately capture and archive critical financial documents. Health care organizations are digitizing patient records easily and securely, simplifying health information management at the front desk and back office. In addition, federal and local government agencies are leveraging high-speed, versatile scanning solutions to increase productivity and quickly access essential files.
Features to Consider
To support productive digital workflows, businesses need to invest in solutions equipped with robust features, comprehensive compatibility, road-tested reliability, and reliable service and support.
Advanced document scanners deliver fast speeds and versatile paper handling, and they include drivers to ensure drop-in compatibility with virtually any existing document management system. With robust software included, these scanners allow businesses to generate searchable PDFs and editable documents. Using wireless network scanners with features such as an intuitive touchscreen, professionals can access multiple jobs and scan to a USB drive, email, network folders or cloud storage services without the need for a computer.
Busy offices that need to scan larger media can invest in large-format document scanners that come with a host of productivity features to help increase efficiency and streamline workflow. Professionals can quickly and easily scan sheets up to 12×17”, folded papers, sealed envelopes and more—all in a compact solution designed to fit the workspace.
Offering full functionality and on-the-go flexibility, advanced mobile document scanners are fast, small and light, making it easy to scan critical documents, smaller-sized business/ID cards and receipts. And an automatic feed mode means these scanners can accept new sheets as they’re inserted, allowing professionals to easily combine multi-page scans into one file.
Increasing the Bottom Line with Digitization
While paper will always be essential to businesses, digitization can not only reduce costs but also drive competitive advantage. Employees are more productive and can better serve customers, clients, patients and more. Whether working from home, in the clinic or at the office, the ability to quickly digitize piles of documents is critical to maximizing productivity and staying efficient.
1 McKinsey & Co., “The Next Normal: The Recovery Will Be Digital,” August 2020. https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/business%20functions/mckinsey%20digital/our%20insights/how%20six%20companies%20are%20using%20technology%20and%20data%20to%20transform%20themselves/ the-next-normal-the-recovery-will-be-digital.pdf.
2 “About a third of U.S. workers who can work from home now do so all the time.” Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C. (March 30, 2023) https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/03/30/about-a-third-of-us-workers-who-can-work-from-home-do-so-all-the-time/
3 Source: Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, Making the Most of Paper and of Digitization, Aug. 2022.
