I recently came across this white paper and rather liked the insights it provided in how to avoid mistakes in choosing a document scanning solution. Here’s a quick snapshot of the ten mistakes contained in the white paper.
Not buying enough scanning capacity. Too often, organizations use their average document processing volumes when determining scanning capacity.
Not including all stakeholders – both business and IT – in the requirements definition. In some cases, the IT department will unilaterally choose the organization’s scanners, in turn, saddling operations with scanners that don’t meet their requirements or are not easy for operators to use.
Buying a solution without conducting a proof of concept. Organizations should never purchase a scanner without first seeing how it processes their documents.
Making decisions on front-end and back-end systems separately. An organization’s front-end scanning and capture solution must work in concert with its back-end workflow technology.
Not coordinating software and hardware vendors during system deployment. No one wins in this scenario. A lack of coordination typically results in wasted effort, finger-pointing, and delayed implementations.
Not using a phased implementation approach. In their drive for fast results, too many organizations bite off more than they can chew when implementing a scanning solution.
Letting “fear of change” take over. Too many organizations are close-minded when it comes to re-engineering their processes, falling back on the way they’ve done things for the past 5 or 10 years.
Not thinking LEAN. Organizations should always be looking for ways to do more with less.
Not cutting the paper cord. Many organizations use unique transaction separator sheets for each type of work that they process, creating an enormous breadth and volume of paper.
Not sharing – as in shared services. With the economy still struggling, and capital budgets tight, organizations should look to consolidate multiple scanning functions on a single platform.