Useful information

Information circulated via paper documents, faxes or even email attachments can easily go astray - and hardcopies can add up to be expensive. Businesses can thus waste a considerable amount of money on communication and printing costs. A solution to this problem lies in network scanners. These units can scan and transmit information inexpensively and efficiently whilst integrating effortlessly with an existing network.

Desktop scanners provide a solution for those offices that are looking for an economical and high-quality scanner that takes up little space. These affordable scanners offer impressive functionality despite their small size, and are portable.

Office scanners, particularly older models, can be slow, and high volumes of material can take some time to scan. To combat these issues whilst achieving high-quality recording of data, high-speed scanners are an excellent addition to any office that regularly scans lots of documents. A high-speed scanner can process up to 10,000 pages per day.

Data that requires scanning is not always printed on loose sheets of paper. This means that scanning material from books or bound paper can be problematic as it will not fit into the loading trays of regular scanners. To combat this, many businesses are using a type of desktop scanner called a flatbed scanner.

Enterprise document management solutions are a viable method for ensuring that loose, paper-based data is easily accessible, spatially economic and not under threat of damage. Document management involves a simple procedure that converts information on loose documents into digitised data. The process is fast, does not require vast amounts of manpower and has high quality, clear results.

Optical Character Recognition is the recognition and conversion of scanned hardcopy document data into electronic, digitised information, where individual characters (letters, words, etc.) can then be searched for, edited and indexed. The term is often abbreviated to OCR.

Document management solutions provide an indispensable service in business practices. For many businesses, time and space are wasted due to the masses of loose documents that are stored on business premises. Document management systems consist of management software, which keeps data in an electronic repository or database for easy access.

Large amounts of data can be stored using microform reproductions such as microfilm, which scales images down to approximately 1/25 of their original size. This creates a microproduction of the original, which is then printed as an image onto a roll of film in its minute form. The information can then be stored, transported, read and printed.

There is no doubt that digitising paperwork to create a paperless office has great benefits in terms of business practice. Another positive aspect of document management is the environmental advantage of working without paper. Many offices around the world are 'going green' and encouraging employees to cut back on the amount of paper they use. Many email signatures now state "please do not print this email unless it is necessary" - another step taken to prevent needless paper usage.