You’ve been charged with filing documents that reach to the ceiling in that storage closet and the task is so overwhelming, you shut and lock the closet door, right? Many industries can benefit from Electronic Document Management, (EDM):

• Medical (in fact, the medical industry makes EDM mandatory.)
• Retail
• Financial

But first, how do you get it all organized? And… how do you find a reputable EDM service that can help you take care of your records professionally? Let’s get your records organized first, then give you questions to ask your potential EDM service provider.

 

 

Organization:

Vision: Understanding your company’s vision and how they intend to use the EDM records.

• Who needs access to the records?
• How will the information be indexed and categorized?
• What are your long-term storage plans, 2 yrs – 5 yrs – 10 yrs
• Make certain your plan is communicated across both your IT and Executive branch

What to Ask Your Vendor:

• Can you capture the data we need from an image?
• Can you ensure our images are secure, so indexing can be done remotely or overseas while preserving image integrity?
• Can you capture all formats with high-quality definition and readability, including documents created in Microsoft Word, Corel Perfect Office, email, drawing packages, Web pages, and more?
• Do you have an off-site backup facility or alternative to ensure mission-critical data will be available in the event something unexpected occurs?

Prep:
If you can, prep each of the documents so they’re scan-ready. If it’s too daunting, ask your service vendor if they provide these services to make each page ready for scanning by:

• Remove staples, paperclips,
• Eliminate duplicate forms
• Remove envelopes and sizing smaller pages for readability. Every page of the file is prepped prior to the scanning process.

Record Access:
Once your records are stored, what is the protocol for company access? Again, plan this well in advance of the EDM services and you’ll be ahead of the game. Do you need the records exported to your own EDM system or can you use DVDs? Some other questions to ask your vendor:

• Does the software let us create a clear hierarchy for decision making, including departmental and individual authorizations?
• Does it allow us to designate how exceptions to standard processes should be handled?
• Are each of the transactions within processes that are “on the move” fully searchable and instantly auditable when immediate answers are required?

Planning your EDM processes out first with both your Executive and IT team will minimize headaches down the road. Once you have a plan in place, it’ll be much easier to unlock the storage closet and start organizing your company’s precious records.