Recently we collaborated with a consulting group to document keys we identify for a successful, firm-wide, best-practice scanning solution. Here goes:
- Attorneys, Paralegals and Secretaries should be able to get a paper document profiled, scanned and QC’d without leaving their desk.
- The division of work involved should optimize process integrity, productivity and labor costs
- Alternatively, for immediate jobs they should have a simple method to do this entire job by themselves
- Enable use of all existing scan devices as scanning on-ramps, including all makes/models of existing or new mfp’s, copiers and scanners.
- No proprietary (built into the machine hardware) scanning process
- Simple user interface at the device – as few buttons as possible to complete a scan job
- Integrate with Accounting as well as DMS scanning, and integration with other firm workflow and repository and business software. This allows support of a single scan platform for DMS, Accounting and other firm needs.
- The system helps manage disposition of paper documents after scanning. This enables paper retention or destruction.
- Set custom, document-based disposition, or apply standard post-scanning disposition for all paper documents entering the system. Disposition is customized to the firm’s policy, and applied on a per document basis during profiling.
- Optimize productivity and throughput for the overall process.
- Division of labor applies to the work (profiling, scanning, QC) and enables match up of required skills or lowered labor costs, while ensuring optimal throughput
- Scanning and process QC can be performed by Records, or the FM, or skilled staff
- Scanning can be done in stacks
- Profiling is done from existing DMS and Accounting screens
- Users have the simplest possible way to get the work done
- Quality Control (QC) is integrated in the capture software and workflows, with automatic and custom audits and reports. QC affirms:
- The document was captured
- All pages got scanned
- Image quality is good
- Image file was written to the DMS
- Paper document disposition is applied
- Accountability and audit of the process
