Security concerns may fuel interest in implementing a scanning and document management (DM) system, however the best systems do it all. "It eliminates paper, centralizes record-keeping in a regulatory-compliant and secure repository, offers workflow for routing the electronic documents, and allows you to find and distribute records in seconds," notes Mauricio Pinto, director of healthcare solutions, Laserfiche. These systems, working together or as one multipurpose solution, can scan, index, and manage high volumes of documents daily.

Lock Down
In a world where information is easily accessed via the Internet, securing documents is more important then ever. "Securing data for document imaging is being able to take paper out of a file cabinet and put it into a secure system behind the network. So only people with the right network credentials can access that data," explains Scott Francis, senior director of product marketing, Fujitsu.

"Document security may be enhanced with techniques ranging from simple password protection to document encryption," notes Roger Ellefson, manager, Xerox Office Solutions Marketing. He continues, "This ensures that only authorized individuals have access to the information." With this added level of security, new opportunities develop.

These opportunities include minimized security risks and error margins. "Accessible, usable information allows decisions to be made using accurate and current data, making it easier for auditing, compliance, record management guidelines and regulatory requirements," says Lois J. Powell, director capture solutions, document imaging, graphic communications group, Eastman Kodak Company.

Covering the Basics
Everyone has paper. "All companies face office document-related challenges that are common to a wide variety of enterprises in addition to their own industry-specific challenges," says Karen Cummings, EVP, sales and marketing, Omtool, Ltd.

The advantages of digitizing documents are immeasurable. "Since digital information can be shared more widely, quickly, and easily than paper, scanning documents and implementing a DM solution significantly improves workflow efficiencies," explains Jackie Horn, director of worldwide marketing, Böwe Bell + Howell Scanners. This leaves time to direct energies elsewhere.

By capitalizing on new opportunities, profits soar. "Implementing a DM system can ultimately help businesses boost revenues and profits by increasing customer satisfaction and reducing administrative costs," notes David Haining, product marketing manager, Hewlett-Packard (HP) Commercial Scanjets.

Scalable Solutions
This article discusses both software and hardware options that offer scanning to DM functionality from workgroups to enterprises. These products are essential to an end-to-end document workflow solution. Hardware and software vendors both understand the need for automated management, and are working together to offer a complete scan to DM solution.

Böwe Bell + Howell
Böwe Bell + Howell (BBH) offers capture technologies for the desktop to the enterprise. BBH’s high volume scanner, Spectrum XF, scans at up to 140 pages per minute (ppm). BBH also offers a range of other solutions, including its Tr¯uper, which scans up to 67 ppm, with a 10,000-page daily duty cycle. For smaller scanning operations, BBH offers its Sidekick series. All of BBH’s scanners are compatible with third party DM software.

The Sidekick series is bundled with Kofax’s Capio 1.5 software, which allows users to perform basic archiving and DM functions. It is Sidekick that helps Physicians Medical Group (PMG) of Santa Cruz County process insurance claims at a rapid pace.

PMG originally sent claims to a third-party service bureau to be scanned and uploaded to a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) site for PMG to access. This process sometimes took more then ten days and the electronic data—which typically contained errors—had to be verified manually. Delays from the service bureau made it difficult for PMG to adhere to CA regulation AB 1455—acknowledging receipt of claims to providers within 15 days. Additionally, PMG was audited regularly by health plans.

"When an auditor came by and asked for several hundred specific claims, one of our clerks had to locate and pull the paper claims, photocopy them, and re-file the originals," says Bill Beighe, CIO, PMG.

Selected for its color and bi-tonal imaging, PMG installed the Sidekick and was easily scanning 1,000 pages per day. Now, PMG employees and auditors search for claims with the click of a button.

Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon’s imageWARE Scan Manager Version 4.0 is a production-level image capture and indexing front-end that includes advanced imaging functions. It is used for scanning large volumes of documents and processing index data.

Eastman Kodak Company
Kodak offers a range of document scanners that can be used in conjunction with DM solutions. "When organizations scan more than an occasional document, they should look beyond a multifunction peripheral and consider a dedicated scanning system that provides optimal scanning speed, ease-of-use, operational repeatability, and image quality," suggests Powell.

One example of Kodak’s production scanning capabilities is the s1740 Capture System. It is a fully-integrated high-speed document scanner with inline document separation capability. The system scans, sorts, and imprints intermingled documents at speeds of up to 110 ppm or 220 images per minute. Among Kodak’s production class scanners, the KODAK s1740 Capture System features advanced operating software that sorts and labels unknown, unencoded documents while they are still in the scanner.

Capture Software, the s1740 is just one scanning solution by Kodak. The company offers a range of devices from low to high scan volumes. Kodak works with independent software vendors to provide solutions tailored toward users’ needs. This was the case for Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, Inc. in FL. Its Contracts Administration department implemented a scan to DM solution using Kodak i30 scanners and PaperTracer Software by Health Asset Management, Inc.

"We have a somewhat unique system at Shands," explains Debbie Monseratt, contracts administrator, Shands Jacksonville Medical Center. "There are 150 responsible managers using the system. These managers deal with various vendors, then submit the appropriate paperwork to our department. We then route these documents to our legal, finance, and other departments for review and approval."

Prior to their scan to DM system, Monseratt handled everything through fax or traditional email.

Fujitsu
Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Inc. offers its ScanSnap, a device great for scan-to-email, print, or PDF.

The ScanSnap S510 series comes bundled with Adobe Acrobat, business card, and optical character recognition (OCR) software for advanced editing of scanned documents.

Fujitsu recently launched the fi-6000NS network scanner, designed for shared scanning. Based on ScanSnap software, the fi-6000NS interface is easy to use, enabling employees to simply walk up to a kiosk, touch the screen, log in, and scan.

Cornerstone Health Care in NC owns 32 Fujitsu fi-4120Cs and 21 Fujitsu fi-5120Cs, part of the Work-group Series. The doctor multi-specialty physician group, founded in 1995, scans over 10,000 patient medical charts a day. Before the company implemented a scan to DM system, the business pulled and re-filed charts manually. With its scanners and TouchWorks Electronic Health Record software from Allscripts, they now create charts viewable on tablet computers.

"Scanning the medical charts has many benefits for us," says Tim Terrell, CIO, Cornerstone Health Care. "We saved time, materials, and personnel. Our offices work more efficiently because there is not daily chart chasing as in the old days. We’ve saved over 60,000 dollars per year just in charting materials."

Hewlett-Packard
"HP’s document scanners address di-verse business needs to help organizations streamline everyday processes, comply with industry and government regulations, and improve operational efficiencies across many areas of their business," notes Haining.

HP’s PC-connected document sheet-fed scanners, flatbed scanners, networked scanners, and multifunction devices all help customers meet their DM needs. Many of the scanners in these categories are compatible with software from Kofax, Laserfiche, Omtool, and OnBase.

PC-connected scanners such as HP Scanjet N7710 and HP Scanjet N8420/ N8460 come with HP Smart Document Scan Software. This capture software can launch scan profiles based on the user.

Both HP’s networked scanners and MFPs are compatible with HP Digital Sending Software, an upgrade from the basic scan function automatically integrated into the scanners.

Hyland Software Inc.
Hyland Software’s OnBase software products are designed for a range of DM environments.

Hyland bundles its software product with Fujitsu’s fi-6000NS network scanner. The scanner is fully integrated with OnBase, so users can scan and index using a familiar program with this Internet-enabled network scanner.

Omtool, Ltd.
AccuRoute is a document capture and handling platform compatible with any networked scanner, scan-enabled digital printer, copier, fax, or MFP. Special routing rules defined by end users capture and convert scanned documents according to stored instructions. "With the need to integrate existing paper and fax document workflows into new regulatory compliance, fax initiatives are increasingly important," says Cummings.

AccuRoute’s routing rules can be created at a user’s desktop and access-ed from anywhere. Each rule can be archived, distributed to team members, or even posted on a Web site.

With AccuRoute, users convert documents into text-searchable DOC, JPEG, PDF, RTF, TIFF, and TXT files. Mixed-mode documents can be created—paper and electronic-based information. The solution makes documents accessible—where and when they are needed.

Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA)
Flexibility is what sets Sharp apart from the rest. Over the years, MFP scanning matured, shares Vince Jannelli, associate director, applications and partners, SIICA. Originally, MFPs were simply used for scan-to-email and desktop, now they can scan directly into a document archival system or document workflow process.

Sharp’s MFPs offer three levels of scan based integration. ImageSEND is a document distribution function available on all networked Sharp MFPs. This function allows sending to email, desktop, FTP, Internet fax (I-fax), and fax. An additional destination type is send-to-group, where scanned documents are sent to email, fax, and I-fax destinations all at once.

The second level, Sharp Application Integration Module (AIM), allows the user to add metadata—or index values—to scan documents directly to the MFP.

The Sharp OSA development platform is available with all monochrome models between 35 to 110 ppm and all color MX models. This Web-service based system delivers a truly customizable MFP, allowing for seamless integration with business applications.

Sharp’s line up of workflow and DM applications enable companies to efficiently manage the flow of information, both internally and externally.

SpringCM
Scan-to-SpringCM supports all TWAIN-compliant scanners. It has a simple desktop interface that allows documents to be named and metadata added while scanned. Additionally, it has the capability to read OCR and bar codes for automatic indexing.

"Simply put, paper documents do not scale. If a paper document is sitting on your desk or stored in your briefcase, it is not available to anyone else. Scanning a document into DM system, preferably SpringCM, makes that document available to all users," explains Christopher Bennett, senior director of product management, SpringCM.

Once scanned, the document is uploaded to the appropriate folder in SpringCM, eliminating wait time.

Xerox
All Xerox MFPs and scanners are compatible with Xerox DocuShare, a content management software system. Many Xerox MFPs now have OCR.

Other customers may utilize Xerox SMARTsend scanning software. Users securely share information with this complete document capture software. Being a routing solution, scans are sent to destinations including printers, faxes, email addresses, or DM systems.

The Keys to Success
A successful scanning and DM system needs to be user friendly. To achieve simplicity, select a system that works well with existing workflow. "The key to developing a successful document management system is selecting one that complements existing business processes," shares Eastman Kodak Company’s Powell. "Doing so reduces expenses by providing a cost-effective way to manage business critical information from active files to those archived," adds Powell.

When both of these components interlock, the result is a system that securely protects documents while saving money and time.