Survey finds 71 per cent of businesses scan documents as they need to keep electronic records
As businesses go in pursuit of a paperless office in a bid to save space, time, money and the environment, a new survey has found that the vast majority are dedicating substantial resources to scanning documents in an effort to reduce their reliance on physical files.
Conducted by Anoto, the study revealed that 71 per cent of companies are taking such measures due to the need to keep electronic records, while 55 per cent believe that the data is easier to use and adapt when it is in digital form.
And with 45 per cent explaining that document scanning is a more cost effective alternative to archiving paper files, it appears that many firms are concentrating on ways to increase the efficiency of their budgets by implementing the most modern methods of records management.
Yet as companies try to find the best cost cutting techniques, many may be better off enlisting the help of document scanning services, as the survey also revealed the extent to which carrying out the process internally can eat into a business’s productivity.
According to the figures, 61 per cent of firms scan anywhere from 50 to over 100 pages per day, while 44 per cent of employees are spending between one and five hours a day on the process – and in some cases even longer.
So given the time and recourses that companies are dedicating to making their paper files digital, outsourcing the initiative could be a cheaper alternative in the long-term.
But as well as focusing on the cost saving aspect of the practice, moving files into the electronic format also means that emphasis has to be placed on providing them with sufficient virtual protection to avoid their falling into the wrong hands.
As such, digital security has to be just as important a consideration as the financial benefits of scanning documents.