Hunting Down the Imaging Elephant

We come across a lot of companies that are looking for a way to reduce the amount of paper records they store. Usually, some factor like new regulatory controls or disaster preparedness has moved the issue center-stage. In light of recent hurricane events, questions about document protection are coming fast and furious.

After discussing a company’s current issues and challenges, the conversation eventually leads to how much it will cost to resolve the problems using document imaging. One of the tough statements I try to make is that all these records weren’t created in one year; why are you trying to convert them all at once? In other words, don’t try to shoot the imaging elephant and bring it down with one bullet.

Moving to imaging and digital document management is a paradigm shift in how they have been doing business for years. Starting with a small project makes the shift more manageable and more successful.

A small project gives the company a chance to go to school and work through all the process changes, such as working from a monitor rather than a filing cabinet. Not all people accept change the same way when technology is involved. Think of a small application like Terminated Employee Files or Facilities Management Files. Start with something that lets you see what the application would actually look like.

Like Steven Covey, author of Seven Habits of Highly Successful People said, “begin with the end in mind.” This let’s you start to envision an office with a much higher productive nature without committing a lot of capital and improves your chances of a successful conversion.

Want to learn more? Email me at mzecy@americanmicrokc.com and I’ll give you a ‘what’s my current system costing me now?’ analyzer. Yours free for thinking about that elephant.