| The costs mount up quickly, in the areas of | | | | an employee, who is likely less efficient, to |
| wages for employees who are responsible for | | | | scan the files. Whatever the method chosen, |
| filing and retrieving documents, and the | | | | the first year cost might be heavy, but these |
| areas of storage space required to house the | | | | costs should be offset within the first |
| massive amounts of paper files. | | | | couple of years. |
| | | | |
| It is also an on-going, never-ending task, | | | | Another route that a lot of companies take is |
| requiring the time of countless employees. | | | | not to scan all of their backfiles into the |
| This is time that could be better used | | | | EDMS, but to start scanning files today as |
| performing the tasks that they have their | | | | they come in, and leaving all previous files |
| personal expertise in. The opportunity costs | | | | as they were. This allows the company to |
| for using a paper filing system include | | | | bypass a large part of the initial costs, |
| wasted time, delayed customer response time, | | | | while still enjoying the benefits of the |
| and wasted floor and storage space. In other | | | | electronic file storage. As time goes by and |
| words, the efficiency of a business is very | | | | the companies appreciation for the system |
| much hampered by continuing to utilize a | | | | grows, they will slowly convert their older |
| paper filing system. | | | | files into electronic images, allowing them |
| | | | spread this cost over many months or even |
| The benefits of an Electronic Document | | | | years. |
| Management System (EDMS) are countless. With | | | | |
| an EDMS, you will be able to take all of | | | | Once a company is completely paperless and |
| paper files, put them through a scanner, and | | | | utilizing an EDMS, their efficiency is |
| them throw them away, or if your too | | | | greatly increased, their response time for |
| skeptical to toss them, you can store them in | | | | customer support is drastically reduced, and |
| some off-site storage where you will | | | | their overall office clutter is eliminated. |
| hopefully never have to look at them again. | | | | These improvements convert directly to more |
| All of your files will be stored | | | | business and higher profits. |
| electronically, accessible almost instantly | | | | |
| by any computer within your office at | | | | If that's not enough to convince you, then |
| anytime. You do not have to worry about | | | | this will. The company is no longer at risk |
| misplaced files or somebody else already | | | | to having their critical business information |
| having a file at their desk. | | | | stolen, lost, or destroyed due to some |
| | | | unforeseen circumstances, such as Hurricane |
| The initial cost of converting to an EDMS is | | | | Katrina that destroyed thousands of |
| usually what keeps people from doing it. This | | | | business's paper records. The EDMS can backup |
| cost consists of the time and money it takes | | | | your files offsite so nothing will ever be |
| to scan all of a company's existing files | | | | lost, plus its security features will prevent |
| into the system. To save time, a company can | | | | unauthorized individuals from accessing the |
| pay a scanning service bureau to scan all | | | | documents that they shouldn't, a very |
| their files for them, and this will sometimes | | | | difficult task with a paper filing system. |
| be the cheapest method as opposed to paying | | | | |