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