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Imaging Technology: Enabling the Paperless Workplace
By Jason Hunt
Dollars & Cents, November 2003
The concept of the paper-free work environment has garnered interest from the nonprofit community since the earliest forms of electronic mail were introduced. Although most of us realize that the complete elimination of paper may be an overly ambitious vision, one would think that the technological advances made relative to data sharing and storage technologies would have done a great deal more than they have to assuage paper production. Is there really any excuse in this age of digitized data to continue relying so heavily on paper? Ultimately, the answer is no.
Banks say bye to paper
A good example of progress being made in this area actually comes from one of the biggest transgressors of paper perpetuation--banks. Most banks continue to rely on paper signature cards, loan documents, and all of the other forms, agreements, and contracts that they've historically held responsibility for. Plus, they continue to fill our mailboxes each month with paper statements enclosed with the 42 billion or so canceled checks we Americans write each year. However, significant strides are now being made within the industry to ease its dependence on paper.
The advent of image technology in the back office is a relatively recent development that has managed to gain significant momentum. The benefits to banks in imaging checks and various other bank documents have already begun to manifest themselves in the form of
* improved customer service,
* streamlined operations,
* elimination of costs,
* reduced fraud,
* new banking products, and
* environmental benefits.
The imaging of signature cards is a good example of the potential that image technology holds.
Today, the typical signature card retrieval process requires a phone call to either a centralized documentation group or branch location to pull and fax a signature card. This can take a considerable amount of time, slows the teller line, and often results in customer frustration.
In an image environment, the retrieval of signature cards is done in an automated fashion, providing tellers with online access to requested images. This reduces staff in the centralized documentation area, cuts fax and paper costs, expedites the teller line, improves customer satisfaction, and the superior representation of the image results in fewer fraud losses.
Associations not dissimilar
Like the banking industry, many nonprofits are faced with the hurdle of being deeply entrenched in a paper-based infrastructure that is not easy or inexpensive to retool. However, the list of potential benefits to associations is virtually identical to the efficiencies being experienced by image-enabled banks. Picture the look on your auditors' faces when you sit them at a PC with the ability to view your 990s for the past seven years with associated receipts and documentation; or the Department of Labor to review your I-9s.
The list of possible applications and efficiencies is endless, regardless of an organization's size. However, the technology is not one size fits all. Many people assume that they should start out buying hardware, such as scanners or servers. That is not the best place to start. Even if your peers have done it that way, your organization's requirements may be very different.
"The best place to start is with an analysis of your business practices and requirements," says Robbie Haverstick, COO of Comsquared Systems, a document imaging software developer and systems integrator based in Atlanta.
The analysis process results in a clearly defined list of implementation objectives, an understanding of what will be required to integrate imaging into the existing technology framework, the expected costs involved and a proposed timeline. This becomes a tool for the nonprofit to make a clear business decision about the scope of the project.
"Most successful implementations are accomplished in clearly defined, manageable phases. Imaging changes the way people work, and that is best accomplished in an evolutionary process over time," says Haverstick.
Returns on imaging implementations are often reported in months, instead of years. A major benefit is improved management control and employee accountability. Nothing gets lost in stacks of paper on desks or in misfiled folders. Efficient, labor-saving processes are typically the result.
Document imaging is proving to be a valuable benefit of the digital age. It may be worth the time to assess whether your organization is taking full advantage of it.
Jason Hunt is vice president of strategic migration, Wachovia Bank, Charlotte, North Carolina. |
