When should you outsource your document scanning requirements?

ByWomen's Business Club

Oct 24, 2022

Scanning equipment is perhaps more universally available than ever before. Most homes have a small printer that can scan documents, as do most workplaces. Now, many smartphones are even equipped with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) meaning you can even effectively scan things with your phone. 

There are, however, a wide variety of circumstances where it’s appropriate, or even necessary, to outsource your requirements – let’s take a look at just when you need document scanning from Pearl Scan.

When you have a large number of documents

If you have a large number of documents that need to be scanned, then it’s likely necessary to outsource your requirements. While you might be able to scan 10, or 20 sheaths of paper at home or in the office with relative ease, when that number approaches and then passes 100, it simply takes too long to scan them efficiently with a domestic scanner.

Scanning services possess larger scanners that feed the sheets automatically, allowing them to scan large numbers of documents in a fraction of the time it would take a smaller, domestic printer. If you don’t have all the time in the world to scan your documents, then it’s likely worth outsourcing.

When the documents are large format

If the documents you need scanning are larger format items, such as plans or drawings, then you won’t be able to scan them at home. Most domestic scanners can only scan up to A4, with larger format scanners and printers costing tens of thousands of pounds. Scanning services can scan your larger documents safely and quickly, providing a valuable service to professionals such as architects and surveyors.

When the documents are delicate and important

A professional scanning service will have both the necessary equipment and expertise to ensure that your documents can be scanned in a safe manner. If you need to scan any historical records where it’s important that the original copies are preserved in their original state, then it’s highly advisable to use a scanning service.

When you need them accurately indexed

Finally, if you need to be able to access those documents at some point in the future, then you will need the documents to be indexed accurately. If even one page early on is missed out, it can throw the whole stack out of alignment, making the process of finding a specific file incredibly laborious. A study found that 50% of office professionals spent more time looking for files than they did on their actual job – you certainly don’t want to be included in that statistic.

Clearly, there are a lot of situations where it can be highly beneficial to outsource your scanning requirements – they can save you time and effort, while ensuring the protection of valuable files. They’re there to help you, so use them!

By Women's Business Club

Women's Business Club empowers women to succeed in business through awards, conferences, business support membership, and news. Find out more at www.womensbusiness.club or send your press release [email protected]. Articles and adverts are chargeable, see media pack at www.womensbusiness.club/media-pack

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