MISL Ltd - Records Management, Document Management, Archiving, Paper Scanning

Paper scanning is simply the method of converting paper into an image form. It can then be stored and indexed in this form for future use. The image can be OCR'd immediately or at any time in the future, converting the image to text.

Paper scanning gives you the opportunity for the text to be pasted into word processing documents or incorporated into test search databases. Quite often a system is designed so that you can perform text searches, but they will view the scanned document since the image retains pencil marks, signatures and graphics that OCR may not pick up.

Document imaging is basically the process of scanning paper documents and converting them to images in a digital format that can be stored on your PC, network server, CD or DVD.

Document imaging is a fantastic way of bringing together the two worlds of paper and online media in a productive way that can only benefit your business.

Archiving has many benefits for your business or organisation including:

• Saving you money with no off site storage problems, no multiple copies or reproducing lost information costs
• Saves you time in reproducing, packaging, sending and re-filing originals
• Save space as 1000 drawings or 7 archiving boxes can fit on to one CD-ROM. This means no more filing cabinets and shelves filled with paper.
• Disaster recovery - files are saved on CD-ROMs, servers or on the intranet thus enabling you to retrieve these if a flood or fire occurs.
• Productivity increases as data can be accessed quickly and with a faster turnaround and the amount of information is also much larger. This will give your employees are higher rate of productivity
• Communication and collaboration - you will have a better flow of information and it will be up to date and shared through the intranet, internet and on multiple locations.

Document management is the cornerstone of a number of key organisational activities. It ensures that information is efficiently controlled and makes sure that an organisation knows what information it has, that the information is accurate and that it is discoverable and quickly accessible.

Part of the document management process means that once scanned and uploaded to an appropriate system, documents can be shared by all users on a network and document routing can be controlled by the computer. This is often simpler and easier to develop and implement than traditional data processing systems.

Records management ensures that controlled information is only accessible to those with the right of access and that it is duly retained according to organisational and legislative rules after which it is appropriately disposed of. The first step in achieving this is the digitisation of the core information and this is the scanning, online storage, retrieval and management of electronic images of the documents.

As part of the records management process the documents are stored as images (bitmapped graphics), and although a small amount of text (keywords) may be associated with the document in order to index it, the meaning of the document content is known only to the human viewer, not the computer. Like microfilm, signatures and other original markings remain intact.