Benefits of a Document Conversion Service
Using a professional document digital conversion solution is one of the best ways to transition your official documents, contracts, and sensitive information to easily searchable digital files. Some of the most notable benefits of turning to a document conversion service for your files include:
- Improved Organization: With a digital document conversion solution, you will have simple access to all your documents and uploaded files in digital format. You can easily organize, index, track, and search all of your files by typing the name of the file or other variables included in the file type or file name itself. For example, quickly locate key identifiers, invoice numbers, client names, IDs, or contracts signed during a specific date range. The improved organization that comes with a file digitalization service can significantly help transform how you operate your business daily.
- Save on Costs: A significant appeal of using a file digitalization service is the related cost savings. Once you have streamlined your document management system, you will no longer require manual labor or sifting through documents and files yourself, which can eat into your work time and take away from your workplace’s overall efficiency and productivity. In addition, having all of your documents, contracts, and business paperwork in one central location easily accessible is one of the best ways to cut back on overhead costs. Digitizing your records also eliminates the need for additional physical space in your office or workplace, which can tie up funding for other purposes, including hiring additional employees.
- Immediate Document Access: If accessibility is important to you, a digitalization service is best. Once your original documents are converted, you can locate them with a quick search. This immediate recall eliminates manually searching for records through numerous file cabinets, drawers, and folders.
- Communication and Collaboration: Once you have transferred your documents to digital format, you can immediately begin sharing the digital files with your team members. Communication and effective collaboration go a long way, especially when building and running a business. With all of your files and business contracts uploaded, stored, and organized in one central location, collaborating with your team of employees is streamlined. Quickly communicate about specific documents or files you need to have recalled to work together to complete projects and collaborate with clients without delay or disruption.
- Minimize and Prevent Disasters: Another advantage of using a digital document conversion solution is the ability to minimize and, in some cases, even prevent disasters, especially when managing and securing sensitive information of clients and customers. If you only have paper records and contracts for your business, they are at a much higher risk of being lost, stolen, or damaged beyond repair in a fire or flood. Digitizing your files allows you to store and save files in multiple locations, depending on your preferences and business location. With digitized files and a secure document storage solution, you will also minimize the risk of having your documents attacked, hacked, or stolen.
- Transition to the Cloud: Using a professional file digitalization service is one of the fastest ways to transition to the cloud using a secured and encrypted connection. Minimize and eliminate the collection of file cabinets, paperwork, and clutter when you choose to fully transition all of your documents to the cloud using a digital document conversion solution.
How Document Conversion Services Work
Document conversion services are beneficial for both new and existing businesses. As more organizations transition away from storing sensitive contracts, and business documents onsite, seeking out a professional file digitalization service makes sense. If you are thinking of using a document digital conversion service but unsure where to start, familiarize yourself with how the services work. Once you understand how digital document conversion services work, you can determine whether or not the solution is optimal for your business.
Preparing Documents
If you are considering a digital document conversion for your company records and contracts, you will first need to spend time preparing your documents as best as you can. If you have numerous boxes of files, you can prepare your documents for the file digitalization provider by following these tips:
- First, assess the number of boxes or filing cabinets you will need to go through and select files from before you begin. Evaluating the amount of work you have can help you break down the process into separate steps.
- Attempt to group and index files logically using a hierarchy system that makes sense for your business and the type of files or contracts you intend to store on the cloud.
- Decide which documents are most important and which documents you need to convert to digital images. Then, create a list of categories for the type of documents you currently store that you would like to convert.
- Review the list of categories you have created, including top-level categories and subcategories, to ensure you are not missing any important labels for organizational purposes.
- Index your files based on priority, file type, and sensitivity. This can help with the organization process before sending your records.
Scanning and Converting
Once your document preparation process is complete, you can begin working with the document conversion provider directly. First, you will need to provide your file digitalization solution provider with your files. Once your preferred team has the documents in hand, they will begin the following steps:
- Flattening and physically organizing documents for the scanning and conversion processes.
- Create a custom scanning protocol for your documents based on volume and document or file type.
- Develop and define scanning templates that are unique and individualized for your company’s needs. These templates also help save time and increase efficiency when scanning multiple documents using the same format and template.
- Scan documents using a high-resolution setting for 300 DPI (dots per inch) image files. Your documents will typically be scanned into your preferred image file or a standard PDF file.
Indexing
If thinking about the number of documents you have to organize causes you to shudder and feel overwhelmed, you’re not alone. The thought of gathering, indexing, and storing your documents can leave you feeling stressed out even before you begin. Document indexing can help. With document indexing, your file digitalization service provider will help to create a digital table of contents to manage your company’s files, records, and business contracts. Indexing streamlines the digital document conversion process from handling metadata and data included inside your scanned documents to dividing your scanned files into various groups based on logic and a set hierarchy of categories. Using indexing can help you locate files based on specific bits of information you are searching for or specific words, phrases, or client IDs and names. Indexing and double key indexing for further verification can help minimize and even eliminate potential scanning and indexing errors.
Elimination
After your documents have been appropriately accounted for, analyzed, scanned, converted, and indexed, you may be wondering what you should do with the remaining files and documents you have left. While it is possible to keep your records and physical copies of your business documents, this can significantly increase your risk of having them stolen or compromised. However, there are long-term, secure storage solutions for those who need to store documents and important files for various reasons. If you are interested in securely destroying the documents you have converted to digital files, you can also opt for a document shredding service. A professional, secure document shredding service helps minimize the risk of having any confidential or private information compromised while also providing a solution to eliminate all of the physical contracts, documents, and paperwork you have. Regardless of your specific needs, a professional digital document conversion service can help you achieve them. A digitalization service is highly beneficial, from storing and disposing of your records to simply helping you digitize some of your most important documents. Working with the file digitalization pros at Higher Information Group (HIG) is the easiest way to convert your paper files into electronic files. Document conversion and secure document storage allow you to spend more time focusing on the most critical aspects of building and scaling up your business. Contact the document conversion experts at HIG today. Related Articles:
- Document Conversion/Document Scanning to Support Remote Work and As a Disaster Recovery Solution is an Eligible Project For American Rescue Plan Act Funding
- 5 Benefits of Document Digitization
- Onsite or Offsite Shredding? Which Makes the Most Sense for Your Business?
- Top 3 Benefits of Offsite Document Storage
Higher Information Group Office Locations:
- Danville, PA
- Elmira, NY
- Wilkes-Barre, PA
- Harrisburg, PA
