Should You Outsource Document Scanning or Do It In-House?
Deciding to outsource document scanning or to stay internal is a big decision. When looking to reduce your organization’s paper, taking your team digital or choosing to backfile documents reduces waste while automating processes.
The decision to do the scanning yourself or to hire out each has benefits. Let’s decide which way is the best opportunity for your business.
First, let’s go over outsourced document scanning.
Benefits for Outsourcing Your Document Scanning
Choosing to outsource document scanning offloads work from your team. Converting documents in-house requires resources like employees, space, and time. Giving these resources over to document conversion takes them away from other, perhaps more important, aspects of the organization.
No Equipment Costs or Training
Third-party companies already have the necessary equipment and experience to scan different document types. Top-of-the-line production processes and experienced staff will complete your projects promptly. Preparation, indexing, and scanning are handled by a trained team who begin work immediately and effectively.
Known Costs
When you outsource document scanning an agreement is made prior to the start of the project. Usually, a scanning company will advise on the best storage solutions and provide an itemized bill. This open communication takes away surprise expenses that could occur when completing a project in-house.
Extra Space
Documents can be scanned on-site or sent out to a facility for completion. Regardless of where you choose to complete a project, a scanning company will be able to arrange the best area to scan and prep documents.
Choosing to send offsite keeps your organization from having to create space within your office to complete the scanning. A third party will have the space and expertise to host your documents throughout the entire scanning project.
Increased Project Management
A document scanning business understands the contingencies and day-to-day needs of different project types. They will be able to recommend different solutions based on what you need out of the digital files and even help find possible document management software.
Finding a partner that puts your needs first and understands the goals of your business is the first step when outsourcing document scanning.
What about the benefit of scanning in-house?
Benefits for On-Premises Document Scanning
With strong leadership, an in-house project can be completed quicker and cheaper than with a third party.
Project Control
Give control back to your business with an in-house project. You can decide on every aspect of your project including equipment, software, employees, and location. Making changes in the middle of your project will be easy and relatively painless.
Insider Knowledge
The person who best understands the needs of your organization will be you. Your company will know the retention on specific documents understands the aspects that will make a successful project.
No Unnecessary Materials
Completing a scanning project in-house reduces time determining what needs to be scanned or destroyed. Additionally, paper documents outside of the retention policy will not need scanning, reducing the timeline of your scanning project.
Cost Management
Depending on the size of your project, scanning in-house can cost less than outsourcing. Employees help with the organization and physical scanning process taking on the work that would have been completed by a third party.
In either case, your business’s priorities, timeline, and budget will determine whether to outsource document scanning or keep your project in-house. No matter which processes you decide on, InStream will walk your organization through the best possible solutions for your team.
