Like professionals in all industries, architects and engineers are pressed for time today more than ever before, and are in constant search of technological advancements which will make daily life easier and more efficient. For example if an architect receives a call from the general contractor of a housing project regarding the latest blue prints, the architect needs to have instant access to those documents, as well as the ability to make adjustments "on the spot." Or imagine an engineer who is preparing a lecture for an upcoming conference. Wouldn’t it make sense for that engineer to have instant access to previous presentations right at the desktop?

At some point in time, every architect or engineer has encountered the "missing file" syndrome. When mission-critical information is not in the file cabinet, it could be on an assistant’s desk or buried under a pile on your own desk. Studies show that a full fifty-percent of executives’ time is spent looking for information or waiting for information to be provided.

Simple solutions like storing multiple file copies might work for other industries, but not for architecture and engineering—given the sheer volume and size of the paperwork. Such a system would diminish value by multiplying overhead costs like administrative time, office supplies, space devoted to file cabinets, and the life span of the photocopier. This approach assumes all information contains the same potential value. In reality, some files may be accessed frequently by many people and some not at all.

For architecture and engineering firms, current imaging and document management technologies address these issues, providing architects and engineers with fast access to necessary information, including the ability to access e-size drawings. Imaging is the process of scanning a document to create an electronic file, which can then be manipulated and stored. Document management describes the meaningful indexing, routing, annotating, archival and retrieval of electronic documents—which can include scanned pages, Web pages, e-mail messages, spreadsheets and word processing files.

Here’s how the technologies work together in an architecture or engineering office setting. First, assistants can use a scanner to create an electronic version of the hard copy original, just as they would use a photocopier. The original can be sent to permanent storage while the new electronic image of the document is manipulated online.

For example, the image can be "cleaned up" to eliminate unnecessary "speckles" that sometimes appear on photocopies, and so forth. In addition, optical character recognition (OCR) technology translates characters contained in the document’s image into meaningful text that can be cut and pasted into a word processing file.

Document management solutions allow business professionals to enter information about the electronic document, such as its title, author, creation date and key words including client name, document description, and so forth. Upon creation, the file is archived—perhaps in a "folder" of items pertinent to a particular subject—in a network storage device, such as a tape drive, hard drive or CD-ROM.

Some document management systems enable users to route the file to several associates, just as they would route a hard-copy original. Documents can even be faxed or emailed to external recipients directly from the system. In addition, some systems enable users to annotate the document—as they might use "sticky" notes—and track changes to clarify whose comments appear. Some systems provide information security features that restrict confidential annotations, documents or entire files for exclusive access by specific users.

When needed, documents can be retrieved by searching for key information about the document, such as its file type, title or key word. OCR-processed documents and other electronic text files can be searched for an alphanumeric string embedded within the document. Descriptions of documents that meet search criteria are presented, along with their location on the network—usually with a link that allows users to open the necessary file directly. Users can then print the document or search for additional information.

Imaging and document management systems can dramatically cut the time architects and engineers spend searching for necessary information, as well as save valuable storage space and increase worker efficiency. However, architecture and engineering firms must carefully evaluate certain aspects of an imaging and document management solution, as the wrong system may diminish its overall value.

Total cost of ownership

Factors that impact the document management system’s total cost of ownership include not only its entry cost, upgrades and technical support, but its ease of implementation, the amount of necessary user training, its compatibility with existing network equipment and its requirements for storage devices and scanners. The easier the system is to install, support and use—and the more highly integrated it is with popular platforms—the less expensive it will be to maintain over time.

Compatibility with existing systems

To speed the rate of adoption, the system should complement—not disrupt—systems already in place. Employees should be able to route and annotate documents and quickly identify who made which changes. Security features ensure the confidentiality of sensitive files. In addition, a hierarchical storage management system uses an intuitive file cabinet/drawer/folder approach, which is similar to traditional archiving systems.

System portability

Architects and engineers are among today’s growing mobile workforce that relies on cell phones and laptops. For architects and engineers, a document management solution is useless if it cannot provide information when they need it, either remotely or through a dial-up connection.

"Walk-away" considerations

If the system is problematic—or if the firm decides to replace its document management package as the result of growth or a merger—will existing mission-critical data be accessible to the new system? Systems built around proprietary standards can lock firms into an unwanted application because users can’t access key data any other way. Systems built around open standards ensure that new packages or custom applications can continue to support older files after the system is replaced.

Imaging and document management technologies promise dramatic timesaving and space storage benefits for architects and engineers, which can stimulate productivity and efficiency across the entire firm. However, firms must carefully consider the requirements, benefits and usability of each system in order to calculate the total investment and speed of return. If the point of an imaging and document management solution is to create value and increase efficiency, the total investment should produce a return quickly, while ensuring the accessibility of mission-critical information for years to come.