Outsourcing:

Information And Document Conversion

by Randolph Burns, IKON Business Imaging

Converting information stored as documents, records, microfilm or other media is not an easy task. Whether it's a backfile conversion or day-forward scanning - the results have a dynamic effect on they way a business operates. To optimize the ROI on the system requires professional expertise in conversion, especially when it comes to backfile conversion.

The trademarks of conversion projects are labor, technical complexity, security, cost, and time consumption. For example in paper-to-image conversions, batch processing, indexing, document preparation and de-preparation - plus the retention and disposition life cycle of the physical documents are areas where most companies have no expertise. Very few businesses today can afford to divert resources, or have the equipment, training, and technical staff available to deliver a project of this magnitude. Companies do not have the luxury of devoting resources for a conversion, which could otherwise be used for business. Some companies do develop in-house conversion or production centers, and in time, become proficient enough to develop extensive document service capabilities. But outsourcing the conversion process saves a company large investments in equipment and training. Beyond this, issues dealing with equipment failure, additional payroll burden, and on-going technical needs will not be a concern of management.

Imaging and conversion technology has been in the technological mainstream for nearly twenty years. Today's technology, for the movement and sharing of documents through an organization, via an imaging system, is an expanding growing, and changing technology. Simply put, Image-based workflow systems route information to the appropriate person at the appropriate time, eliminating the variables associated with human memory or absenteeism. But getting this information into the system correctly requires expertise.

Outsourcing the conversion of your information to a leading edge firm who has a comprehensive knowledge of technology, operating systems, hardware platforms, scanners, document management software, image formats and databases - will ensure your core business continues with minimal distraction. What's more they can be a valuable source of information in developing emergency planning procedures. This is the type of planning which is particularly important to transaction based businesses, i.e., credit cards, insurance premiums, loan payments, and other companies with time-critical posting applications.

Project Management also makes the difference between the professional approach in conversion work and the "ad hoc" approach. Quality assurances in mitigating risk and avoiding operator failure are two of the many talents a trained Project Manager can bring to a conversion project. Project Managers that are certified by The Project Management Institute (PMI), the leading association in the area of project management are highly desirable.

In planning an optical storage solution the planning process is crucial. If documents are not correctly imaged, content may be missing from the images or indexing may not find the correct documents. Pages within the documents may be missed. There is nothing worse than having post-conversion users becoming frustrated when requesting documents that do not appear, or even worse, the wrong documents appear due to incorrect indexing.

A high quality backfile conversion is as critical as the selection and installation of a quality imaging system. Therefore, the major benefits you should expect from a service provider is on-time delivery, high quality work, trouble-free process and managed within budget. This will ensure a successful process, project goals that are met, and a relationship with a strategic partner in advancing the document and information technology goals of the enterprise. Remember quality is key. And you should rely on experts. Don't put your enterprise at risk if your internal resources or technology understanding is limited. If you place bad images and bad index data into an imaging system, you hurt the return on your investment.

Planning for life after conversion is also very important. Some documents may need to be retained in physical form because of legal reasons. Other documents, which are informational in nature or duplicates of documents, might only need to be kept as images - or not at all. Converting information, documents, records, or files today is a decision that companies are making to remain competitive and productive. After the purchase of an imaging system solution how to convert the information that exists in the backfile is the next important decision. By outsourcing, a company can take advantage of the most up--to-date equipment, as well as the technological expertise of a services organization for the optimum results in scanning and front-end capture. Entrusting conversion projects for document and information processes to a strategic partner, is the most accurate and efficient way to ensure your conversion is done correctly.