Is Imaging Right for Your Organization? Part Two

Considering digital imaging as part of your RM program? How do you know if it is right for you? How quickly can you expect to see ROI? What things do you need to consider?

These are common questions for most organizations, so we put together a needs assessment that will help you get some answers.

In Part 1, we looked at imaging objectives and your current filling environment. In Part 2, we’ll concentrate on imaging in terms of collaboration and access, compliance and disaster recovery, as well as records management strategy.

Collaboration & Access

1. Does your organization operate in offices in different geographical locations?
2. List the customer facing elements (i.e. contact centre operators, loan officers, help desk personnel) of your business that frequently access to customer files.
3. When more than one person or one location needs access to a given document at the same time, how are you currently handling the situation? (i.e. consider the number of copies, wait times).
4. Do you have employees who operate outside of the office, such as:
   • Remote workers
   • Sales staff
   • Teleworkers
   • Field personnel (i.e. service technicians, engineers)
5. Describe the mobile and/or wireless communications platform your remote and mobile workers currently use.

Compliance and Disaster Recovery Programs

1. 1. How are your critical records currently identified and stored?
   2. How quickly could you assemble and turn-over financial and other records in the case of an audit or e-discovery?
   3. How would your organization be impacted by a catastrophic loss of the records collection, fire, flood etc.?
   4. What would have to be done to recover business critical documents and information?

Records Management Strategy

1. 1. 1. Do you have an existing records management program?
      2. Are you anticipating rolling out any records management or enterprise content management platforms in the next 36 months?
      3. Are there any other major corporate initiatives underway that should be considered as part of a needs assessment exercise?
      4. Is there a merger or an acquisition in your organization’s future?
      5. How quickly is your current records collection expanding?
      6. Are your current filing practices and software applications compatible with the imaging process?
      7. What budgetary considerations (i.e., software, equipment) need to be factored in?
      8. Are storage and retrieval issues limiting your organization’s ability to respond to business demands?

In Our Experience . . .

We hope that the exercise of going through this needs assessment has been helpful in illustrating where imaging might strengthen your overall RM program. These questions are designed as a starting point, a way for you to gather information that will help you match solutions to your needs.

At TAB, our long-standing experience in helping companies with their imaging requirements has taught us that every situation is unique. In many cases, a complete conversion to electronic isn’t desirable or feasible, but instead converting day-forward files, historical files, or critical files is what is needed. Whatever you are looking for, if you are want to find out how imaging can help your organization, please call us.

Next Steps

1. 1. • After you have reviewed the questions and considered your answers, feel free to contact us and we can help you interpret your findings.
      • You can also get our Imaging Readiness Tool or watch a video detailing how we helped the Retina Group get rid of 40% of their files with imaging.