Case Study: The Tale of DIY Scanning Regret

February 2, 2023

Picture a typical professional services practice (accounting, legal, medical). They have known for years that they need to modernize their business. They have procrastinated long enough and know that they need to digitize their paper files to protect the information, make it accessible for staff working remotely, make it easier to search for the information they need, and free up valuable square footage to use for something more productive. With a room full of files, the thought of tackling that project looks like climbing Mount Everest.

The conversation with their admin staff goes like this: “I need you to take on this project to scan all of our old files.” The response: “We are already swamped with our daily tasks to service your clients/patients. Where are we supposed to find the time to do this work?” Then begins the time-consuming process of finding someone to get the job done. With labour being hard to find, they hire a staff member’s teenager and a couple of their friends to come after school for a few hours each day to tackle the work.

DIY Digitization Results in Considerable Expense and Lost Time

The owner provides guidance, invests in several scanners, and then they get to work. After realizing that scanning everything is taking longer than expected, the owner/manager spends hours reviewing files to remove what is not required to be scanned. This is valuable time that they could be used to generate revenue, so it comes at a great cost.

Since the team is only available for a few hours each day, the project drags on for months. Days are missed due to studying for exams, personal events, sports, etc. When looking for files, they have no idea whether it has been digitized or not. During that time, the owner is bombarded with questions from the team that distracts them from running the practice and generating revenue. The headaches and frustration of this project drag on. Additional costs from Starbucks runs, and Uber Eats orders to keep the team engaged mount up.

Then, once the scanning is finally done, the owner must find someone to destroy the confidential files securely.

Reflection – Hindsight is 20/20

I thought scanning would be easy for us to do ourselves quickly and easily. If someone were to ask me how we did our digitization project, I would tell them, “The WRONG way!”

If I had known that a company offered this service, I would have used them to take care of it. There may have been a bit of sticker shock at the front end, but the convenience, quality, and quick completion would have been worth every penny. When I tally up all of the associated expenses and opportunity costs, I would have been better off hiring a company like AMS Imaging Inc. and saved myself a lot of headaches.

If you are a small business that wants to digitize your files, this is a no-brainer – hire professionals!

AMS Imaging Inc. Provides High-Quality Digitization that Save Professionals Time and Money

They contact AMS Imaging Inc. through the “Contact Us” page on their website and outline the basic details of their digitization project.

A project manager from AMS Imaging Inc. contacts them to arrange a phone call or in-person meeting at their office to discuss further the project details (scope, volume, file naming, file output, colour or not, quality of documents, QC requirements, shredding requirements etc.).
They provide AMS Imaging Inc. with a sample box of documents, which AMS Imaging Inc. proceeds to digitize using their customized process. This allows the digitization professionals to clearly understand the amount of work required and provide the customer with a quote for the work. AMS Imaging Inc. also provides some sample deliverables to ensure that the digitized files align with the client’s needs and expectations.
The client gives the approval to move forward with the project and pays a retainer of 30 percent of the quoted amount.
Arrangements are made to get the boxes of documents to AMS Imaging Inc., where they will be processed in their secure facilities.
Their team of experts then prepares and digitizes the files, providing the customer with status updates and anticipated completion/delivery. Interim deliveries can also be arranged on larger projects.
When digitization is complete, the digitized files can be provided to the client through the client’s secure upload portal, USB key, or using an encrypted hard drive.
Documents are either returned or shredded based on the client’s need.
AMS Imaging Inc. invoices for the work (invoice is payable within 15 days of the invoice date)
AMS Imaging Inc. does a post-project debrief with the customer to ensure they are happy with the services provided and enquires if there is anything they can do to improve their service delivery in the future.

The team at AMS Imaging Inc. are digitization professionals; they use high-quality digitizing equipment and know what questions to ask to ensure that the customer considers every aspect of the project so they can be confident the digitized files will be exactly what they need.

Contact AMS Imaging Inc. in Ottawa for Modern Digitization Solutions.

The knowledgeable digitization experts at AMS Imaging Inc. are dedicated to providing our clients superior service and expertise. We offer an inclusive team approach to creating reliable and efficient digitization solutions specific to the needs of your business. Our skilled and detail-oriented staff will take you through the document scanning process to ensure your paper documents are scanned clearly and accurately. To learn more about how the digitization professionals at AMS Imaging Inc. can assist you and your business, don’t hesitate to contact us online or by telephone at 613-723-1668.