Overview of Document Scanning

(or Document Archiving)

Scanning of both high volume and low volume small format documentation.  Typically 20,000 A4 sheets of paper can be scanned and stored on just one 650Mb CD ROM.  Therefore many filing cabinets, that are generally expensive to store and locate can be squeezed down to a few CD ROMS.

We can generally offer this scanning service on-site as well as off-site, and scan as many as 30,000 pages per day.  There is a team dedicated to document scanning on-site.  This scanning service is often more effective on-site for security, access and transport reasons.

If the scanning service is off-site, turnaround times can be arranged to suit most requirements.  Any documents that are required back during the scanning process can be easily returned electronically via email or web delivery.

Once the document scanning is complete, the original paper can either be returned, confidentially destroyed or stored in the secure document storage area (see Hard Copy Archiving)

Typical Applications for Document Scanning

Scanning of financial documentation
(purchase invoices, sales invoices)

Scanning of technical documentation 
(change notes, change requests)

Scanning of human resources
(personnel documentation)

Scanning of technical publications

(maintenance manuals, operators manuals)

Technical Information

Typically we would create either TIFF, JPEG or PDF file formats. More and more PDF is becoming the norm. 

PDF is now a recognised ISO file format, we can obviously create these formats:

PDF/A-1b Compact ISO19005-1 Level B

PDF/A-1b Raster ISO 19005-1 Level B

Searchable PDF files - In addition using our powerful PixEdit software, for which we are the UK distributor, the PDF files can be made searchable using OCR technology.

Legal Admissibility - scanning on-site and off-site can be in accordance with BIP0008/BIP0009.  For on-site scanning procedures can be written for your specific specification.

Indexing - Once your information has been scanned, you will need an efficient method of searching and retrieving it.  Information that is scanned will need to be indexed with its attributes, for example drawing numbers, document number, titles, issue levels etc, information that is useful to you. 

Normally is is not necessary to spend thousands of pounds on document management software, for example utilising searchable PDF files and naming each file with your index information means that you will not need to purchase any software.

Some scanning project may require either a simple document retrieval system or a comprehensive document management solution, both of which we can provide.

Scans and index information can be returned on CD ROM or loaded to our FTP server complete with search, view, print software which can be easily configured for network access and well as local CD based access, alternatively the data can be loaded onto the DDMS Browser document management system

Need further information or to purchase?

Some of our services can be purchased online at our online shop, please click here to visit the shop or contact us for any other requirements.