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Imaging (Scanning) vs. Digitizing: Learn the Differences!!

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Moises Cardenas

Government organizations and commercial businesses are either hastening digital reforms begun before COVID-19 or aggressively adopting digital projects for the first time, driven by the changes imposed upon us by the pandemic. Identifying and selecting the most appropriate procedures, methodologies, and technology is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Getting your head around ideas like Document Scanning in Reston vs digitizing and going through an alphabet soup of abbreviations are part of the process.

Going digital successfully is challenging, but something needs to be added to our new post-COVID-19 world.

Conversations with potential and current clients are helping us determine the areas where glossaries of digital transformation-related concepts and solutions would be most useful. Document Scanning Services in Reston vs digitizing is a topic that frequently generates inquiries.

To assist you in understanding how imaging and digitization might benefit your business, we'll define each term, explain the key differences between them, and provide some helpful context with real-world examples. In the next weeks, when many of you are finalizing budgets for the upcoming year, we will continue to share similar content on pertinent themes and solutions.

Document Imaging vs Digitizing

It's common practice to interchange the phrases "imaging" and "digitizing" when referring to the same process. However, there is a significant distinction in what may be done with digitized or imaged material. The primary difference is that digital documents can be edited, whereas scanned ones cannot. In this article, we will examine the implications of this for your company.

What is Document Scanning?

Document Scanning Services in Reston includes scanned paper documents. This implies that the image is captured digitally, and the words within it can be read by humans but not computers. Hence, machines and software are unable to interpret the metadata. (The data about data) that a document contains. (This is discussed in greater detail below.)

What is Document Digitizing

Imaging is expanded upon by digitizing documents. A digital document's data can be sorted, filtered, and indexed for easier research.

The Implications of Imaging and Digitizing on Your Business

The term "Document Scanning in Reston" encompasses a wide variety of processes, including both scanning and converting documents. Scanning transforms a paper document into an electronic copy or transfers data from one medium to another (such as microfilm or backup tapes). Through document imaging, you can convert paper documents into a digital format that can be read but not changed.

In contrast, digitizing converts a paper or other physical copy of a document into text format. As part of the digitization process, an optical character recognition (OCR) application is often used. OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software can read text from photos and transform it into editable code.

Once optical character recognition (OCR) has been applied to a digital document, the information can be used to create an index. Metadata consists of details like creation date, creator, and identifiers. As files are digitized, they become searchable. Redaction can also be performed on digital documents.


Advantages of Document Scanning-

Document Scanning in Reston can save you time and money, simplify security, and free up valuable storage space, among other benefits.


Increasing Velocity-

Eliminating time spent filing and re-filing paper documents is only one of how document scanning can enhance productivity.

Using DMS software to organize digital files not only makes them more accessible but also facilitates easier document sharing, organization, and collaboration.


Cost-Effectiveness Improvement-

Scanning documents can cut costs in two major areas: time and real estate. The capacity to swiftly locate documents, for instance, helps to free up time that may be used for other, more fruitful endeavors, which can, in turn, save money.

Paperless saves time and frees up valuable square footage formerly devoted to filing cabinets. The space taken up by file cabinets could be better put to use housing additional money-making workers.


Benefits of Digitizing Documents-

Redaction, optical character recognition (OCR), and automated retention tracking are just some of the perks of digitization that extend the usefulness of scanned documents.


Optical Character Recognition-

During scanning, characters on a page are converted to machine-encoded text using optical character recognition (OCR).

The encoded text can be changed and manipulated, making freshly digitized documents more usable than a basic image of the file.

Editing Software for Confidential Documents

It is possible to redact private information from digitized papers during the process.

The digital redaction has the added benefit of being more secure and easier to implement. Many redactions on paper documents used to be ink-based, so a determined thief could easily erase them. But, redactions made in digital form cannot be undone.


Systematized Monitoring of Employee Attrition

Digital document management systems can be set up to monitor the required storage duration for digitally stored documents, such as medical records.


Conclusion

Scanning and digitization are very different processes, but both are essential for a modern, efficient workplace. Document Scanning Services in Reston is your introduction to the digital world, and these solutions, when combined, can make a significant difference.



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Moises Cardenas
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