Interviews

Paperless protection

by Mark Rowe

Automated document management can contribute towards better business continuity and more efficient day-to-day workflows, says Anthony Pearlgood, managing director at PHS Data Solutions.

With many homes and businesses hit hard by recent storms and floods, the clear-up process continues to be costly and disruptive. As with any unexpected event, this adverse weather will have caused loss or damage to business property and put important paper records at risk. Arguably the best way to protect these paper records and ensure better business continuity in the event of a future disaster is to work towards becoming an entirely paperless operation, or at least ensure that all documents are backed up electronically.

Rather than being expensive or disruptive, the use of paperless technologies such as document capture and management solutions can in fact help to save time and cost for the business and employees – especially in the longer term – by improving the way information is accessed and handled within the organisation.

Scaling the paper mountain

In some cases, regulation dictates that financial documents and other industry-specific records must be stored for a set length of time. If they are destroyed, an organisation could be in breach of regulatory compliance and may be unable to help customers or easily obtain replacement files. For the business, the issue of whether to store or digitise paper archives often comes down to cost. If it works out cheaper to pay for storage and insurance, then the organisation may decide it is worth incurring the risk of loss or damage. However, for organisations which are continually adding to their paper archives year-on-year, bringing document scanning and management to the front of the process can not only help reduce the risks associated with paper-based file management but also lead to long-term cost and efficiency savings in other areas.

In particular, introducing a digital mailroom has been shown to improve business automation within document-intensive industries. Each document is scanned and distributed electronically as soon as it is received by the receptionist, post room or outsourced document management firm, in some cases removing paper from the process at an early stage.

From an employee’s perspective, taking away the need to wait for post to arrive on their desk and open it before starting to process the content can generate enormous productivity benefits. Where the system allows, the document may not only be received by an individual much faster than before, but also arrive in a process-ready electronic format – scanned, prepared, classified and, in some systems, with the relevant data already extracted.

Sustainable processes

For most businesses, the logical first step to efficient, sustainable records management will begin with the implementation of a document capture system capable of processing incoming files the moment they enter the business. Depending on the business requirement, this may cover all incoming files or only certain types, such as invoices or incoming claims documentation. Once processed, an electronic copy of the data is delivered instantly to the correct work stream, enabling a response or payment to be issued quickly. This is far more efficient than waiting for a hard copy to arrive and, in turn, helps improve customer service.

The next phase could see existing archives being digitised. From a risk perspective, archiving documents electronically also brings the added advantage of ensuring better security than manual storage, with less risk of loss or damage.

Using document classification alongside an archiving solution will also guarantee that the correct retention and disposal policy can be quickly identified and data cleansing can be carried out on existing records. This important capability ensures compliance while further increasing the level of process automation.

Safer storage

In those instances where firms need to use and retain paper copies, best-practice tools enabling effective storage and rapid retrieval of hard copies can go a long way to minimise inefficient paper records management and storage, ensuring the organisation operates in the most secure way possible. Where paper documents are retained, using a managed, off-site document and data storage facility helps avoid loss or damage due to fire, flood or theft – all of which represent a very real threat, as recent events have shown.

A further worthwhile addition for document security and environmental purposes is to combine lockable cabinets for document disposal alongside a secure shredding service that is compliant with the BS EN 15713 security shredding standard, a framework of key conditions that must be adhered to by companies who destroy confidential information on behalf of their customers. In addition, these measures will ensure confidential invoices, letters and employee records are not stolen or mislaid.

A guiding factor in establishing whether or not to retain paper copies is to determine whether electronic documents and scanned images will be accepted as evidence by the courts. In many cases, rather than mandating that the original paper documents be retained, the BSI BIP 0008 code of practice advises that, where a document is reproduced, it should be authentic and accurately reproduce the contents of the original.

The guidelines also include the need to follow proper storage and access procedures including scanning, indexing, retrieval, system administration, archiving, off-site storage and training. The firm should also be able to demonstrate adherence to a structured audit process.

Industry-specific guidance on record-keeping requirements can also be sourced from The Law Society, The Financial Conduct Authority and HMRC’s websites.

Visit http://www.phsdatasolutions.co.uk

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