What on earth is ERM/EDM? EDM or ERM is about the way that we deal with processes that involve papers. As computer systems have evolved in recent times, many people believed that the quantity of paperwork would be drastically reduced, perhaps even leading for the paperless office. Indeed, in a few cases this has proved correct and I will be led to believe in which some organisations have were able to go paperless, however, I am yet to find one of them organisations. In fact, what seems to get occurred is that despite a smaller percentage of data winding up in the printer, the overall volume of data has exploded so much that the complete amount of printed material has risen.
Much of this printed data doesn’t have to be kept as it will likewise exist in electronic formatting. However, some items cannot simply be disposed of. Organisations will always use a need to keep your hands on certain documents for authorized or regulatory reasons. The type of files and the time that they are to be kept (the actual Retention Period) will be different from industry to business. However, many of these documents could be kept in an electronic format, scanned and made available using your laptop systems.
Using the latest EDM/ERM solutions, many documents can currently be scanned into an electric format, this can be done in a fashion that allows the document to remain legally compliant, even to the extent how the digital copy will end up being admissible in court – so long as the proper procedures are generally followed. Once scanned to an electric format, this paperwork no longer consumes valuable office space or does it necessarily need to be stored in off-site archive. Furthermore, it can be seen instantly by any authorised person within your organisation and shared electronically at the click of a mouse button. Very often, by making the information accessible within the organisation, further efficiencies are found be the de-duplication of tasks.
In short, through the digitisation associated with paper based records, organisations can benefit from extra space, the freedom of information for being accessed around the organisation as well as routed automatically through founded business processes – workflow alternatives.
Key EDM/ERM terms
Prep / Pre Check out Preparation Documents arrive for scanning in numerous formats. Sometimes there are merely reams of A4 websites neatly organised in boxes. More often however, the documents are covered within files, often stapled and un-structured. The prep process is designed to organise these documents prepared for scanning. This will involve the removal of all folders, staples and paperclips, the unfolding of folded pages as well as the repair of damaged files. This process allows the documents for being scanned in an effective manner.
Document Separator Pages Though this is strictly perhaps the Prep and or Indexing process it’s a good idea explained separately. Document separators can be as simple as being a page with a specific pattern that tells the scanner software a new document has started and up complicated sheets that use barcodes for your automatic capture of directory data. These barcodes can frequently be incorporated into commonly used documents to reduce your indexing costs.
Substitution Sheets Substitution sheets are widely-used where mixed page sizes occur inside a document. Mixed page sizes may imply different document scanners are necessary to scan one document. Often, large format items will likely be removed from the document and replaced which has a substitution sheet. These large items may then be processed through large format scanners with all the remaining document being scanned about more conventional devices. The software then marries the 2 resulting sets of productivity images into one complete set.
Scanning / Capture This is actually the process of digitisation. Digitisation can be via a relatively inexpensive low volume scanner or via tough one technology capable of scanning 10’s or even 100’s of thousands of pages in a day. Document scanners are capable of scan in full coloring, black and white as well as greyscale and varying levels of quality in line with the required resolution. Scanners can often scan both sides of any sheet in one move, automatically removing blank pages as they are found
Indexing / Data Capture On this process, key information is obtained about a document that is scanned. It is this key information that is certainly then used to retrieve the document if it is required or to result in an automated process. The quality of this info is paramount therefore it is usually keyed in the scanned image. Sometimes, where the data is critical it is double keyed, by separate operators and the software flags up any miss-matches in the keyed data. Software can also be used for this specific purpose, see Optical Character Acceptance (OCR) and Forms Recognition. Furthermore, document separators can be created that incorporate this data for automatic capture by making use of bar codes (notice above).
Quality Control (QC) Quality Control is the next stage along the way. Random samples are selected and in comparison to the original, both the scanned image and also the index data can be QC’d this way. The level of QC depends on the budget, the complexity of the project along with the value of the final data to an organisation.
Scan-on-Demand Scan-on-Demand is some sort of hybrid of traditional repository storage and EDM/ERM answers. Where a high variety of paper based documents are produced that just need to be retained for a relatively short period of time, scan on demand can be quite a very cost effective option. Documents are stored in off-site archive and once a document is required a request manufactured, the document is located, scanned and delivered digitally.
Retrieval Systems Retrieval methods allow scanned information for being recalled for storage. Regardless of where the scanned information is located, be it on optical computer, a server in the office or more commonly hosted off-site included in the service, a system is required to access this information. Usually, documents are located using search terms which will return a directory of matches. The correct document can be then selected and exhibited on screen. Retrieval systems will then let the user many options, the ability to e mail, annotate, add notes, add pages etc. to the document. Changes should always be tracked for your system and the initial be accessible. Retrieval systems may likewise have a method of adding new documents for the store and workflow features.
Workflow Workflow refers to what may be a complex process of which there are many of steps or steps required. A rules based system allows a couple of rules to be created that depend on a particular document type and definately will determine where this document is routed through the organisation. For example, an invoice will be routed around an enterprise for approval finally finding yourself with the accounts payable team, authorised for payment. Dynamic rules provide even more possibility for documents, for example, low value documents may only have to be authorised by a junior employee whereas higher value invoice need the authorisation involving two members of elderly management. The routing can become to specific individuals or departments. Workflow has many applications not on a the Accounts Payable department. Customer complaints, holiday requests, training requests etc all take advantage of automated processes
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