Let's talk about Quality Control

So, you've decided to go "paperless" and scan your paper records.  As a result, you're going to be making a financial investment in these records.  

Quality control is kind of like car insurance.  You can pay for the minimum and hope you never need it or get full coverage and if the worst happens, you don't have to worry about anything.

What's the worst that could happen if you skimp on quality control?

If you keep the paper documents after they have been scanned, probably not much.  If you missed scanning a page or indexed it incorrectly, you can always go back to the paper files.  

But if you invested in scanning the paper, why would you keep it?  How much are you spending for off-site storage to keep that paper?  If it's still in your office, what could you do with the space that paper is eating up?

There may be legal reasons that you're forced to keep the paper, but one of the benefits of scanning is being able to get rid of large volumes of paper and eliminate ongoing monthly storage costs or to free up space in your office that could be used for revenue generating activities.

So let's assume that like most organizations, your goal is to go paperless.  Now the stakes become higher.  If you have lost a document in the scanning process your exposure could be anything from an unhappy customer, to legal action, to fines and penalties, or even jail time.

If someone tells you that they'll review a "sample" of your images, are you willing to take the risk that their statistical sampling will make sure that every single page was captured and legible?  Who is going to be liable if you can't reproduce an important record - the vendor or you?

There are a number of ways to ensure that data entry is accurate and that all pages have been captured and are legible.  Some records have less risk associated with them than others, so sometimes it can be acceptable to employ a less rigorous level of quality control.  It's important to work with someone that can help you "right size" your requirements to both your budget and your legal obligations.

Quality control is an important consideration and you need to make sure that you understand exactly what that entails when engaging with a scanning vendor or doing the scanning yourself.  We're available to provide free education on this subject and many others to help you with your document imaging needs.  Please contact us if you'd like more information.