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What things should be considered
when selecting an imaging system?
Selecting
the right document imaging system can be an exciting task. There
are many aspects to consider to make sure it fits your organization's
needs. Using the expertise gathered from over twelve years of creating
document imaging solutions for our customers, we've assembled a
list of things to look for, including some essentials and some nice
extras.
Access
The final
component of an document imaging is the access to the system. In today's
computer environment, users are located in different locations, with
different equipment, and different access rights. A full-featured
imaging system must provide the ability to permit access to those
users who need it, without compromising security. To create this access,
a system must have two fundamental features:
- Broad
availability
- Comprehensive
security
Broad
availability
An imaging system must offer different ways of accessing images.
The most common method is through the user's desktop. Every document
imaging system must provide a client-based user interface that enables
the scanning, indexing and retrieval of documents. Without this
basic interface, the system cannot function.
To
provide broad availability and access flexibility, imaging systems
now must meet the requirements of offices with diverse uses and
remote locations. Document imaging is no longer an "in-the-office"
process. Many users require portability to exchange imaging information
with other colleagues or to work off-site. An imaging system that
does not offer this flexibility limits not only the usefulness of
the system but also the abilities of the user.
In
addition, sharing documents through the Internet or an intranet
allows system administrators to deploy imaging systems across their
entire network and to the public. Having browser-based document
access removes the final limitations that can plague an imaging
system. Users can search, retrieve and view documents with the simplicity
of a web browser from any desktop on any platform at any location.
A broad
level of access to document imaging is a must to save limited financial
resources, intellectual capital and network bandwidth.
Comprehensive
security
The ability to provide imaging to a larger group means stronger
control must be placed on user access. A comprehensive security
system must allow the system administrator to control what users
can or cannot do as well as what they can or cannot see. The system
must control access to folders, documents and even redacted pages
and text in a simple and complete manner. The ability to deploy
imaging to a wide variety of users requires a robust security system
combined with an elegant user interface.
A good
access system will make document imaging available to everyone,
whether they are in an office or at a remote location, all without
compromising system security.
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