Byron Aulick, president and CEO of DataVault in Stafford Springs, says office file cabinets may be going the way of the dinosaur
Just as the library card catalog is going the way of the dinosaurs, office file cabinets may be following suit. In this automated, computerized age, it really doesn’t make sense to keep hard copies of files when computers can store them more safely and conveniently. Paper documents are electronically stored on electronic files retrieved within minutes from an underground secure Internet Web server. Byron Aulick, president and CEO of DataVault, Inc., one of the growing number of companies out there competing for document imaging business, explains how it works.
Hartford Business Journal:
What ever happened to the “paperless society” we’ve
heard so much about?
Aulick: For a company to go “paperless,” it must be willing to undergo a culture change. No longer will the employee have a piece of paper in their hands. Instead, they will be using a computer to retrieve their files. For some, especially older individuals, the computer in general is an unknown quantity. I had a managing partner in a large CPA firm tell me “I will not work on your corporate taxes unless I have the last three years of returns on my desk.” My comment was to first identify his clients, and exactly how much paper he was referring to. In fact, it was a very small amount of paper, so we suggested he keep his paper files, but scan the other 65 CPA’s documents and make them available electronically. This is the first step towards a paperless environment.
How are companies successfully eliminating some of the excess paperwork in their businesses?
Some have chosen to implement their own in-house imaging system. That is, they have capital funds to purchase hardware, software, training and support contracts, as well as an IT staff to see it through. This approach does work, and paper becomes electronic. However, it requires a significant investment.
Many are using the services of outsourcing companies. This has the same benefits as the previous scenario, without the monetary investment. The outsourcing company does all the processing and hosting, and the client simply uses the Internet to gain access. Since the fee is based on the number of pages in the system, it’s a “pay as you go” scenario – pay for only what you use.
How can a service such as yours save time for small – to medium – sized businesses?
Once documents are electronic, they can be located within seconds. The whole concept is like an electronic library. You type in the name, number or date of a file and the system tells you everything it has that matches your criteria. With a simple mouse click you are looking at the document on screen. Once found, you can e-mail, fax or print the document instantly. Time is saved by not ever leaving your desk to find a file. Misfiles are almost non-existent. And several can work on the same file at the same time.
What kind of return on investment will an average business see?
This depends upon several items, such as how much time is staff involved with filing, retrieving, copying, faxing and over-nighting documents. Also, how much floor space are the filing cabinets taking up, and off-site storage. Then, if you buy a system you first must offset the purchase price. Outsourcing helps this issue. I have seen an immediate ROI with clients that have a legal need to produce documents when asked. The cost of a lost or misfiled document can be tremendously high.
What security issues exist with online document imaging?
The question is usually “How can I prevent hackers from seeing my data?” and the answer is “If you do your due-diligence you can lessen the odds.” Can you tell me that no one can EVER get into your office and steal files? At least with modern imaging software, the files are encrypted when traveling across the network. Also, with our system, at no time is the entire database exposed to the Internet. Only the actual page you are looking at could be hacked, and that is encrypted as well.
Are some folks reluctant to embrace this type of service?
There are times when a client cannot allow the paper to go off-site to be scanned. They have the need and can see the value, but security does not allow them to release the paper. In this case, they need money to purchase the scanning portion of an imaging system. They scan the paper, then pass along the images to us to index and store for them.
What is a CDIA and who should become one?
A CDIA – a Certified Document Imaging Architect – is a specially trained individual who designs and implements solutions for the capture, storage, retrieval and manipulation of office documents. It is the CDIA who will be on the leading edge of the “paperless” society.
The CDIA program is not limited to computer professionals. However, a good knowledge of computers, computing systems, networks and computer software is necessary for the imaging professional to design document imaging solutions. Anyone who is involved or planning to get involved in the purchase, planning of, set-up, installation, design, assessment, evaluation, determination, configuration, testing or understanding of the hardware and software of a document imaging system should become a CDIA.
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