How to Choose a Document Scanner for Your Small Business in Ontario

Posted on June 22, 2021

Topics: IT Infrastructure

How to Choose a Document Scanner for Your Small Business in Ontario

The tech and business worlds have been talking about the transition to paperless for years. Even on this blog here at OT Group, we’ve discussed the importance of data backups and other IT solutions - all of which are crucial to the security and efficiency of your business in a world where the vast majority of data is stored online. 

Yet, unless your business is ahead of the game in terms of IT infrastructure and employee processes, it’s incredibly unlikely that your company has absolutely no paper documents. 

In fact, for many companies, paper documents are still hugely important. Whether it’s legal and financial documents, personal notes made during a meeting, hiring process paperwork or employee policies, paperwork is still a crucial aspect of how many organizations do business. 

Yet the way we are storing and managing these documents has changed dramatically - and that’s where the importance of good scanners come in.

Managing paper documents in a digital world

Traditionally, businesses manage their paperwork by organizing them into folders and then placing them into filing cabinets.

The problem is, over time, managing paper-based documents becomes unorganized, inefficient and cumbersome for your business. Folders become chaotic, your system of records becomes too complex to follow and there’s no structure to finding old documents. 

Want to find that document you stored more than two years ago? Forget about it, it could be anywhere by now. 

That’s why businesses are trading in their messy and unorganized filing cabinets, and instead using document scanners to scan and store their important and valuable documents electronically instead. 

The use of a document scanner improves the security of your sensitive information, gives you an electronic backup of your paperwork and makes the process of accessing documents far more efficient.

Choosing the best scanner for your Ontario-based business

To help you choose the best document scanner for your business, here are a few key considerations to think about when narrowing down your search to the most effective system.

Understand what your business needs to scan

The items that your employees need to scan should be the main consideration when selecting a scanner. Are you scanning paper documents and receipts, or do you regularly need to scan professional photographs?

Most document scanners are capable of handling most forms of paper documents, whether its photo identification, paper records of information or receipts. However you will need a specialized photo scanner if you are scanning photographs. 

Consider how many documents you need to scan

One of the other most important aspects to consider when investing in a scanner for your business is how many documents you will need to scan. If you only need to scan occasionally, then you can likely get away with a less expensive scanner.

If you have a number of employees who all scan regularly, then you’re probably going to have to look for a scanner with high-volume and batch scanning applications. These high-speed scanners will ensure your business is able to digitize a large amount of paperwork quickly, without the need for close supervision from your employees.

Do you want to purchase or lease a scanner?

To make the most of your scanner, you’ll want to choose the most cost-effective solution for your company’s unique needs. You have two options here, either purchasing the scanner or leasing it. 

Benefits of leasing a printer include low upfront costs, keeping your equipment up to date, and outsourcing its maintenance to a third-party expert. While the benefits of purchasing are that it will be less expensive in the long run, no contracts that lock you in and the ability to completely own and control what you do with the scanner. 

How OT Group can help

OT Group has partnered with some of the leading manufacturers of scanners, such as Canon, to supply your business with a scanning solution that ensures your team can efficiently digitize paper documents onto your system time and time again. 

We have the right solution for you, no matter your needs, budget and whether you want to lease or purchase. Just get in touch with the OT Group team today. We would be happy to help. 

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