Dallas Document Scanning – Key Rules

 

Most Dallas Document Scanning services essentially offer the same thing – that is, they convert paper documents to digital images. However, it is important to know that not all Dallas document scanning companies are created equal. The question is, how do you choose the best Dallas Document Scanning service for you. This post will attempt to demystify the process.

Let’s face it, most bad Dallas document scanning experiences could have been avoided by taking the adequate time to do some research on the prospective Dallas document scanning company. It all starts with asking the right questions from the beginning. The proper due diligence will save you a lot of wasted time and money. Our advice is to do some legwork prior to contacting any of the mentioned Dallas Document Scanning companies in our Dallas Document Scanning Directory.
Here’s what you need to know when discussing your scanning needs with any Dallas Document Scanning service.

Dallas Document Scanning Rule #1

Dallas Document Scanning rule number one is to make sure the service provider is locally based.  You found this site by using a search engine like Google, so go back and take a close look at some of the listings that appear on page one of Google (or Bing or Yahoo, etc.) and you will see that a number of the so called Dallas document scanning companies listed aren’t in the Dallas metroplex at all. In fact, many of them aren’t even in Texas. You may have to click on their link to determine this, but do take the time to check this out.  Why is this a big deal?  It is a big deal because you will have to ship your boxes of documents over long distances.  Are you ready to explain to your boss why your original documents got lost in transit?  Actually, it happens more often than one might think. When it happened to me I was really in a bad way. Lost documents, wasted time and expense, and egg all over my face. Why take that unnecessary risk when you can have your documents scanned with a local Dallas document scanning company?

Dallas Document Scanning Rule #2

Dallas Document Scanning rule number two is that Dallas document scanning service providers all operate differently.  Ask the company you contact if they are actually going to do the work. Truth is, some companies are only brokers, or middle men.  They get the scanning job and farm it out to another company who will do the scanning, making their money on the markup.  Very often the companies they work with are located out of state (see rule #1). Even if the Dallas document scanning company is not a broker, they still might farm out the work if they are busy doing other jobs, especially if they have not worked with you before and are juggling numerous other jobs in-house with their established clients. Always get it in writing that they will do the scanning locally.

Dallas Document Scanning Rule #3

Dallas Document Scanning rule number three deals with experience.  Experience is critical, because although scanning documents is not, as I said before, “rocket science”, it often is challenging from a software and hardware perspective.  Many people believe that they can do an adequate job scanning the documents themselves if they had the time, but they lose sight of the fact that setting up a scanning operation requires a knowledge of document work flow, the latest software (and how to use it), and commercial grade high speed scanners.  Training the scanning team is also a major consideration as well. Like any business, a Dallas document scanning operation requires a significant investment in time, money, and equipment.

Dallas Document Scanning Rule #4

Dallas Document Scanning rule number four refers to capability.  Is turn-around time important to you?  Do you have a tight deadline to meet?  If so, make sure the Dallas document scanning company you hire has at least two years of experience scanning (not just copying) documents. An inexperienced scanning company simply will not know how to properly assess the time needed to do a particular job, and this could mean providing a quote that has an unrealistic time frame.  If a drop dead date is important, make sure you are dealing with a Dallas document scanning company that bids the job correctly and can deliver as promised.

Dallas Document Scanning Rule #5

Dallas Document Scanning rule number five is critical – get your Dallas document scanning company estimate in writing. Don’t assume that the company that gave you a quote over a month ago is going to quote you the same rate today. Most quotes are based on a number of factors, and prices can vary when a Dallas document scanning company is slow and looking for work. Saving your written quote is an excellent cure for vendor “memory loss”.

Dallas Document Scanning Rule #6

Dallas Document Scanning rule number six has to do with equipment.  A printer/scanner purchased from Best Buy is not the type of equipment you want to use to scan 300 boxes of medical records or legal documents. The Dallas document scanning company you choose should have ample high speed commercial grade scanners that can handle your job specs.

Dallas Document Scanning Rule #7

Dallas Document Scanning rule number seven has to do with the person they send out to inspect your documents and provide you with a quote.  Specifically, are you speaking with a sales rep or a manager, or better yet, the owner of the company?  This is important, because you need to know that a sales rep, and many managers, work on a commission basis. Why is this important to you?  Simply because anyone working on a commission basis is motivated to sell, sell, sell… and although you may be dealing with the most reputable rep or manager in the business, the industry is full of commission reps who will tell you anything in order to get your business.  When you deal with the owner of the company, you can usually bank on the information you get from him/her.  Why? Because he is a business person who knows that the success of his business revolves around happy and satisfied customers.  He also knows that the quickest way to destroy his business is to misrepresent the facts to clients.  If you have a gut feeling that the person you are talking to is simply saying anything you want to hear in order to get your business, end the meeting and move on to the next company.  Need we say more?

Dallas Document Scanning Rule #8

Dallas Document Scanning rule number eight deals with “price”.  Document scanning is like a lot of other businesses, you sometimes get what you pay for.  If you pressure a company into giving you the lowest quote, they may cut corners in other ways in order to make up for the lost revenue when taking the job. This sometimes means having the most inexperienced scanning technician(s) doing your job. It could also mean a major drop in Quality Control. There are many ways to cut corners on a job, and none of them are good for the customer. Caveat emptor – be careful when shopping for the lowest bid.

Dallas Document Scanning Rule #9

Dallas Document Scanning rule number nine is the all important “guarantee”.  Make sure you have it in writing and make sure you are dealing with a company that will stand behind it.

Dallas Document Scanning Rule #10

Dallas Document Scanning rule number ten is easy…just use our Dallas Document Scanning Directory to find the very best document scanning service provider in Dallas. As I said before, doing a little homework is important, and it’s easy with our quick reference directory.

If you would like to advertise on this site, please contact us via email at: info@dallasdocumentscanning.net

FILED UNDER: Dallas Document Scanning

 

{ 0 comments }