The ability of an organisation to access, distribute and manage information quickly and efficiently could mean the difference between profit and loss.
Minolta`s image management systems product manager Roger Stacey says an investment in an information management system results in more efficient use of management and supervisory staff`s valuable time by eliminating hours wasted moving paper files from desk to desk.
"An estimated 30% of administrative staff`s time is spent searching for documents, while five percent of documents are completely lost," he says.
Minolta has introduced an imaging package - Minoltascan - designed to store documents electronically as one would normally store documents in a traditional office filing system.
"The user creates filing cabinets on the system and then creates folders within those cabinets. The document images are stored within these folders. Folders can be moved from one cabinet to another, and documents can be moved from one folder to another. New documents can also be added to existing documents.
"Furthermore, the system boasts powerful search capabilities, with each document able to be traced either by its filing cabinet and folder name, or by the type of document, or by a number of keywords describing the document," he says.
There is no limit to the number of filing cabinets, folders and documents that can be stored. Minoltascan can store approximately 200 000 documents on a 6GB hard drive. Stacey says this equates to 600 lever arch files, a 25 metre high stack of A4 documents or 12 three-drawer filing cabinets.
"A 6GB hard drive costs approximately R1 200, which equates to a storage cost of less than half a cent per document page. In comparison, traditional filing systems currently store documents at a cost of approximately 90 cents per page, taking into account the costs of copying a document, search time, paper, toner and machine costs," says Stacey.
In addition, once a document is electronically stored, the document can be faxed from the computer, equating to a saving of up to 33% in telephone and copying costs.
In medium to large companies, it is estimated that only 10% of documents are generated - and stored - on computer. Minoltascan offers the ability to store the remaining 90% electronically, providing instant access to all documentation.
Minoltascan can be configured as a stand alone system, or form part of a network, and features can be customised to specific customer requirements.
Share
