Should my company do its own scanning, or use a scanning service?

If you decide that it does make sense for your company to digitize its documents, your next question may be whether it makes sense for your company to do its own scanning - or whether you should outsource to a scanning service.

Factors which could influence your decision may include the volume of documents to be scanned, and whether or not documents will need to be scanned on a regular basis going forward.

Ongoing scanning required

For low volumes where documents will be scanned on a regular basis going forward, you may be able to easily incorporate document scanning into your workflow by equipping users with desktop scanners or using multifunction devices already in your offices.

For higher volumes where scanning will be an ongoing requirement, setting up an in-house scanning operation will most likely require you to dedicate office space to the operation, staff up accordingly, and invest in high volume scanners and scanning software.

One-time scanning jobs

If scanning will be irregular, or if it is a one-time job, outsourcing to a document scanning service may be your best option since it will save you from having to purchase equipment and hire and train temporary workers. If you decide to do your scanning in-house, some document scanning service providers will consult with you to help you select the scanning equipment and software that best meets your needs.