Outsource Your Large Format Scanning for ECM
Electronic Content Management (ECM) now applies to nearly every document in your company – from spread sheets to word documents, to CAD files. Yes, that’s right CAD files should also be a part of any ECM initiative your company undertakes.
While ECM for CAD files is obvious in engineering companies, construction companies, manufacturing companies and other organizations whose businesses involve large format documents, even companies that deal in office-size documents may have large format documents such as office layouts, building blueprints, landscaping plans and CAD files that are part of their companies’ historical data.
So, if you plan to go digital with an ECM system, make sure you include a plan for your large format drawings as well. We call it scan to CAD for ECM.
Scan to CAD for ECM
Even though today’s large format scanners are easy to use and relatively low cost, many organizations find that outsourcing their large format scanning, especially as part of a larger digital ECM project is a practical solution.
Document management service providers and large format scanning service bureaus have experienced scanning personnel and up-to-date scanning equipment and software for both large and small documents, so they are well equipped to meet your needs. Most can handle the reproduction of large quantities of office format documents, and they’re familiar with all types of large format documents, from maps such as land and well files, land leases and plot maps, to construction drawings, architectural renderings and large corporate graphics, as well as all associated paper documents.
If you decide to outsource, consider providing several sample documents to the outsource company to scan prior to contracting with them. Make sure that the results are satisfactory and that you can incorporate the scanned files into your ECM with no problems and that you can access and view them easily.
Benefits of ECM
Whether your documents are large format, office size or a combination of the two, ECM brings many benefits:
- Eliminates the drudgery of bulk paper filing and the difficulty of finding what’s been filed
- Filing flexibility - the same document can be filed under several different references for easy reference no matter how you search for it
- Integrating large format electronic files as well as small format documents enables you to achieve one consistent and logical filing structure for ALL your documents.
Paper and PC-generated files, including CAD files, received from any source can be filed into one ECM, where they can be viewed or acted upon by any user or users simultaneously across a network or the Internet. This ability to share both small format and large format documents has several advantages:
- inter-departmental issues can be resolved more quickly
- Customer questions can be answered without having to search through paper documents
- Reduction in printing and copying documents saves time and money
- Important documents don’t get mislaid
- Freeing up expensive floor space used for paper storage can result in large cost savings
Bottom Line
ECM is rapidly becoming the de facto standard in all kinds of companies, for all kinds of documents – large format and office format. ECM helps companies streamline workflow and stay competitive. Choosing an outsource company that can provide high quality scans of both large format and office documents can get you off to the right start.