Scanning, Imaging Key Building Blocks for Organization
Business and Government End Users Cite Scanning and Imaging as Key Building Blocks for Organization Processes. AIIM Industry Study Reveals High User Satisfaction With ROI from Scanning and Imaging Technologies.
Silver Spring, MD - AIIM - the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) industry association, today announced the findings of their new industry watch study "Capture and Imaging Technologies: User Perspectives and Buying Intentions." AIIM conducted the study in February 2005, with over 800 respondents representing small, medium, and large organizations in the public sector and all major industries.
"Sometimes people think of 'imaging' as simply the scanner attached to your home computer or the output from digital cameras," notes AIIM President John F. Mancini. "The reality is that the scanning and processing of documents within businesses and government has now become a critical building block for organizational processes. Two out of three end users utilize scanned documents to exchange invoices and statements with customers and suppliers. Half of those surveyed use scanned documents to file official documents with government agencies, and 45% use scanned documents to respond to litigation."
According to A. J. Hyland, 2004-2005 AIIM Board Chair and President of Hyland Software, "Getting paper under control is the first step toward developing an overall information management strategy. In an era in which organizations are under increasing pressure to justify information technology investments, users are extremely satisfied with the return on investment [ROI] from their capture implementations. Over 85% of users who have deployed capture and imaging technologies indicate that their ROI met or exceeded expectations."
Key Survey Findings:
Scanned Images are a Core Part of Critical Business Processes
One of the major insights from the survey is the ubiquitous nature of scanning in core business processes. Even in processes with potential exposure-contract negotiation, handling of confidential information, dealing with government agencies, and responding to litigation-scanned documents play a critical role. For many organizations, this has simply evolved as the technology has matured, and has often occurred at the department level rather than enterprise-wide. Organizations are now thinking through the implications of this evolution, and are attempting to put more structure around the management of scanned images.
Scanning and Imaging Satisfaction is High
Over three-quarters of those surveyed-and an even higher percentage for larger companies-report that the ROI of their capture implementations met or exceeded their expectations. The awareness of this success is not limited to the IT staff. Regardless of the primary function within the organization, there is a high degree of satisfaction with implementations of scanning and capture technologies.
Users Are Increasing Their Spending on
Imaging and Scanning Technologies
Significant numbers of users, of all organizational size, anticipate growth in their capture spending in 2005. Two trends bear greater examination. First, the number of users expecting to increase spending on multi-function peripheral devices-these are for the most part casual users of capture technologies, but represent a target audience with significant up-sell opportunities. The second trend is the expectation of increased spending on those elements of a capture solutions that "surround" the scanner itself-forms processing software, service and maintenance agreements, and outsourced services.
The Key Business Driver for Users is Efficiency
In organizations of all sizes, the fundamental business driver for capture technologies is greater efficiency and process improvement. This is not to say that compliance concerns are unimportant-they are significant for mid-sized and large organizations-but successful solution providers cannot rely on compliance concerns alone to selling capture technologies.
For a full copy of the survey results, go to:
http://www.aiim.org/article-docrep.asp?ID=29594
AIIM - the international authority on Enterprise Content Management (ECM), is leading the way to the understanding, adoption and use of ECM technologies. These technologies, tools, and methods are used to capture, manage, store, preserve, and deliver content across an enterprise in support of business processes. As a non-profit association for more than 60 years, AIIM provides news, information and resources through its website and ongoing education through programs that include market analysis, industry standards development, e-learning courses, publications, local chapters and regional events.
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