{"id":46302,"date":"2021-08-28T07:41:22","date_gmt":"2021-08-28T14:41:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=46302"},"modified":"2021-08-28T07:50:50","modified_gmt":"2021-08-28T14:50:50","slug":"document-overload-dealer-commercial-imaging-backfile-scanning-services-bring-digital-order-to-paper-mess","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/state-of-the-industry\/2021\/08\/document-overload-dealer-commercial-imaging-backfile-scanning-services-bring-digital-order-to-paper-mess\/","title":{"rendered":"Document Overload: Dealer Commercial Imaging, Backfile Scanning Services Bring Digital Order to Paper Mess"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>As is the case with any product or service in an office equipment dealer\u2019s arsenal, the primary challenge is getting clients and prospects to recognize the need for a given solution. The catalyst for conversations that ultimately lead to making a decision often occurs when an operational process breaks down and needs to be remedied ASAP. Or, for the more enterprising sales reps, a fairly significant ROI or process improvement can be demonstrated to the client. Time and money savings are the ultimate attention-getters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But even during a strong economy, it can be difficult to sell a \u201cshould-do\u201d solution when the remedy doesn\u2019t address an immediate need or is viewed as a project that can be kicked down the road. The key is positioning an offering as a priority. In the case of commercial imaging\/backfile scanning\u2014the art of digitizing hard-copy documents, microfilm, microfiche and other media for use in an ECM platform or other data repository\u2014the value of this service became quickly apparent during the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For many paper-intensive organizations, the need to have physical forms and documents readily available became an issue when COVID-19 scattered office workers into their homes\/remote work environments. Employees needed to access hard-copy documents that were either sitting in a filing cabinet or buried among a cadre of banker\u2019s boxes, and with offices closed or limited, it shifted the \u201cshould-do\u201d project to \u201cmust-do\u201d status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From law firms to manufacturing and even some stubborn health care clients, there are plenty of vertical opportunities to drag paper-intensive businesses into the 21st century by converting paper clipped, stapled and well-loved physical forms into indexed, searchable digital files that can be accessed anywhere, anytime. And with businesses always on the lookout for ways to reduce their physical footprint, eliminating file cabinets and ditching banker\u2019s boxes enables them to repurpose available square footage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For this month\u2019s State of the Industry report on document disposition, we spoke with a half-dozen dealers who offer commercial imaging services\u2014either independently or in tandem with a manufacturer\u2014thus completing the document lifecycle span all the way through to destruction. They\u2019ve graciously provided examples of successful engagements that help paint a picture of the scope and process of what can be a significantly large and time-consuming undertaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\"><strong>Physical Threats<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a dealer such as Nashville, Tennessee-based RJ Young, the peril that faces business has been made all too clear within the past two years. In addition to the pandemic, the dealer\u2019s headquarters (and the town itself) has suffered through a devastating tornado and building explosion. That amplifies the need to ensure that vital information doesn\u2019t perish along with physical assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Chad-Lagrone-RJ-Young.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46303\"\/><figcaption>Chad Lagrone,<br>RJ Young<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>RJ Young\u2019s commercial imaging and information governance business has grown exponentially this year, notes Chad Lagrone, vice president of technology services. The success spurred by the ongoing digitization of the office has prompted the dealer to build out full scanning centers in both its Nashville and Jackson, Mississippi, locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are very fortunate to have 40,000-plus current customers, most of which have had to change the way they do business since the pandemic,\u201d Lagrone said. \u201cWe have armed our salesforce with talk tracks and case studies around digitizing the office and truly understanding the document life cycle within each of our customer\u2019s organizations. These conversations naturally lead to conversation around imaging\/backfile scanning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>We have armed our salesforce with talk tracks and case studies around digitizing the office and truly understanding the document life cycle within each of our customer\u2019s organizations.<\/p><cite>\u2013 Chad Lagrone, RJ Young<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>With such a specialized discipline, many of the customer questions are universal: Are documents scanned on-premise or at the vendor? What happens once the file becomes digital? What becomes of the paper file? How long does it take? What are the costs? RJ Young ties it all together with a dedicated project manager and a well-defined and documented scope of work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/David-Mielnicki-IMR-Digital.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46304\"\/><figcaption>David Mielnicki,<br>IMR Digital<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>One RJ Young project entailed a northwestern client for which the engagement is open-ended; it began with a three-year agreement that was recently extended for another three years. The dealer has two full-time employees on-site who are responsible for scanning work orders, vendor forms and the like, validating indexed information using automated capture software to provide quality assurance. The files are stored and indexed for internal retrieval in a content management platform that RJ Young supplied to the client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe then complete audit forms to shred the documents and send over to the legal and compliance analyst,\u201d Lagrone noted. \u201cWe shred the documents and create a certificate of destruction. This has allowed our customer to focus on its true core business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Marrying us with KDI\u2019s customer base allows us to go in and support them with more products and services and demonstrate where they may have a need for these services.<\/p><cite>\u2013 David Mielnicki, IMR Digital<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\"><strong>Dedicated Division<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>KDI Office Technology of Aston, Pennsylvania, took a substantial step into the world of digitizing files with the 2019 acquisition of IMR Digital, a document scanning, imaging and indexing services specialist. IMR debuted as Micrographics International in the late 1970s, serving the needs of health care, legal, finance, education and government entities. Certain clients, particularly government, are mandated to maintain files for a defined period, and IMR Digital can provide chain-of-custody certification and documentation for files in the event that hard copy or digital sources need to be shredded, erased or destroyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to David Mielnicki, director of sales, conversion services for IMR Digital, the union with KDI Office Technology opened the door to a list of 5,000-plus clients, and the groups work in concert to support client needs on the scanning, backfiling and imaging side. \u201cThe combination really provides the complete life cycle, from the inception of the record itself all the way through to destruction,\u201d he said. \u201cMarrying us with KDI\u2019s customer base allows us to go in and support them with more products and services and demonstrate where they may have a need for these services.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Anthony-Parrell-IMR-Digital.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46307\"\/><figcaption>Anthony Parrell,<br>IMR Digital<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Anthony Parrell, director of conversion services, believes IMR Digital\u2019s experience in digitizing helps to bring the need into focus for clients. \u201cA lot of people think you just shake a box of documents into a scanner and it comes out the other end,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are a lot of things we can show them, ways to leverage the information they already have on paper and enhance the ways to optimize it. They need to see the value in it. Fortunately, we have really good salespeople and tech support who can bring the customers into that world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Part of the problem, according to Mielnicki, is that clients believe they can wrangle large projects courtesy of their MFP scanners. Others have used different providers who scan documents without indexing or identifying content properly. Without that indexing strategy, the outcome can be a hard-copy mess transformed into a digital mess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where IMR Digital steps up to the plate. It sells DocuWare\u2019s content management platform, which can leverage the digitized content for a myriad of purposes\u2014quickening searches, performing workflow process and interacting with other departmental functions. Some clients rely on digital conversion to monetize their information, such as a university wanting to market directly to its alumni.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Once you digitize a record, you now have a portable file that can be manipulated and ingested into many different types of platforms, which is a benefit.<\/p><cite>\u2013 Anthony Parrell, IMR Digital<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOnce you digitize a record, you now have a portable file that can be manipulated and ingested into many different types of platforms, which is a benefit,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s where the expertise comes in; we work to help them navigate and get that information into whatever content management platform or system they want to have those records stored in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the larger recent projects undertaken by IMR Digital was a 32-million image job for a local county\u2019s Department of Human Services. There were 15,000 boxes of records, or enough to fill 14 tractor-trailers. The endgame was to enable users to access information from multiple locations in real-time as opposed to the laborious process of sifting through boxes. The job took a year and a half to finish, and IMR Digital also had to deal with DHS needing various documents while the project was still in process. That the files dealt with high-risk children added a degree of difficulty, and IMR Digital had to ensure the secure transfer of information back and forth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of work that goes into it behind the scenes that needs to be considered by the customer when dealing with this type of situation,\u201d Parrell noted. \u201cFortunately, we have the capability and firepower to literally convert that many records, index them and get it back to the client in a usable fashion in that short a period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\"><strong>Roll with Changes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Dawn-Abbuhl-Repeat-Business-Systems.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46308\"\/><figcaption>Dawn Abbuhl,<br>Repeat Business Systems<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The development of Repeat Business Systems\u2019 commercial imaging business has mirrored the changing needs for how businesses access information. The Albany, New York-based dealer has been growing its offering over the past seven years, according to President Dawn Abbuhl, as customers appreciated the company\u2019s ability to curate the document life cycle and convert it for easy data storage and access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Repeat Business System leverages Ricoh\u2019s business process outsourcing document scanning service, and its first project was performed for a private-school account. Abbuhl notes the service truly took hold for Repeat at the onset of the pandemic, when businesses couldn\u2019t easily access on-premise documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In engaging with customers at the onset of a project, Abbuhl\u2019s team tries to incorporate the best of the client\u2019s current processes into a new secure, digital workflow. \u201cHaving those big-picture conversations up front in a discovery setting allows us to understand concerns around some staff being resistant to change, for example,\u201d she said. \u201cOften we find processes are currently being done in multiple systems, with many different document types and a lack of consistency, so creating a big picture plan early\u2014even developing some policy\u2014and providing great training help guide the implementation to be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prior to the pandemic, it could be a difficult sell for clients to see the value of curtailing the growing paper avalanche, even as it threatened to limit space. But COVID-19 changed the conversation from space to accessing documents, which was highly disruptive for real estate and law firm clients. This crystallized the need for specific and immediate relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Having those big-picture conversations up front in a discovery setting allows us to understand concerns around some staff being resistant to change.<\/p><cite>\u2013 Dawn Abbuhl, Repeat Business Systems<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Abbuhl cited a project the dealer embarked on for a growing credit union. During a six-month span, Repeat Business Systems built and implemented an HR onboarding process with forms and workflow. The dealer scanned all active and non-active employee files, including medical and 401K\u2014all indexed and searchable in the new document management solution. Scanning roughly 200,000 images freed up valuable physical space while providing time savings on a daily basis for HR and simplifying annual audits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWith a document management platform in place, it is easy to continue to add workflow and process improvements throughout the organization,\u201d she said. \u201cRegardless of what branch location an employee is working in for the day, or even working from home, they can be productive and securely access current versions of information.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\"><strong>Growth Offering<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another dealer that relies on Ricoh as its commercial imaging partner is Woodhull LLC of Springboro, Ohio. The OEM and dealer tag team on the client audit and assessment, and jobs are primarily shipped to Ricoh\u2019s Cleveland facility, according to Robert Woodhull, marketing manager. The offering has become a cornerstone of the dealer\u2019s software portfolio, and Woodhull attributes much of the success to the strong relationship with the manufacturer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Robert-Woodhull-Woodhull-LLC.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46309\"\/><figcaption>Robert Woodhull,<br>Woodhull LLC<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Being able to demonstrate an immediate ROI and offer relief from the acres of paper mass can make for a compelling case to move forward with a scanning project, according to Woodhull. \u201cWhen there\u2019s 1,200 square feet of bankers boxes, and we offer to digitize and put them into any format desired, clients tangibly can see the process and the project unfold. On top of that you show an ROI, which is pretty immediate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUnlike some document solution software that is process-oriented but the process isn\u2019t tangible, it\u2019s hard for C-level and middle management people to wrap their heads around it. But when we perform a commercial imaging or scanning services project that saves space and provides accessibility, it resonates a lot better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Municipalities mandated to be able to reproduce documents find the time savings, which is upward of 50%, to be most compelling. And while paper-intensive organizations are prime candidates, Woodhull notes that any client embarking on a facility move can be attracted to the thought of downsizing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>When there\u2019s 1,200 square feet of bankers boxes, and we offer to digitize and put them into any format desired, clients tangibly can see the process and the project unfold.<\/p><cite>\u2013 Robert Woodhull, Woodhull LLC<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Woodhull cited an example of a municipal court client that had been incurring fines because it was unable to reproduce documents in a timely or accurate manner, if at all. With the help of Ricoh, the year-long project produced nearly two million document scans, converting court cases between 1998 and 2012 that had been housed in banker\u2019s boxes into the municipality\u2019s case management software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\"><strong>Newer Offering<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Imaging and backfile scanning services have been a part of Applied Imaging\u2019s portfolio for more than seven years. The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based dealership converts paper documents, bound books, microfilm\/microfiche, DVDs and audio\/video files to digital format and also offers scanning hardware and secure document destruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Mari-Martin-Applied-Imaging.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46311\"\/><figcaption>Mari Martin,<br>Applied Imaging<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Mari Martin, ECM and backfile specialist for Applied Imaging, the dealer can address wide-ranging security needs as required by agencies working with police files, court documents or any information deemed a potential security risk. She notes Applied Imaging can counsel clients on tackling high-volume projects scattered throughout an organization, in multiple formats, while addressing cost concerns through financing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe focus the conversation on their retention schedule and how it applies to each collection of documents,\u201d she said. \u201cThis helps discern what documents should be considered for a backfile project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>We suggest breaking the backfile projects down into phases to spread it over time and budgets.<\/p><cite>\u2013 Mari Martin, Applied Imaging<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe suggest breaking the backfile projects down into phases to spread it over time and budgets. We also offer to run a backfile test of a few boxes to provide a better idea of what the actual project costs will be. Then the proposal quantities can be adjusted to better match the project.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/John-Lowery-Applied-Imaging.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46312\"\/><figcaption>John Lowery,<br>Applied Imaging<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Applied Imaging is currently working with a public-school district on a project that so far has encompassed nearly a million scanned pages\u2014student records, HR, administrative, among others\u2014to address a space crunch that was becoming unwieldly. The district wanted to remodel its existing storage area to repurpose it as office space. Since the district had an existing software solution, Applied Imaging scanned and indexed it for upload, providing space relief in addition to increased security for HR and simplified access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Backfile conversion is a great addition to our services portfolio because we now can truly help a customer with their entire document life cycle by migrating legacy documents into digital format and exporting into our ECM solutions.<\/p><cite>\u2013 John Lowery, Applied Imaging<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBackfile conversion is a great addition to our services portfolio because we now can truly help a customer with their entire document life cycle by migrating legacy documents into digital format and exporting into our ECM solutions,\u201d said John Lowery, Applied Imaging president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\"><strong>Key Partnerships<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Coordinated Business Systems of Burnsville, Minnesota, has been offering commercial imaging services for the past five years. The dealer utilizes Kyocera\u2019s DataBank for backfile scanning, and Kyocera has facilities throughout the U.S. that Coordinated can tap on a per-box or pre-project basis. Completed files are returned to Coordinated using a naming convention created in tandem with the client, then uploaded to a digital archival system (Square 9\u2018s GlobalSearch is Coordinated\u2019s system of choice), according to Jeff Osgar, solutions specialist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Jeff-Osgar-Coordinated-Business-Systems.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-46313\"\/><figcaption>Jeff Osgar,<br>Coordinated Business Systems<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGetting these files digital is one thing, but what we tend to find is that without a repository or naming convention set up, your paper mess slowly turns into a digital mess,\u201d Osgar said. \u201cHaving that back-end system is where I and my team come into play. We\u2019re able to provide that to the customer in a standardized, easy-to-use, customizable, very scalable solution with GlobalSearch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When engaging in business optimization conversations with clients, Osgar notes they will invariably point to their filing cabinets. That\u2019s where Osgar comes into play; he\u2019ll perform a deeper dive and a greater understanding of what the customer is seeking to accomplish from a strategy standpoint. Coordinated works with Square 9\/DataBank\/Kyocera and the client throughout the process to determine the scope of work. It\u2019s during the discovery that Osgar can get a better handle on the different types of documents employed and identify outliers or stragglers to the scanning process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>There are going to be some curveballs, but our teams are prepared for it and we communicate throughout the process and work with the customer to get the result they\u2019re seeking.<\/p><cite>\u2013 Jeff Osgar, Coordinated Business Systems<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere are going to be some curveballs, but our teams are prepared for it and we communicate throughout the process and work with the customer to get the result they\u2019re seeking,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On one project, Coordinated worked with a company that provides waterproofing systems for both residential and commercial use. The client has been furnishing waterproof sealing for dwellings since 1965, and it offers customers a lifetime warranty. Between the company\u2019s inception and 2016, all of its warranty history was kept on paper, so the project entailed digitizing 26,000 warranties and corresponding documents. Now, if a client calls the waterproofing firm for service or warranty information, employees can digitally search the customer via name, address or date of service. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As is the case with any product or service in an office equipment dealer\u2019s arsenal, the primary challenge is getting clients and prospects to recognize the need for a given solution. The catalyst for conversations that ultimately lead to making a decision often occurs when an operational process breaks down and needs to be remedied ASAP. Or, for the more enterprising sales reps, a fairly significant ROI or process improvement can be demonstrated to the client. Time and money savings are the ultimate attention-getters. But even during a strong economy, it can be difficult to sell a \u201cshould-do\u201d solution when the remedy doesn\u2019t address an immediate need or is viewed as a project that can be kicked down the road. The key is positioning an offering as a priority. In the case of commercial imaging\/backfile scanning\u2014the art of digitizing hard-copy documents, microfilm, microfiche and other media for use in an ECM platform or other data repository\u2014the value of this service became quickly apparent during the pandemic. For many paper-intensive organizations, the need to have physical forms and documents readily available became an issue when COVID-19 scattered office workers into their homes\/remote work environments. Employees needed to access hard-copy documents that were either sitting in a filing cabinet or buried among a cadre of banker\u2019s boxes, and with offices closed or limited, it shifted the \u201cshould-do\u201d project to \u201cmust-do\u201d status. From law firms to manufacturing and even some stubborn health care clients, there are plenty of vertical opportunities to drag paper-intensive businesses into the 21st century by converting paper clipped, stapled and well-loved physical forms into indexed, searchable digital files that can be accessed anywhere, anytime. And with businesses always on the lookout for ways to reduce their physical footprint, eliminating file cabinets and ditching banker\u2019s boxes enables them to repurpose available square footage. For this month\u2019s State of the Industry report on document disposition, we spoke with a half-dozen dealers who offer commercial imaging services\u2014either independently or in tandem with a manufacturer\u2014thus completing the document lifecycle span all the way through to destruction. They\u2019ve graciously provided examples of successful engagements that help paint a picture of the scope and process of what can be a significantly large and time-consuming undertaking. Physical Threats For a dealer such as Nashville, Tennessee-based RJ Young, the peril that faces business has been made all too clear within the past two years. In addition to the pandemic, the dealer\u2019s headquarters (and the town itself) has suffered through a devastating tornado and building explosion. That amplifies the need to ensure that vital information doesn\u2019t perish along with physical assets. RJ Young\u2019s commercial imaging and information governance business has grown exponentially this year, notes Chad Lagrone, vice president of technology services. The success spurred by the ongoing digitization of the office has prompted the dealer to build out full scanning centers in both its Nashville and Jackson, Mississippi, locations. \u201cWe are very fortunate to have 40,000-plus current customers, most of which have had to change the way they do business since the pandemic,\u201d Lagrone said. \u201cWe have armed our salesforce with talk tracks and case studies around digitizing the office and truly understanding the document life cycle within each of our customer\u2019s organizations. These conversations naturally lead to conversation around imaging\/backfile scanning.\u201d We have armed our salesforce with talk tracks and case studies around digitizing the office and truly understanding the document life cycle within each of our customer\u2019s organizations. \u2013 Chad Lagrone, RJ Young With such a specialized discipline, many of the customer questions are universal: Are documents scanned on-premise or at the vendor? What happens once the file becomes digital? What becomes of the paper file? How long does it take? What are the costs? RJ Young ties it all together with a dedicated project manager and a well-defined and documented scope of work. One RJ Young project entailed a northwestern client for which the engagement is open-ended; it began with a three-year agreement that was recently extended for another three years. The dealer has two full-time employees on-site who are responsible for scanning work orders, vendor forms and the like, validating indexed information using automated capture software to provide quality assurance. The files are stored and indexed for internal retrieval in a content management platform that RJ Young supplied to the client. \u201cWe then complete audit forms to shred the documents and send over to the legal and compliance analyst,\u201d Lagrone noted. \u201cWe shred the documents and create a certificate of destruction. This has allowed our customer to focus on its true core business.\u201d Marrying us with KDI\u2019s customer base allows us to go in and support them with more products and services and demonstrate where they may have a need for these services. \u2013 David Mielnicki, IMR Digital Dedicated Division KDI Office Technology of Aston, Pennsylvania, took a substantial step into the world of digitizing files with the 2019 acquisition of IMR Digital, a document scanning, imaging and indexing services specialist. IMR debuted as Micrographics International in the late 1970s, serving the needs of health care, legal, finance, education and government entities. Certain clients, particularly government, are mandated to maintain files for a defined period, and IMR Digital can provide chain-of-custody certification and documentation for files in the event that hard copy or digital sources need to be shredded, erased or destroyed. According to David Mielnicki, director of sales, conversion services for IMR Digital, the union with KDI Office Technology opened the door to a list of 5,000-plus clients, and the groups work in concert to support client needs on the scanning, backfiling and imaging side. \u201cThe combination really provides the complete life cycle, from the inception of the record itself all the way through to destruction,\u201d he said. \u201cMarrying us with KDI\u2019s customer base allows us to go in and support them with more products and services and demonstrate where they may have a need for these services.\u201d Anthony Parrell, director of conversion services, believes IMR Digital\u2019s experience in digitizing helps to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1641],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46302"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46302"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46302\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46314,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46302\/revisions\/46314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46302"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46302"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}