Do you feel frustrated with your scanning project not performing up to expectations?
You are not alone.
Quite often the theory behind scanning is sound, but in practice it does not get fully realised. Stuff gets in the way.
I constantly find myself having the same frustrations. Be it the pressure to perform at the level needed as a scanning services provider, or being confronted by some truly mind-boggling situations.
No matter the genesis of the problems there is one constant. Once you find yourself questioning how ‘slow or cumbersome’ the process has become – it already is. Now is the time to begin looking at alternatives. This is particularly so when dealing with large volumes of information – as it will be well worth the effort.
Regardless of whether the change is a radical shift in process or a minor tweak, the result should free up time for everyone involved.
Where to start?
Ensuring the best for your digitisation project can be a lot like raising a child. There are a thousand and one parenting books that tell you what to do and what not to do, but very little on what to do right now in your situation, today – your first step to righting an undesirable behaviour followed by the second step and so on. Books are not enough. Action and practical immersion is what is called for. Experiment a little, see the results and adjust accordingly.
In order to take that first step, break up the process into manageable pieces. Ones that you can focus in on without feelings of being overwhelmed with complexities.
In terms of digitisation, the most logical activities include:
- Preparation
- Scanning
- Data Capture
- Manipulating the data
- Quality Assurance
- Output
Take a step back. Don’t be distracted by the way it currently is. Above all make a start.
The best way to proceed is to identify the following and figure out where the biggest return for effort will be achieved. Consult the team and find out:
- Where are the bottlenecks? Where does the intended process break down and need intervention?
- What is the frequency in which this occurs?
- Where is manual effort needed? Can this be automated in any way?
- Are there areas of unnecessary duplication or repletion that can be streamlined without compromising the outcome?
From the answers to these questions you can develop the priority system to then delve deeper. You want to make sure your efforts are going to be worth the time investment before commencing. It would be nice if everything could be handled with a quick fix, but in reality to have an impact, the details are a necessity.
In the next blog I will expand on these activities and provide some tips on questions to ask and methods to use.
