Errors are an unavoidable part of human endeavor. In some situations, errors have a positive side, helping us learn how to do things better. (Ask any sports coach.) But in operational settings, human error is costly.
Paper documents in particular are error magnets. Even when a document’s information is correct in every detail, a misfiled paper document is just as significant an error as a misspelled name or an incorrect date.
And the costs of misfiled or missing paper documents add up.
- Each misfiled document costs $120 in additional labor
- 2-5% of an organization’s documents are misfiled at any given time
- 10-12% of misfiled documents are not located on the first attempt
The costs don’t stop there. Misfiled documents create liabilities. Misfiled medical records can slow down patient treatments, with potentially adverse outcomes. Regulated industries can fall out of compliance due to misfiled or missing documents.
Document digitization solves the problem of misfiled paper documents. Imaged documents are searchable. Any word within a document can be a search term. Even if an imaged document has been incorrectly filed in an electronic file folder, it can be located by searching on key words.
And unlike a manual search in a filing cabinet, a search for an imaged document happens with electronic speed.
Of course, document digitization has other benefits. Imaged documents save space. They are far more secure than easily-destroyed paper. They are accessible to in-house and remote staffers. They contribute to an organization’s sustainability program.
A well-designed digitization program can give your business all of these advantages, while saving the costs of human error. Talk to an experienced digitization consultant and eliminate document filing errors.
Photo © contrastwerkstatt / AdobeStock
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