To Consider Before You Buy ...
buy a data capture system?
Get it wrong and you’ll have to live with the consequences of inefficiency, inflexibility, poor productivity, inaccurate data and excessive cost for years to come.
So here’s some clues of how to get it right. For the full report (including the answers to many of the issues we raise below) download our Buyer’s Guide to Data Capture Solutions HERE
1. Get to Know What’s Achievable
You’ve read the brochures and it all looks great. But what are the issues that will determine whether you can turn theoretical benefits into real savings? You must identify the factors that could sabotage the expected ROI.
For example, what recognition rates are you told to expect? Are these the same for hand-print, machine print, tick boxes and barcodes? If these are expressed as a percentage, a percentage of what – characters, fields, forms, documents? Have you accounted for the fact that recognition expectations will not be the same for all documents?
Irrespective of quoted recognition rates, what proportion of read characters will be correct and how will you know? How will you identify and correct recognition errors to prevent them corrupting your
corporate databases?
Find out the questions you should be asking HERE ….
Too often vendors are allowed to set the agenda to suit their product. Learn how to ensure this doesn’t happen to you….
3. Do You Need a Software Supplier or a Long Term Partner?
Chances are your chosen solution will need to support your business for many years to come. What should you expect from your solution provider and how should they work with you?
4. What’s The Business Case?
There are some key questions you should be asking to determine the true cost of your solution – not just the acquisition, but the total cost of ownership over the lifetime of the solution.
5. Delivering Data Quality
Given enough time and money, almost anything is possible. But what tools should you look for that will allow you to capture clean, accurate data quickly and without costing you the earth?
6. Automating Incoming Documents and Mail
Automating the capture of key business information will deliver massive efficiency and productivity benefits to organisations, but often relies upon manual sorting and routing of documents. Make sure your chosen solution provides the latest technology to remove this labour intensive process, to secure your documents at the point of receipt and save you money …
7. Integrating Productivity Tools
Critical data has to be right but can take excessive time to capture and confirm. Using the right productivity tools will ensure you capture elements like names, addresses, and financial details much more quickly and accurately first time, every time!
8. Exception Handling
Good data validation will reveal errors in data as you capture it. But what then? You’ve got to be able to resolve errors quickly and your solution has to be able to support ways of dealing with data problems that fit your business.
9. Process Control & Management
You can only manage and control your data capture process if you’ve got visibility of what’s happening. Get this report and find out what information should be available from your system and how to use it!
You can view our Process Management Report Here . . .
10. Data Security, Audit and Compliance
Will your data be secure? Will you be able to tell who did what to your information and when? Is there an audit trail? Can you control who has access to different data and documents?
11. Interfacing With Other Systems
Your data capture platform should enable you to interface easily with other corporate systems and not force changes to existing systems. Read more …
12. Integrating With Document Management
You’ve captured the data you need from scanned images, e-documents, e-mails and/or web forms. If you can’t store the original source document automatically, without additional scanning or indexing you’ll introduce a huge business overhead.
Read how to avoid these issues by downloading our FREE Buyer’s Guide HERE...
13. Handling Mutiple Media Sources/Types
Data arrives in your operation in many formats. Paper, image, fax, web forms, e-mails and e-documents may all need to be handled. Make sure you’ve got all the bases covered!
14. Managing Remote Locations
Whether UK or off-shore, managing remote locations effectively is an enormous challenge. What capablilities should your data capture platform provide to solve issues of visibility and operational management that will put you back in control?
15. Training and Skills Transfer
It’s impossible to run a data capture operation cost-effectively if your staff don’t have the right skills and training. We explain the options and what you should expect to get. Ignore this issue and you’ll be paying dearly for years to come.
16. Long Term Support
What do you really need, and how does this compare with what’s on offer?. Do you know what it’s going to cost you for the next five years and what you’re going to get for your money?
This report will help you decide what is right for your needs and how to make sure you get it
cost-effectively.
