Many companies are doing away with stacks of paper in favor of digital archives and tools that in theory simplify business operations. As a result of this reality, document scanning has become an important tool for moving paper files into digital processes. This blog post will discuss some key facts about scanning for companies to become aware of.
Use of scan in U.S. companies
Keypoint Intelligence-InfoTrends research shows that on the whole, U.S. companies scan about 51 billion pages annually. This represents about 6% of print and copy volume combined, but is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. For instance, business IT decision-makers expect scanning to represent 17% of multifunction printer (MFP) use over the next three years.
Source: Keypoint Intelligence-InfoTrends research
Methods for achieving scan
When asked about the types of devices that will be used to implement new scanning solutions, respondents were by far most likely to note MFPs (66%). MFPs tend to support printing, copying, and scanning; in some cases they also provide faxing and software use capability.
Use of MFPs was followed by smartphones/tablets (32%), high-volume centralized production scanners (32%), and single-function scanners (28%). Twenty-eight percent of respondents said they expect to invest in new scan-capable devices.
Type of scanning used
When scanning, office workers are most likely to be using scan to email (74%). This makes sense, as it gives them access to their documents in a wide range of locations (for example, wherever they are on their smartphone). Other popular scan methods include:
- Scan to desktop (53%)
- Scan to document archive/repository (49%)
- Scan to cloud service/online repository (36%)
Less popular ways of scanning include scanning to a specific workflow/process (31%) and scanning to a network hot folder (27%). Scanning to a specific workflow/process is likely to pick up in coming years as businesses look to further streamline and connect processes in their organization.
Companies are relying more on scan technology as they work to digitize their records and processes. The use of this function on an MFP is expected to increase, with scan to email and scan to desktop the most common types of scanning being used. For more information on how scanning can benefit your business, speak with our experts.