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What is the difference in Document Imaging and records management?
Home » Information Technology » Document Imaging » What is the difference in Document Imaging and records management?Traditionally, document imaging has been the act of scanning and saving documents. Records management makes use of document imaging to manage the many items that come into, as well as those items generated within an office each day. A document or records management system is a computer program that is used to index and store those documents.
An effective records management system will assist the user with tracking paper documents as well as electronic ones. Paper documents are scanned and stored in the selected program, then recalled when needed for tax or reimbursement purposes. Electronic documents can effectively be stored in designated folders along with other word processing or data management systems. Or copies of both forms of documents can be stored in PDF format, then later recalled without the aid of a designated software program.
The simplest way to begin making use of a records management system is to scan and store those documents which will be needed at tax time. As tax deductible items are purchased, scan and store copies of those receipts in a folder labeled, “Tax Deductible Receipts” somewhere on your computer or on a CD. Create another file labeled, “Tax Deductible Donations”, and another for “Depreciable Expenses.” Use a copy of the business’s last tax return to get ideas for other possible folders. Place all these folders in a folder labeled, “(Current Year) Tax Return.” All the folders will then be subfolders within the main tax return folder. For the first year you may feel the need to also keep the hard copy of each of the scanned items, but after that, a weekly or monthly backup of the tax return folder should allow you to only keep copies of those documents that have been scanned and stored since the last backup.
If this file proves to be helpful to your business at tax time, you may decide to expand your records management system to include more types of items. Trusting your computer to help manage all the pieces of paper is a good thing. But make a backup of everything in case of fire, theft or other emergency.
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