by Denny Stamps

Last month's issue of The AccuView focused on distributed capture. Unlike centralized environments, where most document scanning occurs in one location, distributed capture involves the placement of multiple, lower-speed, lower-volume and less-expensive scanners throughout an organization, so paper can be captured where it originates.

This month's issue features a related topic: scanners.

When a business considers an investment in document scanners, it should start by understanding where and how paper documents come into the organization. Questions should be asked about the kind of paper documents that arrive in those areas of the business - for example, multiple page documents, two-sided documents, color documents, etc. The volume of paper documents that arrive in those areas per day/month should also be analyzed.

Once the right questions are asked and the answers considered, it becomes much easier to match the right document scanning solution to the right task.

This issue of The AccuView provides information that may help you identify the scanner features your business requires. But we can also help you ask the right questions, and answer them, to determine your scanner needs. Please contact us for a consultation.

Best regards,
Denny Stamps
denny.stamps@accuimagellc.com

The Weakest Link

If there is one component of an organization's paperless office strategy that has the potential for being the weakest link in the system it is the document scanner. Investing in the wrong type of scanner can be like having only four desk chairs in an office where ten people work. Someone is always either standing around doing nothing or balancing on a makeshift chair made from a stack of phone books. Productivity suffers and the job doesn't get done.

The Role of the Document Scanner

The role of the document scanner in a paperless office strategy is to convert paper-based information into electronic documents. Documents generated internally in a paperless office will most likely be in some type of electronic format already. However, documents that arrive in the organization from outside in the form of correspondence, reports, catalogs, etc. will likely be in paper format. It is those paper documents that must be converted into electronic documents by using a document scanner.

Two Types of Document Scanners

There are two basic types of document scanners: sheetfed scanners and flatbed scanners.

Sheetfed scanners are designed to handle documents printed on separate sheets of paper. The paper documents are not bound together in any way as in a book. Documents to be scanned can be fed into a sheetfed scanner one at a time or as a multi-page stack provided that the scanner has some form of automatic document feeding capability.

Flatbed scanners, on the other hand, are designed to scan documents that are not in the form of individual sheets of paper. Flatbed scanners are used to scan odd-sized documents, pages in a bound book, and most any other type of document that cannot be accommodated by a sheetfed scanner. It should be noted that it is not unusual for flatbed scanners to include an automatic document feeder for handling cut sheets of paper.

Match the Scanner with the Job

The type of scanner that is chosen for an office or other business environment is where the potential for the weakest link in the paperless office strategy can occur. Suppose Sally in the purchasing department routinely handles multi-page purchase orders. Placing a flatbed scanner without an automatic document feeder (ADF) on her desk would probably be a mistake. Sally would soon get tired of scanning one page at a time using the flatbed scanner, and eventually she will stop scanning documents at all. A sheetfed scanner - or even a flatbed scanner with an ADF - would be the better choice for Sally.

Bob the marketing manager, on the other hand, accumulates drawings and marketing ideas scratched out on bar napkins and notepad paper that he doesn't want to lose. A low-cost flatbed scanner would handle that job nicely.

The other potential weak link with document scanners is speed - or document throughput. If someone has to wait on a slow scanner to scan a page, then the task of scanning documents will become a dreaded chore. Eventually, the person doing the scanning will find any excuse to avoid performing this chore. Matching scanning performance with the job is even more important than whether a person gets a sheetfed scanner or a flatbed scanner.

Source: Paperless Office Technology, "How to Choose the Right Scanner," May 2006

When choosing a scanner, there are several key attributes that you should take into account.

Color Depth: The number of bits captured per pixel, which is related to the number of possible colors. Higher color depth equals better image quality. Typical color depths are 24, 32, 36, 42 and 48-bit. If you plan on doing document scans, then you may not even need color. However, for those that wish to scan photographs or projects requiring great detail, then look for a scanner with a color depth closer to 48-bit.

Optical Resolution: A measure of how well a scanner can capture an image. It is the actual number of pixels that the scanner provides when scanning an image. The higher the optical resolution, the higher the quality of the image captured. Optical resolution is measured in dots per inch (dpi) and is not to be confused with interpolated resolution. 300 dpi will do well for most office applications. However, look for at least 600 dpi when photos are involved.

Interpolated Resolution: The ability of the scanner software to "fill-in" spaces between scanned dots. This is really only a factor if you plan on enlarging images. The higher the interpolated resolution, the smoother your enlarged images will look. 9600 x 9600 dpi is a typical interpolated resolution offered today.

Flatbed vs. Sheetfed: Flatbed scanners offer a flat, glass surface. The image to be scanned is placed on the glass surface and the lid is shut. This is typically used for environments where very limited scanning takes place or for "irregular" objects (i.e., a book or hard-cased object). Sheetfed scanners are useful for environments that require frequent volume scanning. They allow you to scan large projects automatically. Simply place the sheets that need to be scanned in the automatic document feeder. The sheetfed scanner will automatically process the sheets and scan them automatically. Scanners offer various sizes of automatic document feeders. Larger capacity feeders allow for larger jobs to be completed with fewer interventions from the user. Some scanners offer both flatbed and sheetfed capabilities, allowing for more flexibility in a single unit.

Simplex or Duplex: Simplex scanners have the ability to scan one side of a document. This is useful when a majority of your items that need to be scanned are single-sided. Duplex scanners allow for the scanning of both sides of a document in a single pass. A majority of duplex scanners have a feeder with a dual sided lens that reads both sides of a document as it passes through. Duplex scanners can be set to scan as simplex or duplex, depending on the job the user wishes to scan.

Scan Speed: Scan speed is typically rated in pages per minute (ppm) for simplex scanning and images per minute (ipm) for duplex scanning. Pages per minute (ppm) measures the amount of pages scanned in a given minute. Images per minute (ipm) measures the amount of actual images (front and back) captured in a minute. The higher the scan speed, the more scans a user can do in a set amount of time. Look for higher scan speeds if you plan on doing frequent or high-volume scanning. Scan speed decreases as you increase the scan resolution.

Daily Duty Cycle: Measures the amount of scans that a scanner can handle in any given day. This is rated by the manufacturer as the maximum amount of scans that the machine can handle. You should not surpass this measurement as this can damage your scanner. Most manufacturers have an internal measuring device in the unit that they can look at if you have your scanner serviced. Scanning beyond the daily duty cycle typically voids the warranty on the scanner. Look for higher daily duty cycles for larger scanning jobs. Make sure that you choose a scanner that can keep-up with your needs on a daily basis.

Maximum Supported Document Size: The maximum document size that a scanner can handle. Typically measured in paper size such as letter (8.5" x 11") and legal (8.5" x 14"). Make sure that the scanner can support the document sizes you plan on scanning.

Interface: The connection between the scanner and the computer. Typical interfaces are SCSI, USB and USB 2.0. The purchase of a SCSI scanner requires the user to purchase a SCSI card and cable (many scanner manufacturers do not include these with their scanners). USB is more common in lower-end scanners that scan under 20 pages per minute. USB 2.0 is the new technology of choice for most people as it is said to be faster than SCSI and it is also much more universal. Most high-speed scanners that connect via USB 2.0 also include a SCSI interface for those that have a preference toward SCSI. Since most computers today come with a USB 2.0 connection, there is no need to purchase any additional equipment to run the scanner.

Source: Scanner Galaxy, "Choosing the Right Scanner," July 2005

If you're in the process of purchasing departmental scanners for your company, you need to look beyond the immediate needs a scanner is going to fulfill.

For example, perhaps the accounting department requests a scanner that is going to be used only for scanning invoices. It's a safe bet that after accounting discovers how convenient and efficient it is to scan invoices, it is going to want to add payroll to the list. Then, after the CPA tells the purchasing manager how much time accounting is saving, the purchasing manager is going to want to use the scanner for purchase orders.

"Understanding how the scanners are potentially going to be used can mean the difference between buying a single, $500 scanner, or several machines at $1,000 each or more," says Tony Barbeau, director of document imaging global services at Eastman Kodak Company. "Choosing the right scanner will ensure that departments run more efficiently and that enterprises select the right kind of service contracts."

Source: Integrated Solutions, "Protect Your Distributed Scanning Investment," May 2006

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