Scan Now, Save Later

The ScanSnap series Fujitsu scanners are ideal for small to medium-sized fleet businesses with volumes of paper transactions. Scanners eliminate the use of file cabinets. All types of documents, including business cards, can be fed into scanners and digitized.

The ScanSnap series Fujitsu scanners are ideal for small to medium-sized fleet businesses with volumes of paper transactions. Scanners eliminate the use of file cabinets. All types of documents, including business cards, can be fed into scanners and digitized.

In explaining the importance of paper scanners, Robert Turner likes to tell an old story:

A West Virginia manufacturing company in 2001 was sued by an employee injured on the job. To defend its case, the company needed a document from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) certifying that its manufacturing processes fully complied with OSHA rules. Company officials tore their offices apart, but couldn’t find the document. They lost their case and paid several millions of dollars to the injured employee. Years later, after the statute of limitations had run out, employees were swapping out furniture in an office when they found the document that had been stuck between a desk and a wall. It was the smoking gun that could have saved them millions in the lawsuit.

Turner, the Dallas-based business development manager for Fujitsu Computer Products of America, said the extreme anecdote highlights the importance of digitizing paper documents. It not only saves space, time and trees, but an archived digital document that is readily accessible can make a major difference in critical situations.

Fujitsu, the world’s largest maker of scanners, is pursuing the U.S. chauffeured transportation market. Turner brought the company’s first industry display to the LCT Leadership Summit in Miami Beach Sept. 10-12. Fujitsu offers two major lines of scanners, the entry level ScanSnap brand and the more advanced, enterprise version fi brand. The ScanSnaps cost about $195 to $495 each, depending on the exact model, and the fi series ranges from $1,195 to $25,000 for extensive enterprise versions.    

Fleet-intensive businesses, such as chauffeured transportation and charter bus services, tend to be rife with paperwork and files, Turner said. “It makes sense for Fujitsu to partner [with companies] and come up with best practices and show how paper documents can be turned into electronic ones for filing and for business processes. We find that most companies benefit from scanning as it streamlines business processes, and gets rid of the mountains of paper they deal with on a daily basis. Scanning allows them to store critical business documents so that they are safeguarded.”

During the next few months, Turner plans to visit chauffeured transportation companies and see the types and volumes of documents they use daily to determine the best scanning, digitizing and imaging procedures suited to operators.

New Jersey operators Bob and Neil Collins have benefited from the efficiencies of Fujitsu document scanners.

SIDEBAR: Company Saves Space And Sanity

Autoluxe Transportation Services of Weehawken, N.J., a 17-vehicle operation serving the New York metro area, has seen its back office run better since it began testing the Fujitsu scanners in July. “You eliminate all the paperwork,” owner Neil Collins said. “I got stuff arranged in boxes. We can start scanning and get rid of it.”

President Bob Collins, Neil’s brother, who runs the offices, said the scanners are solving the problem of running out of space. The offices are located just outside of the Lincoln Tunnel.

“The idea was to streamline through e-filing,” Bob Collins said. “With bank deposits, instead of making a photo copy, stamping it, and putting it in a cabinet, we scan it in and it states the bank and date. It goes into a [digital] file for that month.” Ditto for credit card receipts. “It’s been a Godsend.”

Over time, Autoluxe will save money and time on faxing, filing, and paperwork, not to mention freeing up square footage for more productive uses. All scanned documents are backed up on multiple computers, discs, and drives. “It’s just a matter of letting go of the concept that everything has to go into a file folder and file cabinet,” Bob Collins said. “Space is valuable. Square footage costs. I’d rather be able to use less space for hard storage and put another assistant or dispatcher there.”

For More Info
Robert Turner
Fujitsu Computer Products of America Inc.
(940) 464-0746 I [email protected] I us.fujitsu.com/fcpa