Written by Lucy - Group Director
Document indexing is the process of associating information with a file for search and retrieval purposes later. Indexed information is integrated into a database / document management system, providing a framework for users to locate required data.
Without effective document indexing, retrieving information can be extremely time consuming and costly.
Indexing internally is not the best use of employee time. Staff are more productive when they concentrate on core tasks and less time on archiving work.
SDS Document Storage and Scanning specialise in an off-site indexing service. Our document management software and dedicated team ensure you have accessibility to your information at all times.
There are many administrative advantages to indexing and storing records off-site or electronically. A managed process means there is less chances of files being misplaced because they are better tracked. Your staff will save valuable time looking for records and become more productive in their actual job roles.
Often, critical decisions must be made based on information contained in stored documents. If you are unable or it takes days to locate, decision-making is slowed. This can have severe repercussions for your company. Missing files, needed for a court case for example, are also extremely costly if they cannot be found.
Document indexing offers a lot of potential benefits for the whole business such as improved decision making, preserving the organisation's knowledge and improving the flow of information.
Every organisation is different; you might need to search by date, numbers or department. Indexing is simply an easy route to locate your documents and that route is based upon your business processes and your staff.
Our document management system can process a full text search; this means our clients can find a phrase contained in the documents. Alternatively, users can locate files via a date, invoice number, document type etc.
We cleanse data to improve quality by; interpreting abbreviations, spell checks, keys and names and the identification of missing or potentially incorrect data.
By using our online portal, users will automatically view files as they are indexed. This offers transparency to the customer (they can view how the job is progressing).
Documents you are searching for are immediately available. Good quality indexing is one of the key factors in maintaining a successful document management programme.
SDS will be discussing this in more detail at our Lunch and Learn on Wednesday 8th March 2017 - for more information please email lucy@shredall.co.uk
