eBridge Solutions Blog

Document management as a business imperative

Business at eBridge Solutions is good. We're steadily growing this year, which is more than I can say for many companies. But, we aren't growing as quickly as we were last year. There are many reasons our salespeople are getting from prospects for pushing back or delaying their contract signing. Budget cuts. Staff cuts. Focus on more critical projects. It's frustrating to say the least.

What's going on?

Well, document management is a wonderful tool. It works perfectly in almost any business environment. Using document management, business can save time, money and space. They can also improve customer service and compliance with industry regulations. All while contributing to the green movement.

So, why isn't everyone using it?

I think it's because many people see document management as additional work for them. In fact, our sales team gets more resistance from Office Managers and front-line employees than anyone else - the people who think they will be doing nothing but scanning.

Initially, it will be a little more work. But, there are two things to consider:

1. You don't have to scan in every file in your office right away.

2. Once you've scanned or printed a document into eBridge, you'll never have to search for it again in an overstuffed file cabinet. So, your future workload will be reduced.

Gradually adding documents to your online file cabinet will increase your comfort with eBridge Solutions and help you quickly realize how valuable finding information in seconds can be.

Three months into your experience with eBridge Solutions, you'll understand what I mean. Give it a try! You'll be glad you did!

eBridge Solutions and MD&M East meet

eBridge Solutions is taking NYC by storm! Well, maybe not by storm, but we are getting some traffic at the MD&M East medical manufacturing show here at the Javits Convention Center. The show highlights medical device manufacturers and complementary services - like eBridge's web-based document management system.

As usual, the problem is that every attendee and vendor is a candidate for our web-based document imaging solution. Some have heard of document management before. Some are currently scanning to their hard drives. Most are interested in learning more about how our scanning solution can help keep their manufacturing plants, labs and consulting companies paperless.

Many attendees have been asking how eBridge Solutions meets Title 21 CFR Part 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which deals with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines on electronic records and electronic signatures in the United States. Part 11, as it is commonly called, defines the criteria under which electronic records and electronic signatures are considered to be trustworthy, reliable and equivalent to paper records. And our answer is yes, we can help you comply.

Help because just as with HIPAA, eBridge Solutions give you the tools to make you compliant, but the day-to-day practices of your employees really determine how compliant your company is. Sorry, it always goes back to how well you know the regulations affecting your industry and how you use the tools you're given.

For more information or to sign up for a demo of eBridge Solutions, visit us online at http://www.ebridgesolutions.com/ today.

January is National Get Organized Month

January 11th was National Clean Off Your Desk Day. I didn't know there was such a day, but had been considering starting one. I thought it would make an interesting marketing promotion. I wanted people to send in pictures of the messiest desks in their office and the messiest would receive a year's worth of free document management from eBridge Solutions for their company.

I haven't run that by my boss yet, but it will have to be NEXT year's contest now!

But January being National Get Organized Month does make for a great blog on how eBridge Solutions' web-based document management system can help you clean up your desk, file cabinets and overall office space.

Some clients scan every piece of paper that comes in the door. (Even Christmas cards as I found out at a recent tradeshow.) Some people scan documents once they have finished the project or month associated with them. Scanning and then safely disposing of documents is the perfect way to organize and de-clutter your office. A side benefit will be that you can access those newly organized documents from any computer with Internet access.

So, look at your desk, your file cabinets and your office. Are you a good candidate for eBridge Solutions' 2011 Messiest Desk Contest? Visit www.eBridgeSolutions.com and see for yourself.

Student Records Found: A Perfect Case FOR Document Management

The article below is yet another example of why document management systems can be so beneficial in a school setting.

With eBridge Solutions web-based document management system, student records can be scanned and then immediately shred, because the images remain online indefinitely. Document management increases record security and improves school compliance with record retention mandates and other regulations, like HIPAA.

Officials at a Manhattan school are coming under fire for leaving student records dumped on the street for anyone to pick up.

Boxes of student records were piled in front of the old home of the School for the Physical City.

Some records contained the Social Security numbers, grades, signatures and even psychological reports of former students ofthe public intermediate/high school.

The boxes were sitting next to a trash bin filled with old desks and other discarded school supplies.

The School for the Physical City moved to a new location over the summer and apparently the records were thrown out with the trash during the relocation.

An Education Department official said an investigation has been launched to determine how the records ended up on the street. Officials apparently picked up the boxes of records last night.

"This is not acceptable," school officials said in a statement last night. "If true, we will take appropriate action."

Reducing Storage Needs With Document Management

Reducing costs associated with storing files is one of the best and most enduring arguments FOR a document management system. Even in this economy, the cost of real estate remains a major concern.

Now, more than ever, it is important for business owners to pay attention to reducing, if not eliminating, unnecessary storage space. Want some suggestions on how? OK. Here they are...

1. Purge non-record material. If you don't legally need to keep it, shred it. Many organizations find that a full 30 to 70% of the documents they retain on-site (paper and electronic) contain duplicate copies, drafts and outdated reference documents. Such non-record material should be disposed of when its usefulness has passed. Put the relevant, required files into your document management system (like ours) and clean out that file cabinets.

2. Inactive material. If you are required to keep documents, but never access them, this is another great use for a document management system. Not only will you be increasing compliance, but by scanning in these documents and then shredding the originals, you'll free up valuable office space.

3. Off-site storage. If you have more files than you can store on-site, you are an excellent candidate for a document management system. Whether you scan them yourself or hire a scanning bureau, digitizing your off-site records can be a great way to control costs.

There may be short-term costs associated with starting your scanning project, but the long-term benefits (and especially cost savings) will outweigh them in the end.

eBridge Solutions and Cleveland's best (and worst) restaurants

Curious about the cleanliness of the kitchen at your favorite restaurant? Your father's nursing home? The concession stands at the ballpark?

Cleveland's health officials say that by year's end, the public will be able to go online and check the food inspection reports for all 3,000 Cleveland establishments that serve prepared food -- using eBridge Solutions' document management software.

The project was made possible after the Cleveland Department of Public Safety donated the laptops that health inspectors now use on their rounds. The Department of Public Health purchased the necessary software for $3,000 (it's about $1,800 annually for our services + laptop maintenance).

The move online is designed to bring more attention to local food safety issues, said Matt Carroll, the director of the Cleveland Department of Public Health.

Hard copies of the reports have always been available to the public, but processing requests was time-consuming. Earlier this year, the city's 25 health inspectors shifted from storing reports in file cabinets to scanning them into their computers. Maintaining the software technology will cost roughly $3,000 annually, said Willie Bess, the department's public health commissioner.

Carroll said that he hopes online access will encourage consumers to check out the health official's evaluation of their favorite restaurant, grocery stores, nursing home or assisted living center.

The reports include details of any recent food violations, which range from inadequate temperature control to improper labeling to cross-contamination of foods. Customers also will be able to read health inspectors' comments about sanitation in the kitchens or stock rooms and follow-up data on whether a business addressed previously incurred violations. Inspectors will also make note of facilities that meet all food safety standards.

User-friendly tips on how to read inspection reports, which contain technical information, will also be available online, Carroll said.

"They will probably need some explanation," Carroll said. "It takes some getting familiar with the document, but once somebody gets used to it, they'll get it."

Carroll added that he hopes online access to the reports will also boost the overall level of food safety across the city, as businesses feel pressure to step up food handling practices under public scrutiny.

"It's a good way to get people the right information, so they can take advantage of it and make the best choices," Carroll said.

Read the entire story here.

The need for document management REALLY hits home

If you ever scan anything personal into one of your electronic file cabinets, make it this: your passport.

Imagine my surprise when I opened my safe this afternoon to grab my passport only to discover it was missing. After some detective work (which involved making my husband stutter for five minutes), I found out that it had been stolen.

I was smart enough to make a copy of my passport before it was lost.

I was NOT smart enough to scan that piece of paper into my electronic file cabinet. Well, I didn't have one then, but I didn't even scan it to my hard drive or floppy disc (yes, I'm that old).

So, if you do nothing else with your document management system, make sure you scan in your passport, birth certificate and other important PERSONAL documents. At some point in the future, you'll be very glad you did.

How do I get documents into my document management system?

If you are considering document management, but are reluctant to begin because you fear your file cabinets, keep reading! It's easier than you think to transform your paper files into sortable, manageable electronic files. Here's how:

1. Don't. Meaning don't scan in your old files at all. It's kind of like drawing a line in the sand: pick a date and from that day forward, don't store any other paper in your office. If you are required to store documents for a specific period of time, keep the files until that date and then shred everything.

2. Scan as you go. Translation: scan files as you touch them. Example, if you make a change to Mrs. Smith's file, scan it and shred the corresponding paperwork. Leave the other files until the retention requirements have passed.

3. Systematically scan everything. Start with the files that you use most or least. Or the file cabinets that are furthest away from your office. It's your system. You decide what works best for you. Have a staff person scan in files throughout the day or for the last hour of the day. Some people have their children or interns come in for the summer or a few nights after school and sort through the files (removing staples and paperclips) and then scanning in large batches of documents.

Of course, the type of scanner you have will also play a role in how fast you can scan your documents. Make sure to consider the initial amount of back scanning you have to do with any scanner purchase.