Scanning

Cash · Post by **Cash** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 10:02 pm

I have just started with the paperless process by scanning. We now have to decide what all we need to scan to not undermine ourselves later. We use Applied and receive daily downloads from approx. 50% of the carriers we use. Scanning is very time consuming and some files are pretty thick. Any suggestions from someone doing the same project would be helpful. We currently scan the original application and all changes and decs.

Josh · Post by **Josh** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 4:11 am

What software are you using? Hopefully you are using commercial grade scanning hardware. These 2 are key factors.

A couple quick thoughts, you might change the paper you're using (for apps) so that it will auto feed better, assign a dedicated person scanning duties then your *best* people are not waiting around and messing with the scanners.

If you can mention the software, hardware, company size, estimated number of documents, you may get some better feedback.

Check out the <a href='http://techcenter.insurancejournal.com/ ... 2/1472.jsp' target='_blank'>document management categories</a> in our Tech Center for some potential ideas (hardware/software).

wildplaces · Post by **wildplaces** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 2:34 pm

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Cash @ Nov 2 2004, 09:02 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> I have just started with the paperless process by scanning. We now have to decide what all we need to scan to not undermine ourselves later. We use Applied and receive daily downloads from approx. 50% of the carriers we use. Scanning is very time consuming and some files are pretty thick. Any suggestions from someone doing the same project would be helpful. We currently scan the original application and all changes and decs. [/quote]
I am pretty much completely paperless, though I keep some paper files for convenience. One key has been a reliable, high speed scanner that is operated by the user...I am a one man shop, so I use it for all policies, applications not part of the database, etc., company statements, invoices, marketing material, etc., etc. A high speed cross-cut shredder is also an asset in this process. Though I am on a hosted AMS system, the process is similar (I am a former computer consultant in the insurance industry and am familiar with a number of the vendor systems)

Applied has a really nice integrated document management system available from a third party. They are a spinoff of the Applied operation, so they integrate tightly with the Applied system. If you ask them, they will give you their contact info. I don't think it is on their on-line approved vendor list.

Cash · Post by **Cash** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 3:19 pm

My scanning system is in place already, my real question had to do with what paperwork to scan. Do I really need to scan everything as so much is available from the carriers websites or being downloaded. I have been skipping all billing notices and old lapse/reinstatement notices etc. I figure I have approximately 15-18,000 files to scan which will take a good while even with a dedicated person and a very high speed scanner. Just looking for shortcuts, not E&O exposures.

Newbie · Post by **Newbie** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 12:35 pm

I am fairly new to insurance, but I used to work for a document imaging company as an installer and trainer. The advice that we use to give is this. What would you need to duplicate a complete file if you needed to for legal reasons? We would sit down with cusomter and come up with a list of items. We would scan each of those documents for each file and leave out the rest.

Sometimes people want to include an invoice becuase there were issues with it. What I found is that you really need to have is notations in the system on the invoice, not the invoice itself.

Christine

insurancemangeek · Post by **insurancemangeek** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 8:51 pm

One thing that you might also consider is outsourcing your scanning operations. An operation such as Kinkos and others will often do this for you at a reasonable cost. Depending on your volume, you might be able to negotiate a rate of something like $.15 per page.

Cash · Post by **Cash** » Fri Nov 05, 2004 11:57 am

Thanks for the tips- The outsourcing seems like a great idea but the volumne I have it would be too expensive. I figure the average file has close to 30 pages and @ .15 a page, each file would run about $4.50 and with 18,000+/- files, my investment would be $81,000.00
It will take me a little longer to do it myself but my costs are no where in that range.

Rjohnson · Post by **Rjohnson** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 11:56 am

We are a paperless operation now. What we did when we started was to pick a date to begin being paperless. From that date forward we did not keep a hard copy file. We scanned everything. Original signatures we still keep in a t-file system that is filed by the date we scan (just in case we are ever audited by the insurance companies.)
We still have our old accounts in paper files, so for the first 12 months it is a little confusing, but after that, all applications and policies should be completely up to date.