Optical disks have the longest, most secure life for document imaging.
The paperless office is here. No crying "wolf" this time. There is evidence everywhere that digital imaging is replacing paper. Document imaging training is a major step up from running a copier. Every day, documents from legal briefs to contracts are imaged and transferred via email. Certified digital signatures make it possible for an agreement to take place without a pen or paper. Document imaging training ensures an understanding of this important business practice. Learning index and retrieve documents is invaluable.
Defined
The document imaging process imports documents from paper to digital images for indexing, storage, export and retrieval. The process requires both hardware and software systems. Importing means the physical transference of the document from a scanner or a computer-based file to the storage format. Indexing is defined as a consistent system for identifying document images with file names, tags, contexts or categories. Storage is simply saving the document image to media. Exporting sends the file to the data storage system. Retrieval means being able to recover the document in the future when it's needed.
Purpose
Training teaches efficient, effective systems for document imaging. Learning document imaging preparation makes importing quick and efficient. Understanding the hardware and storage media dictates physical storage options and process interruption troubleshooting. Index techniques teach tag imaged documents for later search. Proper indexing makes document image retrieval an intuitive and simple process.
Expectations
Selecting document imaging training programs requires knowing the desired specialization. Certifications allow student specialization in imaging medical records, legal documents, financial records or government records. The program should take students from the document imaging basics through troubleshooting hardware and software. A cost-effective training system starts with free introductory courses offered by hardware and software manufacturers, prior to moving into paid training from public colleges or private technical training.
Media
Learning appropriate media for document imaging storage is part of the process. Coursework will teach why the storage and retrieval purposes warrant different media. Learning how the archived data are to be used usually defines the solution. Time in storage, "live" accessibility or the need for portable storage dictate the media to be used.
Training sources
Offered from a variety of sources in classrooms or online, document imaging training is easy to find, but challenging to select. There are professional-level certifications offered through colleges and universities. There are specialties for medical, legal, financial and publishing documents. Basic courses are offered at no or a nominal charge by software providers. HP, Microsoft and Scansoft are three common training providers for home and small business use. More advanced training is offered by publishers offering professional software. Community colleges offer training, certificates, and associate's degrees in document imaging--particularly for various business and professional specialties.
Tags: document imaging, imaging training, hardware software, courses offered, document image, document imaging
