A faithful scanning sidekick to tackle bottomless paper piles
I focus on printer and scanner technology and reviews. I have been writing about computer technology since well before the advent of the internet. I have authored or co-authored 20 books—including titles in the popular Bible, Secrets, and For Dummies series—on digital design and desktop publishing software applications. My published expertise in those areas includes Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Photoshop, and QuarkXPress, as well as prepress imaging technology. (Over my long career, though, I have covered many aspects of IT.)
Epson’s networkable DS-790WN scans high volumes of pages quickly and accurately, making it a great document management choice for small to midsize offices and workgroups.
Office document scanners haven’t changed much over the years. Case in point: The Epson DS-790WN Wireless Network Color Document Scanner ($749), a relatively modest upgrade to the DS-780N reviewed here in November 2017. The main difference is that while the older model offered only Ethernet, the DS-790WN adds wireless networking, working with iOS and Android mobile devices as well as PCs, and supporting walk-up scanning from its control panel. The Epson is fast, accurate, and supplied with highly capable scanning and document management software, making it an excellent choice for offices or workgroups with medium to heavy volume requirements. A three-year warranty cinches its win as an Editors’ Choice pick among networkable desktop document scanners.
The DS-970WN weighs 8.1 pounds and measures 6.6 by 11.6 by 6.5 inches (HWD) with its trays closed. It’ll never be that size in your office, however—like most document scanners, the Epson takes up about three times the space when open for business.
Similarly sized competitors include (among others) the Canon ImageFormula DR-M260 and the Panasonic KV-S1057C-MKII, along with the more recent Editors’ Choice recipients the Fujitsu fi-8170 and the Raven Pro Document Scanner. These machines vary an inch or two in depth or width and a pound or two in weight, but essentially have similar footprints. And most can be adjusted that, with smaller loads, pages can spill out onto your desk, saving the space occupied by pulling out the output tray.
Not only is the DS-970WN able to connect to several different types of devices (as we’ll discuss in a minute), but you can also configure the scanner and capture documents directly from its 4.3-inch touch-screen control panel. You can set up individual scan jobs on the go, or define up to 30 preconfigured workflow profiles containing all aspects of a job from resolution to file format (image PDF, searchable PDF, Microsoft Word or Excel, and so on) and destination (a local drive, an email attachment, FTP, one of several cloud sites, and more).
You can also configure several security options from here, such as user authentication to control who can use the scanner. In addition to 30 user-defined scan jobs or workflow profiles, the DS-790WN supports individual users with their own profiles. In other words, after you (as the admin) set up users, they can configure sets of profiles that initiate different scan jobs tailored to their needs. And you can customize profiles and set up users remotely over the internet.
In other words, anybody in the office can walk up to the scanner, insert a stack of documents, choose a preset from the control panel, press Scan, and walk away. The Epson and its accompanying software do the rest. You can, of course, also define and choose presets from the bundled software, which we’ll describe in the next section.
As for paper handling, the DS-790WN’s automatic document feeder (ADF) holds up to 100 sheets in sizes ranging from 2 by 2 inches up to legal (8.5 by 14 inches). In long mode, it scans documents up to 20 feet long. The device’s maximum daily duty cycle is 7,000 scans, which is a lot considering that you must completely fill the ADF 70 times to get there.
The scanner and software support numerous productivity and convenience features, such as the ability to capture and archive credit card, business card, and passport data.
Of the other scanners mentioned above, all match the Epson’s 100-sheet ADF except for the Canon’s 80-sheet feeder. As for their daily duty cycles, the DS-970WN’s 7,000 scans is about average or perhaps even a little low. The Raven Pro is good for an unspectacular 6,000 scans per day; the Panasonic for 8,000; and the Fujitsu for up to 10,000.
Connectivity options for the DS-790WN include Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and USB 3, a versatile configuration that supports most computing devices including handheld smartphones and tablets.
In addition to PCs and Macs, you can connect to the scanner wirelessly from most mobile devices. For a more secure connection, the Epson also supports Ethernet wired networking or connecting to a single PC via USB.
You can also scan to USB flash memory drives, as well as connecting to authentication devices to control which users can access the scanner.
Besides the Smart Panel app, bundled software includes Twain and ISIS drivers for use with the numerous third-party programs (such as Microsoft Word and Excel, Adobe Acrobat, and oh-so-many others) that support scanning directly into them. The company also throws in Epson Scan 2, a robust scanner interface, and Document Capture Pro, which is exactly what it sounds like—a document management app for archiving your organization’s information.
Epson rates the DS-790WN’s scanning speed at 45 one-sided pages per minute (ppm) or 90 two-sided images per minute (ipm, where each page side counts as an image). This is in the middle of the pack among office scanners. The Canon DR-M260 and Raven Pro are rated at 60ppm and 120ipm. The Panasonic is rated at 65ppm and 130ipm, while the Fujitsu fi-8170 is quickest at 70ppm and 140ipm.
I tested the DS-790WN using the Epson Scan 2 and Document Capture Pro programs over a USB connection to our usual Intel Core i5 testbed running Windows 10 Pro. For my first test, I clocked the Epson as it scanned our one-sided (simplex) 25-page and two-sided (duplex) 50-page text documents, converted the scanned text to image PDF format, and saved the file.
The scanner managed 46.2ppm for the single-sided and 91.7ipm for the double-sided test, slightly exceeding its ratings. The Fujitsu led the way at 72.9ppm and 149ipm, with the Raven Pro next at 61.2ppm and 124.4ipm.
When scanning our two-sided 25-page (50 sides) document to the more versatile searchable PDF format, the DS-790WN took 33 seconds, which is 19 seconds faster than its predecessor and about average among the machines mentioned here. The fi-8170 handled the same job in 25 seconds, with the Canon taking a sluggish 53 seconds.
As for optical character recognition (OCR) accuracy, I haven’t had to report poor performance from a scanner—any scanner, from inexpensive portables to high-volume desktop document managers—in several years. Reading both our serif (Times New Roman) and sans-serif (Arial) font pages error-free in sizes down to 6 points, the Epson proved both highly accurate and about average nowadays. In most office environments, zero mistakes with 6-point type is—since most documents don’t contain text nearly that small—basically perfect.
Of the scanners discussed here, only the Epson’s predecessor, the DS-780N, did noticeably worse, only reading Times New Roman down to 8 points. In most cases, you won’t need to make any corrections. You can’t beat that.
Compared to the other midrange to high-volume document scanners discussed here, the Epson DS-790WN’s only real shortcoming is that it’s slower. But its 100-sheet ADF and splendid OCR accuracy make it plenty fast enough for all but the heaviest enterprise applications, handling as much as a few thousand pages daily. It’s not exactly an impulse buy at $749, but it’s fairly priced—the Fujitsu fi-8170’s superior speed carries an $1,195 MSRP, and that scanner lacks Wi-Fi and mobile device support. The Epson is a great scanner for small to midsize workgroups and offices, and its three-year warranty tips the scale into Editors’ Choice territory.
Epson’s networkable DS-790WN scans high volumes of pages quickly and accurately, making it a great document management choice for small to midsize offices and workgroups.
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I focus on printer and scanner technology and reviews. I have been writing about computer technology since well before the advent of the internet. I have authored or co-authored 20 books—including titles in the popular Bible, Secrets, and For Dummies series—on digital design and desktop publishing software applications. My published expertise in those areas includes Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Photoshop, and QuarkXPress, as well as prepress imaging technology. (Over my long career, though, I have covered many aspects of IT.)
In addition to writing hundreds of articles for PCMag, over the years I have also written for many other computer and business publications, among them Computer Shopper, Digital Trends, MacUser, PC World, The Wirecutter, and Windows Magazine. I also served as the Printers and Scanners Expert at About.com (now Lifewire).
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In the digital age, government records management teams must balance both physical, paper copies of documents and electronic copies. Because of how much falls under the umbrella of records management, there are a variety of challenges that records administrators face when it comes to managing records.
The three most common problems that arise—making records more accessible, effectively safeguarding records and back-office modernization.
Finding an organizational system that makes documents easily and quickly accessible has always been one of the main challenges of managing records, whether paper or digital. Governments struggle with records management due in large part to the sheer volume of records they are responsible for creating, managing, and distributing. The challenge is also compounded by how long agencies must keep records on file.
For example, Lucy Adame-Clark, a county clerk doing records work in Bexar County, Texas, is in the middle of a two-year project to preserve, protect and digitize county records that date back to the Spanish colonial era. The oldest local document is a Spanish land grant that dates back to 1736.
Governments and other organizations looking for ways to simplify access to their systems without compromising security can do so in four ways:
Making records more accessible is more than just a best practice for government agencies—it may even have life-changing results for your citizens and businesses like it did for Karen Jackson, the Register of Deeds for Isabella County, Mich.
After her county digitized records, some of the local Native American tribes were able to locate their family names on the Native American rolls and could begin receiving per capita checks from the tribe. She owes the success of her digital records system to having OCR scanning capabilities, and the ability to perform “wildcard” searches of both scanned and written/typed data.
Once governments have records stored online, they must understand that the stewardship of those records is the responsibility of the entire organization.
A clerk cannot simply hand off the cybersecurity protocols to IT and assume that someone more tech-savvy will handle it. With the recent rise in cybersecurity threats, especially to local governments, every department head that is tasked with keeping records must have some level of understanding of the technology they’re using to store and encrypt data.
In a recent conversation with John Warren, the county clerk in Dallas County, Texas, he told me that cybersecurity is a major concern because local governments have been a popular target for perpetrators in recent years. He likened the challenge of maintaining records to a chess game.
“What are they going to do, and how are we going to respond?” Warren asked. “One of the most efficient ways is to use cloud services, and all the built-in security features they provide, to store records.
Cloud-based solutions like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud have made it easier for any government agency to adhere to the highest-level security protocols. That means data will be housed in secure data centers that are certified to the national standards published by the federal government. However, it’s still good practice to stay aligned with interoffice security protocols too.
Additionally, for data that falls into the category of controlled unclassified information, government agencies should look for vendors who have passed a SOC 2 audit, conducted by a reputable source. This will confirm that the vendor meets the applicable Trust Services Principles criteria with no exceptions listed. This thorough review will confirm that a software provider’s internal controls do not have a negative impact on the security, confidentiality and availability of the systems it uses to process users’ data.
Getting records online is only half the challenge. The other half is modernizing entire back-office systems and processes that are outdated and doing so with fewer resources. This means making records more accessible to the public, as I mentioned, but also making systems more approachable and navigable for employees.
The pandemic challenged a lot of the standard processes in two ways: working from home forced governments to develop new systems to let employees manage records remotely; and federal funding gave governments a blank check for innovation.
Pickens County, Ga., is a great example of modernizing back-office functionality. During the pandemic, they made well over $300,000 in revenue by making their records available online while their office was shut down. When it was announced that the county would receive CARES Act funding, they used that proof point to obtain additional funding to index their deeds and generate even more revenue.
If they hadn’t enabled online payments in the first place, none of this would have been possible. Online payments, modern search functionality, automated workflows for email notifications, legally binding eSignatures—all these modern features can help streamline records management processes.
By focusing initial efforts on tackling these three challenges, local governments can make the process of capturing, organizing and managing records far more efficient while also ensuring public records are more accessible to the public.
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Document management now covers everything from collaboration to workflow design and even compliance regulation. We review and rank top players in this field.
Document management (DM) software encompasses a wide range of features and functionalities, many of which are critical to effectively running a business. Many small to midsize businesses (SMBs), such as legal firms, creative firms, or media and publishing organizations, aim to go paperless and are looking for the right tool to do so. Businesses generate a lot of data regardless, so choosing a reliable and scalable DM system is key to streamlining and automating workflows.
For SMBs, an efficient DM system can make for better overall performance for several reasons. The most basic reason is having a place to store and organize documents. Version control, workflows, access permissions, backup, and data protection can also be handled by a DM solution. It is the starting point for storing, securing, and sharing various business documents. The ability to classify data is another DM capability that can completely change the way your organization maps its workflows. With all that power, it’s no surprise that worldwide revenue projects for DM and enterprise content management (ECM) systems are steadily tracking up, as shown in the chart below from market research firm, Statista(Opens in a new window).
Ascensio System OnlyOffice is an effective document management system for small to midsize businesses. Larger enterprises may want to look elsewhere, however.
An effective combination of workflow, team collaboration, and document management, Microsoft SharePoint Online is an easy pick for our Editors' Choice designation. But make sure you need all this power because its price can be significant.
DocuWare Cloud is solid document management system with a strong core feature set. It's lacking some of the features we've found on competing solutions, however.
Hightail Business is a document management solution aimed mainly at creative businesses, so it focuses on large files like images and videos. It has a rich feature set in this regard, though if you want to really enjoy its full scope, you'll need to opt for its highest pricing tier.
Rubex by eFileCabinet is a next-generation file management and sharing portal solution. Its focus is on improved workflows, powerful OCR, and enhanced search and security.
eFileCabinet Online is a comprehensive file management solution with solid compliance and retention features. The updated user interface makes it all easy to find, no matter what device or platform from which you access it.
Aderemo Content Central stands out thanks to stellar document scanning capabilities, especially zonal recognition, which saves time when gathering metadata. Product feels deficient in cloud storage integration and sharing areas, though.
Adobe Document Cloud Standard trails its competition in some functionality, but it shines when it comes to working with forms and legal documents. However, to use Adobe Document Cloud Standard, your primary focus will need to be PDF files.
Fluix features impressive document workflows and integration with popular cloud storage providers most small to midsize businesses (SMBs) already use. Yet the tool's stifled by lack of support for sharing, document storage, or enterprise-level features, including file retention.
PaperTracer is versatile enough to serve data gathering needs. Collaboration and sharing features leave a lot to be desired, but data storage, tracking, and comprehensive security features make it worth considering.
ECM Worldwide Revenue, 2017-2027 (Billions USD)
In addition to new efficiency, DM systems can also act as collaboration tools, ones that combine new ways of communicating with equal attention paid to legitimate regulatory needs. For starters, traditional file storage makes security difficult to manage and maintain. While there are certain capabilities available to set permissions on a file or folder, these permissions can be rapidly degraded or defeated entirely simply by moving files from one folder to another. Tracking changes to a document stored in a shared folder on a corporate server is nearly impossible for users, as is maintaining and evaluating an audit trail. Even in terms of collaboration, there are significant improvements to be had simply by transitioning away from the traditional corporate file share.
And let’s be clear: When we talk about DM in this review roundup, we’re focusing on DM systems that can offer enterprise-level file management, including routing, retention, and sometimes even support for paper file handling, including offsite storage and insurance. If you’re simply looking for online storage in the vein of Dropbox Business or Google Drive for Work, then you can read our reviews of those products in our best cloud storage and file sharing providers roundup.
Even at its most basic, a DM system should be able to store documents in a wide variety of file types, though you should check your organization’s requirements carefully in this regard and match those up against any potential system prior to purchasing. Even today, there are some proprietary file types, especially in custom-built line of business (LOB) applications, that not every DM system can support.
Aside from that, the DM system should also provide tools to organize these files and find those that meet certain user-defined criteria, with a minimal amount of effort or system resources. Most often, this will come in the form of a “smart search” feature; this is another key feature you should test during your evaluation phase. Capabilities such as tags and customizable key fields are important for finding files after their storage location has fallen from corporate memory. Some solutions, such as Microsoft SharePoint Online, provide features that will automatically classify or tag documents based on rules you configure. This not only improves reliability in the data behind your documents but also improves the odds that users can track down the documents they need.
Many of the DM systems we reviewed include some amount of online cloud storage, such as Adobe Document Cloud Standard, Ascensio System OnlyOffice, and Microsoft SharePoint Online. However, you shouldn’t look at this as a key buying criteria because storage is the easy part. For most organizations, this won’t be the most important factor when evaluating a DM system. Collaboration efforts, such as sharing documents, viewing changes (like in an organized revision history), or simultaneously working on a document with another user (available in both Ascensio System OnlyOffice and Microsoft SharePoint Online), are the kind of capabilities that will improve your teams’ efficiency.
Another common scenario is integrating your DM system with other business apps. Because they handle documents, which are often central to many business processes, DM systems can act as the lynchpin to other business processes by feeding their data and functionality into other apps. Web content can be created, edited, and processed in some of these systems, and then monitored or even published through a marketing automation system.
Another common scenario is integrating a front-end DM solution with a different or customized back-end, business file sharing and storage solution; examples include Egnyte or Microsoft OneDrive for Business. This might be done simply because other company data is located in that repository or because the dedicated service offers better security features, particularly around access control and file encryption.
If this might be important to you, then your evaluation phase will need to focus on any prebuilt integrations a prospective vendor offers as well as the utility of its application programming interface (API)—or whether it has one at all. As always, if you can try before you buy, then that’s the best way to go. Most of these vendors offer at least a 14-day free trial, while many offer a full 30 days. Some vendors even offer a free tier, though this is usually delivered with a low user count and limited features, which can defeat the purpose of evaluating the system.
There are scenarios in which a business will create a document just to have it. But, in most cases, documents are meant to be shared and usually shared often. Thus, a focus area for any DM system should be the tools it provides for handling such files. At a minimum, these capabilities exist to streamline this communication and improve returns, either from an efficiency or customer perspective. In some cases, these communication tools also support tracking communications and reporting on them over time; this is a feature that can be particularly critical for documents that have compliance or legal repercussions.
From a workflow perspective, being able to route specific types of documents to personnel who need to complete or approve them is a basic level of functionality. Rendering the document in an editable format that becomes final in a non-editable file type, such as PDF, is another good feature. Finally, e-signatures have become a more common requirement in many business scenarios, not just to finalize engagements with partners or customers but also to verify workflow between in-house staff. Some DM systems, such as Adobe Document Cloud Standard, have e-signature functionality built-in while others need to integrate that functionality from an outside source. Whatever the method, evaluating a DM system will often require you to nail down both implementation and functionality, so be sure to ask a sales representative about it during your product demo.
Collaboration features are important, too. Having a check-in and check-out option that locks access when a user has downloaded a file prevents editing overlap and could prove to be a sanity saver. Version history is a great way to track who has edited files and when, and be able to revert to an earlier version if the file becomes corrupted or if errors are introduced. Some programs require integration with Microsoft Office 365 or Google Drive for Work to edit documents online, while others provide their own word processing and document publishing tool kits for the same purpose.
Security is a cause for concern for any business and is often top of mind when seeking and evaluating new business solutions. SMBs and startups might not see an immediate need for compliance or legal concerns, but it pays to think ahead. Systems that can grow with a company’s needs featuring basic permissions as well as version control functions, will have the advantage. Consider a solution that can accommodate compliance requirements down the line. Investing in advanced and redundant security and backup features can only help future proof your business.
Companies with compliance or legal concerns, including financial firms, government entities, medical practices, and schools, will really want to focus on security as a primary criteria. More advanced security features, such as audit trails, advanced permission capabilities, or enterprise authentication tools such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) or integration with a device management system, are less of a “nice-to-have” feature and should even be considered mandatory in some cases.
File retention is another security-related area that most of the DM systems we’ve reviewed support, though the tools and features related to file retention vary between the different platforms. Many companies must legally maintain records for a predetermined period of time. Your DM system should provide tools for preventing permanent file deletion. Ideally, it would offer you an archive solution to facilitate proper identification of obsolete files without compromising you legally.
Compliance considerations should be part of evaluating every aspect of your DM system. In cases where documents containing patient or other customer information are being handled or other compliance factors are in play, collaboration features should be managed very carefully. Many DM systems can prevent users from sharing files with external users (Ascensio System OnlyOffice and Microsoft SharePoint Online) or from saving them to a mobile device. Microsoft SharePoint Online takes this one step beyond the competition by offering rule sets that are tailored toward compliance, with specific laws and regulations based on geography.
Microsoft also has the advantage of being able to offer operating system (OS)-level data protection features such as access controls set at individual and group levels and especially data encryption. But, while Microsoft is able to offer these features largely because of its Windows OS, that’s not the only way the company can deliver these benefits; it’s not the only way its competition can deliver them, either.
Meanwhile, solutions like Adobe Document Cloud Standard offer compliance with regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act(Opens in a new window) (HIPAA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act(Opens in a new window) (FERPA), which protects student-education records.
Be sure to ask how a prospective DM system can deliver advanced security features and you’ll find that some will deliver them through whatever OSes they support, while others will integrate with other back-end business platforms for the same capabilities. Once you’ve nailed down the how, be sure to evaluate how well these measures will work in your particular business environment.
Nobody really likes a tool if its sole purpose is just to maintain compliance and provide oversight for management. Therefore, ideally, your DM system will also make DM-related tasks easier and more efficient. Automation tools are one area in which a DM system can make your life easier. In some cases, these tools are related to a workflow, though each system implements workflow differently.
Integrating with other business systems, whether a financial system, database, or a cloud storage provider, can increase efficiency and accuracy in a number of ways. One DM system we reviewed can even take scanned documents, automatically divide them into separate records, perform optical character recognition (OCR) on the documents, and then produce output files based on the document content. These can then be imported into other systems to eliminate double entry.
Most of these services also have mobile apps that offer limited or nearly full functionality. Ideally, there should be apps for both Android and iOS so that your employees can have mobile access regardless of their device. Look for features in the app such as document editing and creation and file sharing. Ascensio System OnlyOffice and Microsoft SharePoint Online offer not just iOS apps but also Android and Windows Mobile versions, too. Microsoft SharePoint Online also has a mobile user interface (UI) that worked well in our tests and even includes an option to switch between desktop and mobile views. There, you can open documents, upload files, and add folders. Adobe Document Cloud Standard has mobile apps for Android, iOS, and Windows tablets and phones. You can view and sign documents, and even snap photos of forms and then fill them out on your device. Within Document Cloud Standard, Adobe has now added the ability to edit PDFs from iOS and Android tablets. Touch-enabled features make this functionality simple. Within a PDF, users can change text, format and edit as well as rotate and resize images.
Administrative controls are also important in a DM system. While most file-sharing services let you set permissions on particular files or folders, admins may also want to set global permissions for users. For instance, an admin may want to restrict some users from ever being able to delete files. Other admin controls include the ability to remove a user’s access to some or all files (such as when an employee leaves the company or moves departments) and the ability to change ownership of a file for the same reason.
Customer service and support is a very important element even if the DM system is easy to use. The best systems offer live help in the form of phone calls or web chat; email is also a good resource for non-urgent issues or questions. You may even be able to schedule a phone call with support so you don’t have to wait on hold. For small issues or for when you’re still learning how to use features, access to thorough online documentation is necessary and video demos are even better. Other important features include advanced search and organized FAQs.
If you’re investing in a DM system to manage large parts of your business, then it only makes sense to protect that investment by evaluating the support options for that system. In most cases, DM systems that are primarily cloud-based come with some level of support automatically. Systems that are designed to be implemented within your corporate datacenter will typically require a support agreement, usually with an additional annual cost. In any case, you should consider support costs when evaluating your options.
Finally, compatibility is also important. We’re dealing with web apps here so, unless you’re pairing them with desktop software, there’s not as much to worry about compared with when you use other types of software. However, browser compatibility, API support, and file formats are still important considerations, even today. Check to see that the software functions well on your preferred web browser, especially if your business relies on multiple web apps to function. Also, supporting only one browser can help keep your IT people sane. Additionally, do a document audit to find out which file formats your employees are using day to day and pay special attention to files being produced by any custom software your organization might be using.
Once you have a list, see if you can drop any esoteric formats and instead consolidate to more standard file formats, such as Microsoft Office’s DOCX and Adobe’s PDF. These formats are de facto standards and you can save yourself some headaches by relying on them. If you’re stuck using a proprietary format, then don’t give it short shrift. Make absolutely sure any prospective system can handle these files, not just in terms of storage or routing but also as part of advanced features such as e-signatures and especially security.
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Tim Ferrill is an IT professional and writer living in Southern California. Follow him on Twitter @tferrill.
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Scanning software can be confusing and time-consuming to set up and operate.
Fortunately, Windows 10 has an app called Windows Scan that simplifies the process for everyone, saving you time and frustration.
Before you start scanning documents, you’ll need to make sure that you have Windows Scan installed on your computer.
1. To check if you have Windows Scan installed, click on the Start menu, and then click “All apps” (represented by an icon that looks like a bulleted list).
2. Scroll through the list until you find the Scan app, and click on it.
If you can’t find the Scan app on your computer, you will need to download it from the Microsoft Store.
1. From the Start menu, click on “Microsoft Store.”
2. From there, click on the bar that says “Search” and type in “Scan.”
3. “Windows Scan” should be the first result that pops up in the dropdown menu — click on it.
4. On the next page, click on the button labeled “Get” and Windows Scan will begin downloading automatically.
5. Once it has downloaded completely, click “Launch” to open the app.
Once you have confirmed that Windows Scan is installed and open on your computer, you can begin scanning documents.
1. Check to make sure that your scanner is connected.
2. Once your scanner has been connected properly, select the file type you want from the Scan app’s menu.
3. If you click “Show More” in the Scan app’s menu, you can adjust additional settings for your scan, including color, resolution, and the folder in which you want to save your scan. If you skip this step, your scan will use the default settings.
4. Position the document you want to scan inside your scanner. This can be done either face-down on the scanner glass or face-up in the scanner document feeder, depending on the type of scanner you have.
5. When you’re ready to begin scanning, click the “Scan” button on the Windows Scan app.
6. When your scan has finished, you can view it by clicking “View” on the Scan app. The scan will be saved in your computer’s “Pictures” folder unless you selected another location in the Scan app’s settings.
Please note that some older scanners are not compatible with Windows Scan, and thus cannot be used in conjunction with the Scan app.
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A document management system (DMS) is a software programme that creates, saves, manages, and tracks electronic documents as well as images of paper-based documents. A document management system (DMS) can capture, distribute, and track records. It’s also helpful in managing channel processes, output systems, and information retrieval systems.
About Document Management System (DMS)
A document management system (DMS) is a software-based system for creating, storing, managing and tracking electronic documents and images of paper-based documents. DMS began as a method of converting paper papers to digital copies. As a result, DMS is also known as an electronic filing cabinet. A DMS can have a big impact on how your business operates. It frees up your time to focus on the most critical aspects of your organization by making document capture, digitization and labelling quick and straightforward.
As a result, while determining which DMS service is best for you, consider both the capabilities you require today and those you may need as your organization grows.
The Advantages of Using an Electronic Document Management System
Converting enormous mountains of paper documents to digital may appear to be a difficult task. Businesses who invest in an electronic document management system, on the other hand, give themselves the basis to assist expedite workflows and scale business-critical procedures. Here are the main benefits of establishing an electronic document management system for your organization, in addition to increasing business productivity.
The cost of commercial real estate is rising, as is storing paper documents. A software-based DMS that can eliminate the need for file cabinets, boxes, and storage bins is a great asset to any business, freeing up valuable office space. Documents that must be retained in hard copy can frequently be held in less expensive locations, such as an offsite warehouse or vault.
Document security is crucial for enterprises of all sizes to protect sensitive data. DMS allows for more control over critical data, and access to documents can be restricted at the folder level for different groups of people. A DMS also keeps track of who had viewed a record, when it was accessed, and how it was edited. The managed documents are highly traceable and can be labelled to enable automated warnings.
Certain documents’ compliance requirements can be rather complex. Noncompliance can result in fines, licence revocation, and, in some situations, criminal charges. Sarbanes Oxley and HIPAA, for example, are federal and state regulatory rules that require tight security and privacy guidelines.
Document management solutions lower the likelihood of noncompliance. Records retention schedules, for example, can be automated, and new records can be categorized and stored more readily.
Searching for and retrieving papers might take a long time – and we all know that time is money. The average worker spends 30 to 40% of their day looking for printed documents. At the same time, businesses pay an average of $20 in labour to file a copy, $120 to find a misfiled record and $220 in work to reproduce a lost document. These wasteful document management expenditures limit an organization’s budget, impede productivity, and limit its growth potential.
A document management system can be a handy and time-saving tool. DEPENDING ON THE SOLUTION USED, a DMS can retrieve files based on a word or phrase in a document. An easier connection with corporate applications facilitates access to essential information. Records can also be accessed remotely with DMS. Documents can be accessed from anywhere at any time as long as there is an internet connection.
An advanced document management system substantially simplifies accessing content and collaborating swiftly. Documents acquired from various sources can be accessible from a variety of locations. Electronic imaging enables document sharing over a network via email or the Internet. DMS increases the visibility of business processes and allows for improved workflow monitoring. External users with authorization can be granted and monitored access.
Every document management solution should include a data backup and disaster recovery plan. Paper documents are preserved from the fire, flood, and other disasters with digital archiving as a backup. Documents in a DMS are highly traceable and can be traced using various criteria. Document tracking capabilities lessen the possibility of records being misfiled or lost after reading.
Time is valuable, and saving time is a clear advantage of DMS, which translates directly into higher production. Document retrieval that is faster and more efficient can raise employee morale and increase client satisfaction. Document management solutions are also scalable, allowing them to adapt to the changing needs of any organization.

Document Management Software Must-Have Features 
While each company’s document management needs vary, there are some essential aspects that every document management system should have. 
a. Access limitations that can be customized as part of the security features 
The ability to adjust access rights is an essential component of protecting your data with any DMS. Controlling access gives you more flexibility in cooperating and using your DMS. You can provide different employees, departments, teams, event vendors, and customers access specific files.
Without this flexibility, your DMS will be far more limited and may not be of much use beyond a few small corporate use cases. Nonetheless, access rights can be used by enterprises of all sizes and industries. As a result, access limitation is a must-have feature for any DMS.

b. Capability to store a variety of file kinds 
Businesses utilize a wide range of files; therefore, document management solutions must be adaptable enough to store a wide range of file formats. Suppose your DMS only supports a limited number of file types. In that case, you may require more than one DMS, thereby increasing the workload on your team and duplicating your business information systems. In general, the more a single system can do, the better – that flexibility can be used to optimize your operation.

c. Search functions for rapid access to and location of critical files 
Your DMS is designed to make it easier to utilize and access documents. You may not be able to access essential papers if you cannot search your files. Different document management systems provide various search options. The DMS you use may determine which search features are most advantageous for your individual use case.

d. Maintain a history of documents for auditing and tracking purposes. 
By tracking and auditing document alterations, you may more efficiently manage your documents and guarantee that only changes are made to your files. This aids in document compliance because your internal or regulatory rules demand you to audit thoroughly. As a result, a DMS with auditing and tracking capabilities is required.

e. Document version control and backup storage 
Your DMS should give you a paper trail via tracked modifications, allowing you to return to prior versions and see who has made changes to these files overtime at a glance. A backup copy should be available in the case of data loss or significant disruption. 

f. Ease of use 
Finally, your DMS must be simple enough to rely on and train your staff to utilize. If your system is overly complex, you risk the DMS not being adopted adequately by your organization.

Check out the list of Top 10 Best Document Management System in Google in 2022:

1. DocuWare
DocuWare, founded in 1988, is a leading provider of document and content management software (as of 2021). It’s available in 16 languages and is used by large corporations like IKEA and Sony.
DocuWare is a company that offers digital document management and automated workflow solutions. It is appropriate for businesses of any size and in all major industries, ranging from manufacturing and retail to healthcare and government.
Key features include
Pros: The user interface is simple, intuitive, and easy to use. Thanks to the tool’s significant drag and drop feature, users may do numerous activities in multiple documents without leaving the central console.
DocuWare provides a free trial period. Its essential subscription includes 20GB of storage for four users for $300 per month.

2. Dropbox Business 
Dropbox is a cloud-based file storage and collaboration tool built for the modern workplace to decrease busy work and allow you to focus on what is essential. Dropbox Business enables your organisation to expand without boundaries while maintaining complete control over critical company information and user activities. Dropbox Business is best suited for cooperation among a group of users.
Key characteristics include: 
Pros: Dropbox Business offers a large quantity of storage space for a business. It is an excellent tool for our team’s collaboration. Working on shared projects, updating documents, and creating system backups are simple tasks.
Price: There is a free trial available. The Standard plan is $12.50 per month (starting at five users). Purchase the Advanced plan for $20 per month per user to gain full access to more sophisticated features and limitless storage.

3. eFileCabinet 
EFileCabinet provides enterprises with intelligent organization, workflow automation, secure file-sharing, and eSignature requests on a single platform. This solution is intended for the content management of enterprises of all sizes in accounting, construction, real estate, manufacturing, and healthcare.
Key features include 
Pros: Provides on-premise and cloud choices, allowing clients to select the optimal package for their needs.
Price: There are three subscription packages available from eFileCabinet:

4. Google Drive
Google Drive is a cloud-based DMS that anybody with a Google account can access. It can effortlessly store, sync, and share files. This tool is best suited for collaborative teams working on real-time projects. Google Drive’s shareability and real-time editing capabilities elevate professional collaboration to a new level.
Key characteristics include 
Pros: Because of its user-friendly interface, Google Drive is the clear winner in terms of usability. Its powerful built-in search engine is a standout feature, allowing users to search files by type and owner.
Price: Free, single users, get 15GB of storage, and upgrade to more storage for a fee (billed by month). For those wishing to deploy GSuite in a corporate setting, the Basic Plan includes 30GB for $6 per user per month. Business’s most popular option provides unlimited cloud storage for $12 per user each month. Google’s website has a detailed list of pricing alternatives.

5. Laserfiche
Laserfiche offers intelligent document management and business process automation. It removes manual processes and automates repetitive operations, hence speeding up company processes through powerful workflows, electronic forms, document management, and analytics. The Laserfiche platform is appropriate for the content management of enterprises of all sizes in accounting, construction, education, real estate, manufacturing, and healthcare.
Key features include 
Pros: With automation, Laserfiche improves efficiency by improving the application process, simplifying case management, and minimizing paperwork for employee onboarding. Because all the information is in one location, Laserfiche makes it simple to produce, store, and transmit digital documents inside the business, speeding up a correspondence and making data-driven choices.
Price: The product is available on a monthly subscription for $50.

6. LogicalDOC
By focusing on fast document retrieval and business process automation, LogicalDOC promises to assist enterprises to acquire control over document management. LogicalDOC’s adaptability allows it to meet a wide range of requirements. It is best suited for small, medium, and big companies like banks, healthcare, mechanical industries, and medium-sized towns.
Key features include:
Pros: LogicalDOC is an easy-to-use application for project planning, execution, and management.
Price: LogicalDOC Community is open-source software that is free to use. Larger packages, including consultation, are available. More information can be found on LogicalDOC’s website.

7. M-Files
M-Files is a next-generation intelligent information management platform that boosts corporate performance by making it easier for people to access and use information. Unlike traditional ECM systems or content services platforms, M-Files unites systems, data, and content across the organization without disrupting existing systems and processes or necessitating data migration.
M-Files is appropriate for small to medium-sized organizations that rely primarily on paper-based operations. Their packaging is distinctive. Customers may select whatever features they want and decline others, making them versatile and cost-effective.
Key features: 
Pros: M-Files is exceptionally secure and provides enough cloud storage. It is simple to access material across devices. It makes it simple to find articles by using the search tool. Furthermore, exchanging files across the team is simple, especially while working on the same project.
N-files provides a free trial. As M-Files is focused on providing you with the same capabilities you require, the cost after the free trial is determined by the features you need and the number of users.

8. OnlyOffice
Ascensio Systems SIA created OnlyOffice, a software office suite and DMS. This app, which provides a 3-in-1 editing suite, has been dubbed “The SwissArmy App for the Microsoft Universe” by critics. OnlyOffice offers a document management platform that is ideal for various educational organizations (schools, higher education institutes), small and medium-sized businesses, industries, and government agencies.
Basic features:
Price: They are presently offering a 180-day free trial of their cloud-based solution. The cost varies depending on the edition. When purchased as a three-year subscription, the Cloud-based Edition can cost as little as $3 per month per user. Enterprise, Integration, and Developer editions are also available.

9. Microsoft SharePoint
Microsoft’s document management solution was first introduced in 2003. Microsoft’s other products were better integrated with each upgrade, making SharePoint one of the most extensively used DMS.
SharePoint is ideally suited for large enterprises to segment their access policies and controls due to its capacity for lists and Integration across the whole Microsoft ecosystem of products.
Basic features:
Pros: The solution is simple to use, set up, and deploy, and it assures data security and role-based access to SharePoint sites.
SharePoint does not provide a free trial, although SharePoint Online Plan One begins at $5 per user per month. The most expensive package, Office 365 E3, costs $20 per month per user. Check the company’s website for complete pricing information.

10. VIENNA Advantage
VIENNA Advantage, founded in Germany in 2005, takes pride in being the first DMS to be securely linked with enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) solutions. VIENNA Advantage is an excellent solution for medium and large-sized businesses searching for a dependable, scalable, cost-effective, and well-supported DMS with ERP and CRM connection.
Key aspects include: 
Pros: The tool combines enterprise resource planning, document management, and customer relationship management.
The community edition is open source and completely free. With a meeting with a VIENNA Advantage representative, larger packages are available.

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Scanning from above is just the start
I focus on printer and scanner technology and reviews. I have been writing about computer technology since well before the advent of the internet. I have authored or co-authored 20 books—including titles in the popular Bible, Secrets, and For Dummies series—on digital design and desktop publishing software applications. My published expertise in those areas includes Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Photoshop, and QuarkXPress, as well as prepress imaging technology. (Over my long career, though, I have covered many aspects of IT.)
The IRIScan 6 Pro, more than just an overhead book scanner, packs several handy features that facilitate teaching, presenting, and online meetings.
We just hung an Editors’ Choice award ribbon on the IRIScan Desk 6 Business as our new favorite overhead or book scanner. The company’s Desk 6 Pro is a step down from that device, and its $349 price is $100 less. But it’s still a lot more scanner than the Desk 5 Pro we praised in 2019. Its lower-resolution lens and less robust feature list keep the Desk 6 Pro from challenging its sibling for top honors, but it’s a more-than-capable aide for teachers, presenters, and videoconference chairs.
As we noted in our Desk 6 Business review, IRIScan’s sixth-generation overhead-scanner family includes three models, up from the previous lineup’s two—the Desk 6, Desk 6 Pro, and Desk 6 Business, in ascending order. Each step up brings a $100 price increase and enhanced hardware. The Desk 6 Pro, for instance, employs a 21-megapixel camera illuminated by four LEDs, compared to the Business model’s 32 megapixels and six LEDs. (The base Desk 6 model has a 12-megapixel sensor.)
Both the Pro and Business scanners support pages up to A3 (tabloid) size or 11 by 17 inches. Both come with a desktop button that lets you execute scans from the scanner itself as an alternative to using a PC with IRIScan software. The Pro lacks the Business model’s foot pedal that frees both hands for arranging content on the scanning base or turning book or magazine pages.
The Desk 6 Pro measures 5.5 by 4.7 by 11.1 inches (HWD) and weighs 2.5 pounds. That’s slightly smaller and lighter than the Desk 6 Business and significantly smaller and almost a pound lighter than its immediate competitor the CZUR ET16 Plus (a February 2018 PCMag favorite).
Overhead scanners work more like cameras, snapping a picture of content on the scanning base instead of passing a page over the scanner’s sensors as a sheet-fed document scanner does (or passing the sensors over the content as a handheld scanner does).
Not only is the Desk 6 Pro’s 21-megapixel CMOS sensor capable of snapping stills of your content, but it can also capture video at up to 30 frames per second with audio via a built-in microphone. This lets you use the scanner as an overhead projector for presentations, online learning, and Zoom meetings and other videoconferences.
Feature- and capacity-wise, the Desk 6 Pro and Desk 6 Business are fairly similar. Both offer auto focus, bar code scanning, and business card scanning via the company’s Cardiris software. (More on the software bundle in a moment.)
Like the Business model, the Pro unit offers a self-timer that automatically shoots at predefined intervals, giving you a chance to, say, turn the page or swap out the medium. The scanner provides automatic document detection and automatic de-skewing and cropping, along with what IRIS calls artificial intelligence features such as page-turn detection, flattening the curve of a book image, erasing fingers that intrude into the image, front and back cover detection, and automatic edge filling of damaged documents.
Connectivity and power come via a USB 2.0 cable. (The Business model adds an AC adapter.) The scanner’s two USB ports (the second for scanning to flash drives) are located at the base of the upright beam as shown below.
Finally, like the Desk 6 Business, the Desk 6 Pro has a recommended daily duty cycle of up to 5,000 pages (10 times as many as its predecessor). Its resolution of 300 dots per inch (dpi) tops the CZUR scanner’s 220dpi (though we expect an upgrade to the latter any day now).
Most scanners require some type of interface and document management software to convert scanned pages to searchable or editable text. The Desk 6 Pro uses IRIScan Desk to scan, convert, and save scanned text in the format you desire. Supported output formats include image, text, and searchable PDF; Microsoft Word and Excel; EPUB for ebooks; plain text; JPG; MP3; and WAV.
The software’s automatic edge detection straightens the content after scanning, so you don’t have to be precise when placing a book or magazine on the scanning base. You can use the Desk 6 Pro with your webcam to create multi-camera videos: Video and sound from both the scanner and the webcam record simultaneously and are combined in one video file played back on a single screen.
Although the Desk 6 Pro ships with the company’s Cardiris in addition to IRIScan Desk, if business card scanning and contact archiving is your primary application, you’d probably be better off with a less costly handheld or wand scanner like the IRIScan Book 5 Wi-Fi.
For more sophisticated applications, such as capturing MRZ codes and exporting metadata to XLS or structured XML files, you can add IRISPowerscan. Another software package, Readiris Corporate, saves your videos in high-definition AVI, MP4, FLV, and WMV video formats. However, the two apps together cost over $1,000, and there’s considerable feature overlap between them and IRIScan Desk.
IRIS rates the Desk 6 Pro’s scanning speed at 1 page per second or 60 pages per minute (ppm). While it does indeed snap a picture in less than a second, that doesn’t include the time you spend moving content on and off the scanning base and turning book or magazine pages, nor the software’s converting the text to desired formats and saving files.
As with the Business model, I never got close to 60ppm of throughput in my tests. Using the IRIScan Desk software on our Intel Core i5-based Windows 10 Pro testbed with a USB connection, I was able to digitize pages in about 3 seconds apiece, or 20ppm. When scanning to searchable PDF rather than image PDF format, the scanner itself doesn’t really work any harder, but the software does. IRIScan Desk managed to produce and save searchable PDF files at a rate of about 18ppm, not much slower than its image PDF performance.
As for accuracy, the Desk 6 Pro tied its Business sibling at font sizes down to 6 points error-free with both Arial and Times New Roman. Nowadays, that score is about average. The CZUR EZ16 Plus managed 6 points with Arial and a ho-hum 10 points with Times New Roman, but even 10 points without mistakes is more than adequate for most office applications.
I also scanned a bunch of business cards into Cardiris. As usual, the software worked fine, as long as I stuck to plain white or lightly colored cards with common serif and sans-serif typefaces. For fancily designed or dark business cards, you’ll probably want to type in the data yourself.
The biggest attraction of the IRIScan Desk 6 Pro scanner is that it costs $100 less than the Desk 6 Business model. To be sure, the Business flagship’s higher-resolution camera and few extra convenience features, especially its foot pedal, are attractive, but the Pro model is more than enough machine for all but the most taxing applications. If your small office or workgroup doesn’t need the ultimate overhead scanner, the Desk 6 Pro is a first-class alternative.
The IRIScan 6 Pro, more than just an overhead book scanner, packs several handy features that facilitate teaching, presenting, and online meetings.
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I focus on printer and scanner technology and reviews. I have been writing about computer technology since well before the advent of the internet. I have authored or co-authored 20 books—including titles in the popular Bible, Secrets, and For Dummies series—on digital design and desktop publishing software applications. My published expertise in those areas includes Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Photoshop, and QuarkXPress, as well as prepress imaging technology. (Over my long career, though, I have covered many aspects of IT.)
In addition to writing hundreds of articles for PCMag, over the years I have also written for many other computer and business publications, among them Computer Shopper, Digital Trends, MacUser, PC World, The Wirecutter, and Windows Magazine. I also served as the Printers and Scanners Expert at About.com (now Lifewire).

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June 14, 2022 19:00 ET | Source: Anaqua Anaqua
Boston, Massachusetts, UNITED STATES
BOSTON, June 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anaqua, the leading provider of innovation and intellectual property management solutions, today announced that global document solutions provider Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. has selected Anaqua’s AQX platform for integrated management of the company’s extensive patent portfolio.
Headquartered in Osaka, Japan, Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. provides customers worldwide with a range of products, business applications, and consultative services to optimize and manage their document workflow, greatly enhancing operational efficiency.
Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. chose Anaqua’s AQX Corporate platform as its primary patent management system with patent annuity payments from Anaqua Services fully integrated to unify patent management and payment management. Through this integrated functionality of the AQX Corporate platform and the availability of detailed, up-to-the-minute data visualization dashboards, Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. will be able to better manage, maintain and optimize the value of its portfolio.
“We were looking for an integrated approach that would enable us to manage our patent portfolio more efficiently and holistically,” said General Manager of Legal and Intellectual Property Division, Seitaro Yoshida of Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. “AQX’s comprehensive intellectual property management platform enabled global IP management for us. During implementation, Anaqua and Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. worked closely together to build up a new workflow. Anaqua listened and were responsive to our needs, enabling us to achieve the best fit for our operations.”
“We are delighted to have been selected by Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. to help them manage their IP as the company continues in its goal of helping other organizations around the world put knowledge to work to drive change,” said Bob Romeo, CEO of Anaqua. “The agreement not only reflects our strength in the business solutions sector, but also our increasing role in the Japanese market, where more and more companies are entrusting Anaqua with their IP management.”
About Anaqua
Anaqua, Inc. is a premium provider of integrated intellectual property (IP) management technology solutions and services for corporations and law firms. Its IP management software solutions, AQX and PATTSY WAVE, both offer best practice workflows with big data analytics and tech-enabled services to create an intelligent environment designed to inform IP strategy, enable IP decision-making, and streamline IP operations, tailored to each segment’s need. Today, nearly half of the top 100 U.S. patent filers and global brands, as well as a growing number of law firms worldwide use Anaqua’s solutions. Over one million IP executives, attorneys, paralegals, administrators, and innovators use the platform for their IP management needs. The company’s global operations are headquartered in Boston, with offices across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. For additional information, please visit anaqua.com, or on LinkedIn.
About Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. is a global leading provider of total document solutions based in Osaka, Japan. The company’s portfolio includes reliable and eco-friendly MFPs and printers, as well as business applications and consultative services which enable customers to optimize and manage their document workflow, reaching new heights of efficiency. With professional expertise and a culture of empathetic partnership, the objective of the company is to help organisations put knowledge to work to drive change.
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Even in the era of working from home, many people likely don’t have a traditional scanner in their home office. If you fall into that camp, these apps can probably save you from needing to buy one.
Scanners used to be an essential piece of office equipment — and scanning or digitizing documents is still an important task for many workers. Even if you don’t need to scan anything for work, saving a copy of receipts, legal forms, and other documents is a smart way to keep your life organized.
However, these days, smartphone-based scanner apps are good enough to take the place of scanners for the average user.
There are a variety of scanner apps available for iPhone with varying designs, scan qualities, and premium features. We’ve selected the very best scanner apps on the App Store for all of your document scanning needs.
One of the best apps to easily scan documents, add signatures, and perform other paper-related tasks is probably one you already have on your iPhone: Apple Notes.
Apple Notes has been steadily gaining a number of productivity features in recent years, and in 2020, Apple added the ability to scan documents using an iPhone’s built-in camera.
You can even use Continuity to scan notes from an iPhone or iPad to a Mac, or digitally sign a document using the Notes Markup feature. Best of all, Apple Notes is free and tightly integrates with Apple’s ecosystem.
It’s available from the App Store here.
If you’re just looking to digitize documents every now and then, Adobe Scan is a robust smartphone scanning app that can help you do that. It doesn’t pack the features of some of the others on this list, but it works well for those important paper documents.
Adobe Scan is simple and straightforward to use, and allows users to capture clear and clean PDF scans of documents. The app also features text recognition, meaning you can perform tasks like creating new contacts from business cards.
The app is free to download and use, but offers additional premium features for $9.99 a month — including the ability to take multiple scans and combine them into one document and export PDFs to Word or Powerpoint.
It’s available from the App Store here.
Scanner Pro is a well-reviewed scanning app that was chosen by the App Store editorial team as a top pick. It’s a robust tool for digitizing and organizing your physical documents.
You can scan an app in seconds and save digital copies with smart detection of borders, perspective, and shadows. From there, an optical text recognition feature lets you search through the text of your scans. All scans can also automatically synced via various cloud services.
The app is free to use, but you’ll need to purchase a subscription for $19.99 a year to remove watermarks, search text, or password protect your documents.
It’s available from the App Store here.
Users who rely on Microsoft’s suite of productivity software in their day-to-day lives will feel right at home with Microsoft Office Lens. It offers the tightest integration with Microsoft Office, making it a good choice for those who use the app suite frequently.
It offers a barebones scanning interface that prioritizes simple usage. However, there are easy export options that allow users to create PowerPoint or Word documents out of their scans. It also features top-tier text recognition.
Microsoft Lens is free to download and use, but you’ll need an Office 365 subscription to unlock some of the tighter integrations — including syncing and exporting to OneDrive options.
It’s available from the App Store here.
SwiftScan is one of the most powerful scanning apps available, featuring additional capabilities that you won’t find on Microsoft Lens or Adobe Scan.
It sports organization features like smart file naming, iCloud syncing, and custom folders. Scan quality is industry-leading, as is the best-in-class optical text recognition. If you scan a lot of physical documents, this is a solid choice.
To use the app’s full feature set, you’ll need to pay $5.99 a month or $34.99 a year for a premium subscription, which includes some of the aforementioned features alongside encryption and auto-syncing to a variety of cloud platforms.
It’s available from the App Store here.
Apple has reached a settlement with Kosta Eleftheriou, a developer who sued the company over scams in the App Store and copycat keyboards.
Withings has a new smart scale called Body Comp, which in conjunction with a new subscription service called Health+, fully integrates into Apple’s Health app.
Police from around the country have been using data culled from thousands of apps for suspect surveillance, often without search warrants.

MSI’s Creator Z17 notebook is billed as a productivity workhorse with a sleek design. On paper, it’s even capable of taking on Apple’s creative powerhouse, the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Here’s how they compare.
The iPad Pro and the MacBook Air are powerful and reasonably-priced ways to work. Here’s what to consider when trying to choose one over the other.
We have both M2 Macs here in our testing studio. We’re comparing the M2 MacBook Air against the M2 MacBook Pro to see how they stack up and how much of a difference the thermal limitations make.
Master & Dynamic’s MW75 are high-quality headphones offering ANC features, directly competing against Apple’s AirPods Max. Here’s how the premium personal audio accessories compare.
The new Surface Laptop Go 2 is a thin and light Windows notebook at a low cost, and has been positioned by Microsoft to be a competitor to Apple’s latest M2 MacBook Air. Here’s how the ultra-portable notebooks compare.
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Apple has reached a settlement with Kosta Eleftheriou, a developer who sued the company over scams in the App Store and copycat keyboards.
Withings has a new smart scale called Body Comp, which in conjunction with a new subscription service called Health+, fully integrates into Apple’s Health app.
Police from around the country have been using data culled from thousands of apps for suspect surveillance, often without search warrants.
The second-generation Razer Kishi is here for iPhone users with a new design, better buttons, and a companion app. How does it stack up to the Backbone One?
The Marshall Emberton II is a stylish speaker that builds on the positive reputation of its processor. While there are cheaper speakers out there,
Almost as important as the Apple Watch itself, is the band that you choose to express yourself. Here are our picks for bands and straps to pair with Apple’s wearable device.
The Nikon Z 30 is the camera maker’s most affordable mirrorless shooter yet, and it’s designed with social media and video creators in mind.
Bring gaming on your iPhone or Apple TV closer to the console experience, by using one of these game controllers with your Apple devices.
With the SwitchEasy four-in-one MagPower multi-charger, you can power up all your gear with a single device — including your Apple Watch with an Apple-certified puck.
The Benks Grand Pro Headphone Stand for AirPods Max is a welcome upgrade over the original. However, it introduces complexity where there was none before — while also ignoring an obvious problem.
Keep tabs on the air quality of your home — including potentially deadly radon levels — with the Airthings View Plus.
Apple didn’t make a Magic Keyboard for iPad mini 6, and Lululook’s Magnetic Keyboard perhaps acts as a testament to why.
As a recent addition to the Serena Shades by Lutron lineup, the new architectural honeycomb shades are an essential part of any HomeKit smart home.
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Keeping on top of critical documents and managing business data are some of the most important things your company can do. If you have installed a document management system, we’ve got some tips to help you run it effectively.
Implementing a document management system (DMS) is a great first step to keeping your business documents organized. However, you’ll need to adhere to some document management best practices to maintain effective document management, and we’ll show you how.
The good news is that many of the leading document management software solutions make it easy to keep track of your documents and ensure your business is compliant with local legislation. That doesn’t mean there’s no effort on your part, and below are the top document management best practices to help you get started.
Document management system best practices include accurate indexing and filing of electronic documents, creating a document access hierarchy and carrying our regular audits.
The best business document management system is the one that’s easy to use and full of features to make your life easier. Such features include automations, file versioning, collaboration options and robust security for your files.
Some of the document management best practices featured below may seem obvious. Thankfully, that means they’re easy to understand and implement; you need only ensure you remain consistent with them to have a continuously robust document management system in place. Let’s go through them.
The first step your business needs to take is identifying which document management system is right for you. While many of the options are similar, they’re not the same, and choosing one that doesn’t meet your needs can be a waste of time and money.
If your business creates a lot of new documents that you need to collaborate on, then something like Microsoft SharePoint or Egnyte are good options, as both offer Office 365 integration. Alternatively, if you simply need a space to store and manage contracts, DocuWare is a terrific option that also allows you to digitally sign your documents.
To ensure your documents are easily accessible, it’s vital that you index each new document and folder accurately, thus creating a consistent file structure. Prior to creating your DMS, we recommend that you make clear folder structures and create a list of categories for each document type.
Clear indexing makes it much easier to find documents when searching, and far easier for different departments to manage documents within their section of the business. When using a document management solution like M-Files, you can also label documents with tags and other forms of metadata, ensuring each document is in its proper place within your DMS.
If you’re migrating from physical documents to electronic documents, it’s good practice to make digital copies of your paper documents. It may be a daunting task, but scanning documents and transferring them to an electronic digital management system ensures that sensitive documents remain safe and accessible.
Paper documents are much easier to lose, and a physical filing cabinet doesn’t have the same level of security that the best document management software provides. So moving everything over not only makes filing more efficient, it also gives far more robust protection for each document.
Not every person in your business needs to have access to every document that lives in your document management system. There will be sensitive documents — like employee contracts and performance records — that must remain confidential. Thankfully, with today’s document management software you can grant access permissions to users of your choice.
When setting up your document management system, take time to identify which senior members of staff and departments need to access specific documents. They’ll also be able to control access for their own team members, and choose which of them can access, edit and share documents.
Automations are something every business should add to their document management workflow. They make business life easier and also help you remain consistent in managing your documents and business processes.
Depending on the document management software you’re using, you can send automated notifications when a document is created or edited. You can also set automated document approval workflows for certain documents, as well as set up automated invoicing if your business works with external clients.
If you’re using an efficient document management system, you can expect to have more automation options available, and it’s a good idea to make use of them.
Assuming you want to move away from physical documents and filing cabinets, you have two options when it comes to using a document management system: on-premise and cloud storage.
On-premise document management software allows you to control your documents from a server within your business. Cloud storage means your documents exist on third-party servers — which some users don’t like.
However, cloud storage gives you an added layer of protection should your hardware get damaged or stolen, as you’re still able to access your documents in the cloud. Cloud-based software also makes it much easier to collaborate with different users, especially within remote teams, improving overall business efficiency.
If you’re looking for a space to manage documents as well as other file types, check out our top online cloud storage providers for documents.
If your business constantly updates documents, having effective version control in place is a must. File versioning means you can access previous versions of documents, and restore them if needed.
It also lets you give some users only the ability to view documents and other users the ability to view, comment and change the edited versions. Doing this means you can effectively collaborate on a document and ensure a document isn’t changed without the proper authorization.
Although it’s much easier to manage business documents with an electronic document management system, it’s still good practice to do regular audits of your documents to mitigate against potential process failures or breaches.
You can do audits internally and externally. For the former, it’s good to do audits every three to six months, while an external audit can be conducted annually.
Not only does auditing allow you to learn what documents you have in place, it also means you can understand if your business is being compliant with sector regulations. Many professional sectors will enforce an external audit, so it’s good to keep on top of everything, rather than panic when the time comes for your business to be put under the microscope.
It’s a good idea to learn what types of documents you need to keep in the document management system for a certain period of time. For example, in the financial industry, regulatory requirements state that certain documents must remain on record for a period of seven years. Before deleting a document, double-check to see if it’s against regulations to do so.
Sticking to these document management best practices will help you keep your document management system in the best shape possible. If you have signed up for a new document management system, it’s best to put the above tips in place as soon as possible, to ensure you can keep on top of your documents and business processes.
While all the above tips are important, we suggest you prioritize folder and file structure, version control and selective user permissions, as these are the core of efficient document management.
It’s also worth trying out different document management solutions before committing to one long term. This way your business can identify which solution is best for its needs and provides the best user experience, which is important considering you’ll likely be using it every (working) day.
While still at it, read our document management vs content management guide to understand which product better suits your needs.
What do you think the best practices are for efficient document management? Is there a business document management system you recommend? Which software do you currently use for managing documents? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading.

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Metadata-Driven Document Management Platform Praised by Customers for ROI, Ease of Use & Workflow Automation
AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–M-Files, a global leader in information management, today announced that the company has earned 2022 Top Rated awards for Enterprise Content Management Software and Document Management Software by TrustRadius. M-Files’ metadata-driven document management platform was praised by customers for its ability to simplify document-intensive tasks, minimize human error, and streamline processes. TrustRadius reviewers rated M-Files highest for product scalability (10), availability (9.1) and performance (9.1).

“As a global leader in information management, we are proud to once again be recognized by TrustRadius for our metadata-driven document management platform,” said Julian Cook, chief customer officer, M-Files. “Our mission is to help global enterprises manage and secure the ever-increasing amount of data brought on by digital transformation. Being recognized as a top-rated enterprise across content management and document management further signifies our commitment to delivering a best-in-class customer experience.”
M-Files seamlessly connects people with the content that they need, when they need it, regardless of where it is stored. The platform enables knowledge workers to quickly and easily find information, automate business processes, and enforce information control. With M-Files, businesses gain a leading edge by delivering better customer experiences and higher-quality work, with lower risk.
“M-Files has won two Top Rated awards in the Enterprise Content Management and Document Management software categories,” said Megan Headley, VP of research, TrustRadius. “These awards are based entirely on feedback from M-Files’ customers. Reviews on TrustRadius highlight improved data security, excellent availability and the ability to access their documents quickly.”
Since 2016, the TrustRadius Top Rated awards have become the B2B’s industry standard for unbiased recognition of technology products. As of May 11, 2022, M-Files reviews on TrustRadius include the below testimonials:
“M-Files delivers unmatched search and access management capabilities. M-Files is in my experience the absolute best document management system currently in existence. It allows for extreme flexibility to suit the needs of any organization, especially in access management. I have never seen a system other than M-Files that delivers the same functionality in document search and access management.” — Information & Technology Services Company [read the full review].
“M-Files as a metadata machine and efficiency producer. In our business, it is important to manage document access. In M-Files we may rather easily build processes around the engagement…and then store all the necessary documents under the engagement, and have the access and rights to be a heritage from the engagement level automatically.” — Management Consulting Company [read the full review].
“Measurable time savings enabled by document and information management with M-Files. MPS has been working with M-Files since 2012 and has realized significant improvements in information and document management. M-Files’ best-in-class document management functionalities have enabled more efficient work, freed up employees’ time to serve customers, and increased data security.” — MPS Enterprises [read the full review].
To learn more about the M-Files metadata-driven document management platform, visit www.m-files.com.
About M-Files
M-Files is a global leader in information management. The M-Files metadata-driven document management platform enables knowledge workers to instantly find the right information in any context, automate business processes, and enforce information control. This provides businesses with a competitive advantage and substantial ROI as they deliver better customer experiences and higher-quality work with lower risk. For more information, visit www.m-files.com.
Media:
Debra Dekelbaum, M-Files
debra.dekelbaum@m-files.com
+1 (972) 516-4210, ext. 272
Maryellen Sartori, fama PR
M-Files@famapr.com
Media:
Debra Dekelbaum, M-Files
debra.dekelbaum@m-files.com
+1 (972) 516-4210, ext. 272
Maryellen Sartori, fama PR
M-Files@famapr.com

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