Document Management: Ripe For Savings

September 8th, 2006: According to a recent Xerox survey, four out of five technology professionals say document management is part of an effective IT strategy, but many haven't found the right mix of technology and services to make real savings or boost productivity.

Xerox conducted the survey with International Communications Research (ICR) and found that close to 75 percent of participants said their offices were still using paper as a means of information management and storage. The company says that most IT departments are spending as much as 40 percent of their time and budget administering document technology, with 83 percent of those surveyed seeing it as an area ripe for improvement.

ICR conducted 250 telephone interviews with senior-level IT staff in businesses of 100 or more employees around the US between July 11 and Aug. 15 this year. Additionally, it found that one-third of participants feel their organisations don't have a handle on the hard and soft costs associated with document technology.

“Content and document management is now in the headlights of information technology professionals as IT departments are asked to find new ways to tap valuable information, cut costs and contribute to the overall growth of their organizations,” says Rick Peebles, vice president and chief technology officer, Xerox Office Group. “The right mix of document technology, software and services improves efficiency and helps businesses reap the benefits of their IT investments and staff.”

The survey also found that implementing content management software, including online collaboration tools, was called out as a top priority. 50 percent of those surveyed predict that more hardcopy documents will be scanned over the next three to five years, helping to save money and increase security through digital document archiving and storage.

The survey report cited document management, electronic records management, imaging capabilities and digital document archiving and storage as ways organisations could save time and money. More than half of the survey participants were from large businesses and said they believe outsourcing the management of document technology could help make their IT staff become more efficient and reduce costs.

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