Network scanning is one of the most powerful features of today's multifunctional devices Scanning is often described as an under-used feature of office multifunctional devices (MFPs), but evidence suggests that scanning on an MFP has become so straightforward that it is gradually becoming the normal way to distribute documents within company offices and departments. As with most situations where the purpose of new technology is not fully understood without first-hand practice, there is always the fear of the new. However once people have worked out how to scan they can go to any machine, scan a document and send it over the office network. This appears to be happening organically in many company offices these days. Using the scan-to-email function to distribute documents both internally and externally has many benefits over and above lower fax and courier costs, In a situation, for example, when a department receives say 1,000 orders every week, many of which will be paper-based, by scanning incoming orders on multifunctional device and routing them as email attachments directly to a PC, huge differences over paper copying can be achieved.. By having the multifunctional device LDAP compatible, it will connect to the company email server, enabling staff to select the right email address from the MFP control panel. This process doesn't just save time, it also automatically creates an electronic copy of every order. Of course it is then also possible to distribute documents externally. Instead of faxing paperwork to customers, it becomes easier to scan and email them as part of an efficient workflow. Two additional bonuses accrue: 1) the image quality of scanned documents is much better than a fax and 2) because the scans are sent over the internet, fax costs are zero. A basic scan-to-folder or scan-to-email capability is all that many businesses will need. However, these applications barely begin to cover all that can be achieved with a scan-enabled MFP. Additional benefits come when businesses use MFPs: to capture knowledge contained in an organisation but not often used simply because it is not easily or readily accessible. In the network scanning environment, a document management system makes such issues less problematic. Also there is the benefit of reduced paperwork cluttering up in-trays and getting mislaid or ignored. In addition, today's MFPs have facilities to enable allow developers to create bespoke scanning applications and thus integrate the MFD scanning function into other software packages. This enables companies to make full use of their investment in network-enabled multifunctional systems.
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