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Published: Wednesday, 04 March 2015 16:11

Storing documents and files on microfiche can be expensive business. It can be a massive drain on your budget and you might not even realise it. So, what money are you losing and how can it be recovered?

Storage

Like most file storage methods, storing microfiche can take up a great deal of valuable space. If you store large amounts of microfiche, they can take up whole rooms, clutter offices or even need to be stored in expensive off-site storage facilities.

Equipment

Microfiche are fast becoming an outdated form of document storage meaning the price of equipment has risen significantly with them being almost antique or vintage. Buying a microfiche reader to view your documents on can set you back as much as £300! Not to mention buying the microfiche itself as well as the costs to maintain your equipment should there be a fault.

Security

If you are storing sensitive information on your microfiche, you may need extra security for it. This might come in the form of cheap solutions like padlocked filing cabinets or more expensive ones like CCTV, coded doors and security staff. All of these costs can add up to a massive headache for your yearly budget!

Wasted Time

You might not realise it but all of that time you're spending retrieving files, setting up the microfiche reader etc, is costing you money...potentially A LOT of money. When file retrieval is taking up more of your day than anything else, you really need to think about a change for the sake of your office productivity.

Sharing

It's not easy to share files stored on microfiche at the best of times but when a colleague needs a certain file urgently, it can turn into a costly nightmare, especially if that colleague is at a different premises to you. You will need to post the original microfilm to them (paying for postage, envelopes etc) and hope that the only copy of that file doesn't go missing in transit.

Go Digital With Microfiche Storage

So what's the solution? How can you claim back all of those wasted costs? It's simple. You just have to go digital and scan your microfiche. Digital microfiche offer solutions to all of the above problems and more because microfiche offers all of these benefits;

• They take up only virtual space so you won't need to spend money on extra space to store them.
• The only technology they require is the computers/laptops/tablets you probably already use on a day-to-day basis.
• Digital files can be encrypted and password protected to provide the security your documents need without forking out on other, more costly, security solutions.
• If documents are fully indexed and OCR processed when they are scanned, they can be found using simple text searches, instantly.
• Files can be shared in emails, over shared networks or via cloud platforms to speed up workflow and reduce costs significantly.
• Through digital sharing, money can also be saved on printing and paper costs.
• Digital files are also safe from loss, theft and damage so you won't have to spend money replacing material.

Pearl Scan Can Help

Here at Pearl Scan we specialise in microfiche scanning and digitisation for companies, organisations and individuals wanting to save the costs they had previously wasted on microfiche and their storage. We can scan 16mm microfiche, 35mm microfiche, COM microfiche and COMBI microfiche to a range of digital formats including PDF, PDF searchable, JPEG and TIFF. We have even recently purchased a new microfiche scanner to provide our clients with even better quality scans of their files. Along with our excellent scanning service, we also provide optional extras such as OCR processing, file retrieval software and access to our online cloud platform, Pearl Cloud. For more information about our microfiche scanning service and how you can benefit from going digital, browse our website and blogs or get in touch for a free, no obligation quote.

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Published: Wednesday, 04 March 2015 16:10

Storing drawings on aperture cards used to be a great solution to store large technical drawings without taking up a lot of space, but they're not particularly efficient for working with. So what can you do?

Aperture card scanning is a fairly new solution to update files previously stored on aperture cards but many people are still 'umming and ahhing' about whether to go digital.

Why are people so reluctant to go digital?

Our reluctance to embrace digital technology has been occurring for years. From switching to digital tv (from our old favourite, analogue) to the birth of the smartphone. We often find that we are so set in our ways that when something new and completely different comes along, a number of people would rather stay in their comfort zone than attempt to get used to new technology. But it just takes a small number of people to see the great benefits of a new idea for it to gather speed and before we know it everyone is doing it.

The same can happen with aperture card scanning...

Downsides to storing files on aperture cards

• Files are susceptible to loss, theft and damage.
• It is a long and drawn out process the view the files stored.
• It can be difficult to find the card you need.
• You can't edit files without creating new ones.
• Sharing files is difficult.

Most of our lives now revolve around digital technology and making everything quicker and more efficient. This is why aperture cards are becoming outdated; they no longer offer the most efficient way to store documents and large format drawings. A lot of us store files and documents in digital format on computers and in the cloud so, naturally, that is the best place to store those files too.

Transferring files from aperture cards to digital files is easier than you think too! You just need to outsource the work to scanning services with the equipment to digitise your aperture cards into high quality, indexed and fully text-searchable images. Once your files have been converted and delivered, you will be able to enjoy the wide range of benefits that digital file storage brings.

Benefits of Aperture Card Scanning

• You can work with your digital files with a great deal more efficiency.
• Files are more secure with password protection, digital backups and file encryption protecting them from loss, theft and damage.
• Files can be found in an instant.
• The files can be stored on a shared network to be available for colleagues and relevant parties to view when required.
• Documents can be accessed anywhere, at any time without the need for the card or extra technology.
• You can increase your productivity and thus save money with potentially less unproductive tasks being undertaken.

Pearl Scan Aperture Card Scanning Service

Here at Pearl Scan we offer an aperture card scanning service that brings all of the great benefits mentioned above. We can digitise technical drawings and any other documents stored on aperture cards using our top of the range scanners. Our service is completely bespoke so you can decide what format (PDF, TIFF, JPEG etc.) you want the documents scanned to and what format they are delivered on (CD, DVD, USB, SECURE FTP etc.). We also provide OCR processing, file retrieval software and also the use of our online cloud platform, Pearl Cloud. If you would like some more information about the aperture card scanning services we offer, please browse our website or get in touch today for a free, no obligation quote for your scanning project.