The Datamax Thinking Blog

The dedicated team of scribes here feel that through collaboration, we can strategically identify technology challenges and properly disseminate our carefully crafted ideas on overcoming them. 

Perhaps without coincidence, our top read blog for 2018 was on the topic of “effective collaboration.”

Collaboration:  It’s a key word in defining how the Datamax Thinking Blog operates. We remain committed in our pursuit of  “educating, collaborating, and sparking ideas for maximizing the technology that matters” - be it office equipment, document workflow, network security and many business technology initiatives in between.

The dedicated team of scribes here feel that through collaboration, we can strategically identify technology challenges and properly disseminate our carefully crafted ideas on overcoming them. 

The MFP, in many ways a centerpiece in our workflow place-setting, continues to have an evolving role in how paper and digital files co-exist in the workplace.

The “Paperless Office:” It’s been a corporate prophecy scripted upon blogs much like this for years, as offices of all sizes gather tools and solutions necessary to tackle the digital transformation. Without a doubt, workflow is increasingly digital in nature.

However, according to numbers complied in Canon’s recent “Office Insights 2018” release, paper itself isn’t going anywhere anytime soon – quite the opposite. It seems that the paperless office is a gradual, steady process of automation that enables best printing and workflow practices for the foreseeable future.

The central objective of utilizing Document Management is to make your overall business processes more efficient, and specifically to accelerate and properly secure the way you move documents across your office.

Do a simple Google search for "Document Management," and you’ll see the cliché images with limited search time. The piles of paper stacked on the boss’ desk.  Documents swirling across an office. Even business people swimming in paper documents.

It’s true. Many offices are overwhelmed by paper documents. Also, when compared to a Document Management solution,  it is inefficient and costly. Estimates are that 11% of your paper files will be either lost or misplaced. Organizations often find that by digitizing their workflow, their documents begin working for them, rather than the opposite.

But digital conversion is only one component – and hardly the overarching intention – behind utilizing Document Management.

It's no wonder that organizations are more active than ever in pursuing solutions to streamline traditional methods of managing documents. 

Every year, I learn more about copiers, document management, workflow, and, increasingly, managed IT topics than I did they year before.

I do my best to pass on what I learn to you.

Here are the 10 most popular posts in 2017. How to get the best service. Tips for HIPAA compliance. Scanning tips. How to track printing to keep costs down.

Read on for insights into those topics – and more – to get yourself ready for 2018!

HIPAA compliance isn't optional. The ideas in the resources below will help you meet your compliance obligations.

All of you in the healthcare industry know better than I how important HIPAA compliance is. The regulation ensures patient confidentiality and compliance ensures you avoid penalties, fines, and public embarrassment.

Compliance with any regulation is a tedious, detail-oriented task in which the smallest mistake can land you in big trouble.

Don't make compliance harder than it has to be.

Paper slows you down. Use your copier to speed up your work.

How many times in a week do you look for a document on your desk thinking “I just put it over here . . . “?

You might think that's only a few minutes each time, no big deal. Those minutes can add up to hours looking for paper-based files. As busy as you are, can you afford to spend your time looking for information that you could have at your fingertips?

Do You Have Any Clue What You Need? Digital Copiers, Document Management, and Managed Networks

“Alice asked the Cheshire Cat, who was sitting in a tree, “What road do I take?”
The cat asked, “Where do you want to go?”
“I don’t know,” Alice answered.
“Then,” said the cat, “it really doesn’t matter, does it?” 
― Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

If you've spent any time on our website, you know we place a high value on assessments – we offer one on just about every page!

Your medical practice is also a business. Don’t forget to ensure your back-office processes are healthy.

While your goal as a provider of healthcare services (primary care to dermatology and anything in between) is to help your patients; you’re also operating a business. Like any business, you need to cost-effectively manage your back-office processes. While getting your patient information under control is important (read our post on 7 features you need to look for in an EHR), managing your business documents is equally important.

Legal document management software and copiers can help support your litigation every step of the way.

Let’s start with the obvious – there are lots of documents to manage in any legal activity.

I’ve written a few times about the benefits of legal document management, so I won’t rehash those arguments here.

Too often, we see law firms still managing their files as paper documents.

Adhere to regulations, protect patient privacy, and increase productivity with digital legal document management.

The legal industry must adhere to some of the most rigid standards in records management. A firm must protect their clients’ interests, while also adhering to federal, state, and local regulations, and court requirements. And if you fail to comply, it can result in loss of client confidence, malpractice suits, stiff penalties, and/or hefty fines.