- MFP stands for Multifunction Product/Printer/Peripheral, and also referred to as MFD (Multifunction Device)
- MFPs incorporate multiple functionality in one device, such as print, scan, copy, fax, email and network scanning
- MFPs save space and money and are easy to use
- There are 21 million MFPs in the US and increase 14% each year
There are many scanning hardware options, so when should you choose a multifunction peripheral?
- Batches are small
- Scanning volume is low and there is a need for ad-hoc scanning
- Automatic data extraction is not required
Centralized scanning of large volumes of documents can deliver tremendous cost savings for organizations. Yet, centralized paper processing is not the right answer for every business, all of the time.
If you have a multi-office organization, such as branch locations, there are challenges and costs associated with shipping documents to company headquarters for scanning. As multifunction peripherals (MFPs) have flourished, the ability to capture paper documents at the source is available to any organization. While shipping costs have increased, scanning hardware has become more economical and available, meaning a decentralized scanning solution is much more practical in today’s business environment.
Benefits of Distributed Capture with MFPs
- Zero days needed for receipt of document at headquarters, no time delay
- Scanning can be done anywhere, while another office manages the document indexing
- Lower cost of scanning hardware and higher cost of shipping means scanning is more economical and practical
- Greater document security by eliminating third party shipping
MFP Scanning with Microsoft SharePoint
Using multifunction peripherals for distributed scanning has several challenges:
- Ad-hoc scanning is not batch oriented and provides no index automation; the documents must be scanned and processed one at a time.
- Documents need to be manually uploaded and routed to the proper SharePoint location.
- Due to the vast array of MFP operating systems and configurations, proprietary software can often only work with specific MFP devices. Adding additional/different multifunction peripherals later could result in incompatibility or worse, a complete platform change.
KnowledgeLake provides a solution that overcomes these challenges:
- Batches of documents are on-ramped directly into SharePoint using any MFP, fax server or network scanner.
- Instead of manual processing, the KnowledgeLake MFP Solution can utilize separator sheets during scanning to identify document types and route them to the correct location.
- KnowledgeLake provides administration and monitoring of branch office scanning using a web-based solution.
- After scanning, documents can be viewed and indexed via a browser at the user’s desktop or a remote office location, and then released into SharePoint.
- With the simple use of a barcode cover sheet, a user can easily scan from an MFP and then go to their workstation and see only their own scanned documents for indexing in KnowledgeLake’s Web Capture.
Benefits of the KnowledgeLake MFP Scanning Solution
The KnowledgeLake MFP scanning solution can streamline and even automate your business processes by providing functionality not provided with SharePoint out-of-the-box.
- Seamless document onboarding to SharePoint from any scanning or network scanning device
- Batch import documents from multifunction peripherals and network scanners
- Automatic monitoring of network directories for new documents
- Support for custom process activities
- Enable off-hours batch processing by scheduling imports
- Barcode coversheets to automate document indexing & routing
- Simple to deploy and centrally administered (nothing installed on desktop)
- Use existing MFP hardware and Microsoft technology
- Capture at point of origin and allocate indexing to appropriate Knowledge Worker (scan at one location, index at another)
- Application integration, such as an Accounting or ERP system
- Dramatically lowers operating costs while improving cycle times and customer service levels
Lower Total Cost of Ownership
The KnowledgeLake MFP scanning solution is easy to use and has a high user adoption rate, primarily because most workers are familiar with Microsoft technology. Your organization can leverage existing investments, such as scanning hardware and Microsoft SharePoint. Along with SharePoint, KnowledgeLake software can streamline complex document routing through Business Process Workflow and Automation.
