ALSO: The differences between back-end, mid-level and front-end scanning. And how to save on an expensive bottleneck.
By Roman H. Kepczyk
Quantum of Paperless
For the next few years it is anticipated that accounting firm clients will deliver the majority of their organizers and supporting tax documents to the firm in a physical format. To utilize this information in a paperless environment, it must be effectively scanned and managed at the lowest possible cost.
Early paperless adopters scanned the tax return and the supporting documents at the back end of the process when a return was complete. This is still usually the first step when firms transition from a completely manual environment. By doing back-end scanning first, the firm can get used to working with digital files and naming conventions, prior to forcing changes in the preparation and review processes, which can then be transitioned to front-end scanning.
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Scanning should be done primarily by administrative personnel (81 percent according to the 2009 AAA Benchmark Survey) to promote adherence to firm standards and so it is done at a lower cost. Firms have found that having a dedicated scanner attached to a workstation is the most effective method of capturing these images. The top-rated scanners by firms who use them are the Fujitsu fi and Canon DR series.
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