Why Document Scanning And Digitization Is Important To Oil And Gas In Nigeria

The Oil and Gas industry need successful document management processes to mitigate risk, control project value chains, coordinate deliverables from multiple contractors and produce auditable records.

Well logging is the practice of making detailed records of geological formations penetrated by a borehole and is conducted at several stages in the drilling process. Well logs are the data “backbone” of the petroleum industry and are used by geologists, geophysicists and engineers. Imagine trying to handle paper versions of such vital data while on site, or while researching previous projects. Through well log document scanning and digitisation, the images and hard copies are converted into electronic data that can then be used by a computer. This makes accessing this type of information easier.

By employing the scanning and digitisation process, the information contained in the oil and Gas sector can be handled and stored more securely than it’s paper counterpart. Multiple users are able to access the digitised well log data at an office computer or while on site.

The data format of the well logs regarded as LAS files have broad use for the exploration and production industry. Such information includes actual measurements of subsurface properties from down-hole sensors. The improved ability to read and use such digitised well log data allows analysts to easily re-visit any data necessary for ongoing projects.

The preservation of well logs ensures that the historical insights provided by the drilling will remain intact and accessible for exploration and development efforts. Geologists have traditionally had to sort through dated archives of paper records. Too often, such records can be lost or damaged. The manual searches through hard-copy well-logs can take up as much as 40% of geoscientists time. Imagine if that information was readily available on a computer or even hand-held device?

If properly done, the scanning of well-log data can capture header information, digitise specified curves and utilise back-ups. Capturing the measurements of rock and fluid properties allows for quantifying potential depth zones containing oil and gas. Without an accurate, easy to read version of these measurements, mistakes could be made along the drilling process.

With the potential changes in the oil and gas industry looming, why not be prepared to change with the times. Moving into well-log document scanning and digitising in Nigeria preserves the integrity of valuable data, makes it easier to share the information with other workers on a project, ensures that the critical data is preserved for years to come, and provides a quick turnaround time for field assessment.

Why SMEs Need An Electronic Document Management System

If your Small/Medium sized Business is like most, you’ve probably kicked around the idea of going paperless. You’ve weighed the pros and cons of the benefits vs. the expenses of an electronic document management (EDM) system, but you still haven’t taken the plunge. Maybe the expenditure seems a little beyond your budget, or maybe the idea of implementing a new technology is intimidating. Meanwhile, while you continue to straddle the fence regarding an implementation, more and more of your incoming business documents are electronic. You’re probably saving them in the My Documents folder of your computer, and wondering whether there is a more logical way to organise your information.
You’re probably also already using scanners and electronic faxes in addition to your computer storage media. In terms of hardware, you’ve made investments that offer the potential to significantly increase your output. Unfortunately, in a mixed environment that uses paper and electronic processes, documents often do not offer the ability for search and retrieval. It can be difficult to access your corporate information, and difficult to reap the potential for profits that are offered as part of your existing investment in technology.
An Electronic Document Management solution provides Small/Medium sized businesses with the ability to capture, organise, and immediately retrieve documents. With workflow, EDM minimised the potential for human error by ensuring that the right information is electronically routed to the right person at the right time. EDM allows SMBs to manage the entire document lifecycle—when documents are backed up, how long they are stored, and when they are purged from the system. All of these components are critical in today’s environment.
For many SMBs, transitioning to paperless processing is not a choice anymore. In order to remain competitive, they need to be able to integrate their existing technology into their line-of-business applications. Paperless processing offers a means to increase turnaround and decrease processing time. The good news is that there has never been a better time to invest in an EDM system—even for those organisations with limited monetary and IT resources.
Usually, one of the biggest hurdles for SMBs with respect to an EDM system is the cost. Once organisations commit to making that initial investment, however, they have the potential to reap tremendous ROI. EDM gives them the ability to automate processes, which helps them increase their output without increasing staff. EDM is finally affordable to SMBs. One small insurance company was anticipating the ability to pay off their EDM investment by selling their fireproof filing cabinets—once the paper was eliminated, they no longer had a use for them. Add to that the elimination of paper storage costs, as well as savings in the toner, ink, paper, mailing, and improved internal communication, and SMBs are able to see the potential for immediate Return On Investment.
The reality is that for most SMBs, going paperless is no longer a choice. The world is transitioning to electronic communications whether or not your infrastructure is set up to handle it. The majority of business communications take place using technologies using email messaging, faxes, voice files, text messages, and digital photographs. The business world is inundated with electronic communications as well as paper. Transitioning to paperless processing seems like a logical step for SMBs; however, perceived pricing and IT considerations often hold them back.
For organisations that are intimidated at the thought of implementing new technology, it is encouraging to note that EDM systems are more user-friendly than ever. Often, EDM systems work behind the scenes. End-users are unaware that new technology has even been implemented. Users are able to continue to work in their familiar software environments and do not have to learn any complicated new programs.
Some savvy organisations serve customers by using EDM automation to trigger phone messages or email notifications in order to inform clients of a need for updated address information. Others are able to improve service by placing barcodes on their outgoing mail. When mail is returned, processing can be expedited with automation that is triggered by the barcodes.
More often than not, compliance requirements involve privacy, security, tracking, monitoring, auditing, and the ability to perform advanced analytics that is well beyond the scope of capabilities offered by a paper system. Companies, regardless of size, have to be able to demonstrate accountability. It is not a valid excuse for a company to claim that it is too small—or doesn’t have the resources—to address these issues. Retention and destruction schedules are also an important compliance measure. Under a paper-based system, it is very possible that you are holding on to documents (and paying for their storage) well beyond the time that is required. On the flip side, it is possible that documents that have to be saved for a number of years are being destroyed prematurely. An EDM system allows you to automate retention and destruction schedules, taking the potential for human error out of the equation.
Should your organisation find itself in the unenviable position of a litigation scenario, EDM can help you locate and retrieve materials that are required as part of the eDiscovery process. Companies that have not transitioned from paper processes to electronic have learned the hard lesson that in an eDiscovery situation, the cost of locating hard-to-find (or missing) paper documents can often pay for an EDM system many times over.
Disaster recovery is another area in which an EDM more that pays for itself. A solid disaster recovery plan, coupled with an EDM system, can help you get your business back up and running after disaster strikes. In such a scenario, it can mean the difference between survival and collapse.
For SMBs that really do take advantage of the potential that EDM has to offer, the ability to electronically store and retrieve information is a launching point. Talk to your peers who have implemented EDM. Look into the differences between vendor offerings. Define for yourself what constitutes easy-to-use, adaptable, and scalable functionality. You may be more ready than you think!

10 Benefits of a Document Management System in Healthcare

Let's face it. The health care industry utilises a lot of forms and paperwork. Patient forms, doctor notes, payment receipts, insurance cards, diagnosis codes, lab results - all from just one patient!  Plus, there are guidelines for patient privacy and document security. Physicians are required to retain patient medical records and recordings, including deceased patients, for a minimum of 10 years from the date of the patient’s last visit.

So why should healthcare businesses bother implementing a document management system? Below are 10 reasons why it’s a good idea to switch from a paper-based process to electronic form.

1. Easy to implement and manage

The process of a DMS is simple: Paper documents are generated or come into the office, clinic or hospital, and are scanned into the system. Each scanned document is indexed and attached to either an existing electronic patient record or a new one can be created.

2. Increased productivity

With a DMS, you can reduce the time to access patient files by simply keying in a search term. Each document that is converted to electronic form is given a unique identifier (usually an index number) and can be searched for through various search terms. Physicians and administrators can search a patient’s name and retrieve their medical record in mere seconds, leaving them more time to spend on value-added activities.

3. Eliminates human error

Mistakes are unavoidable when dealing with vast amounts of paper documents. Too much paper causes clutter, and clutter increases the occurrence of lost or misplaced files and pertinent documents. Therefore, a Document Management System aids in reducing adverse drug events, such as improper dosage of medications. If files or documents are misplaced, physicians are not able to know what medications a patient may have adverse reactions to. This increases patient safety and protects physicians from potential regulatory and legal sanctions.

4. Reduces costs

There are many cost-saving benefits of a DMS:

• Reduce the cost of physical storage space – A hospital, can spend large amounts of money each year on storage for patient files. In addition to the cost of the physical storage, most medical storage facilities charge a fee every time an employee handles a document. This means there is a charge for retrieval of the required document, delivery of the document and yet another charge for the document’s return to the storage facility. This process can often take several days to complete and physicians may be forced to see patients without their full medical record on hand (this is where the earlier point of human error comes in).

• Reduce the cost of paper – photocopying, faxing, printing, etc.

• Reduce the need for additional staff – Extremely busy offices, like those of high-demand specialists, in particular, staff more office administrators in order to deal with the large amounts of paperwork coming into and generated by the office. A DMS can reduce the needs for extra staff, in turn, reducing operation costs.

• Document management systems are relatively inexpensive compared to that of more sophisticated EMR systems. A document management system can be used as a transitional or alternative system to an EMR for physicians who are not ready to dive into an expensive, more sophisticated system, or for those who don’t feel they need the level of sophistication an EMR provides.

5. Improves patient care and satisfaction

Converting paper documents to electronic forms gives physicians and administrators more time to devote to patient care and value-added activities. Less search and faster retrieval times result in more time tending to patient needs. This, in turn, increases patient satisfaction.

6. Increases security through audit trails

An audit trail shows the date, time and username for each activity that takes place on a record. This allows administrators to monitor record activity and ensures security and compliance. A DMS can also be equipped with “rights management” which allows administrators to input who can do what with each document. This ensures that the proper business practices are followed and that content is properly captured, stored, managed, and disposed of at the appropriate and legal time in its lifecycle.

7. Maintains regulatory compliance

Security control is a critical regulatory requirement. A Document Management System offers seamless conversion of paper documents into electronic files to control information access and increase confidentiality. Security features, disaster recovery and enhanced auditing ensure regulatory compliance.

8. Easily integrates with existing systems

A DMS can be easily integrated into most office systems. This means that doctors and administrators don’t need to spend valuable time on training for a new system.

9. Reduces the risk of damage

Storing paper documents and patient medical records on-site can be risky business. Documents can be destroyed by fire, flood, and natural disasters such as severe storms.

10. Enhances collaboration

Documents can be retrieved and modified by a user while access is denied to others while that particular document is being used. This reduces duplicates and old versions of content to be kept in the system. Collaboration features can also allow multiple users to view and alter a document at the same time. Whether or not a document is available to only one user or many users at the same time will be specified by the administrator, depending on office needs.

Given all of these reasons, it makes sense for doctors of private practice, health clinics, and hospitals to start implementing a document management system to manage their medical records. 

And if those 10 benefits aren’t reason enough, here’s a bonus: Document management systems are environmentally friendly. By reducing the use of paper, medical offices can do their part to help save our forests and those animals that depend on them for survival. Just one more reason why switching to a DMS system makes good sense!

Well, you don't have to look any further when seeking a document management solution that will keep your organisation's medical records safe, secure and organised. call Julius/Fidelis on 08020619478/08062539412 or Visit www.tecres.com.ng

Benefits of Enterprise Content Management for Financial Institutions

Competition, mergers, and regulation within the financial services industry have led to dramatic changes in the way that banks and credit unions conduct business. Historically, transactions were the main priority of lending institutions. Now, banks, brokers, mortgage companies, and credit unions find themselves responding to constantly changing customer needs. Institutions are likely to concentrate on activities that strengthen the customer relationship.
To be successful in a competitive marketplace, lending institutions require tools that enable them to gain a complete overview of their customer transactions. Organisations with paper-based processes are at a severe disadvantage when it comes to efficiency and productivity. Fortunately, enterprise content management (ECM) software has evolved to serve the needs of banking and finance organisations in their efforts to optimise customer service, address regulatory responsibilities, and improve accessibility to information. Here are some of the benefits of Enterprise content management for banks.

1. Eliminate Loan Processing Bottlenecks
* Capture new client data in electronic forms that can be digitally routed through origination, closing and funding.
* Use document versioning to ensure that loan officers, branch managers and underwriters are working with the most accurate loan documents.
* Reduce manual data entry by automatically pulling information from existing databases, records and forms.

2. Improve Back-Office Productivity
* Centralise customer records and make information available to all authorised branch employees on demand.
* Retrieve documents instantly based on loan number, CIF number, SSN, EID or document type.
* Eliminate time wasted tracking down physical documents.

3. Create More Responsive Client Service
* Enable simultaneous access to documents to allow customer service reps to efficiently answer customer questions.
* Create workflows that automate suitability approval and exception handling.
* Create online portals where customers can securely access and submit forms and review agreements and supporting documents.

4. Reduce The Cost and Complexity of Compliance
* Provide auditors with instant digital access to records.
* Reduce the cost of storing and transferring paper records.
* Automate document retention to eliminate lost documents and associated fines.
* Constantly monitor document access and retrieval to maintain the highest standards of security.


For more information on Enterprise Content Management Solution ECM, Electronic Document Management Solutions, Business Process Management Solutions call Julius/Fidelis on 08020619478/08062539412 or Visit www.tecres.com.ng

Starter Guide Tips On Document Management

Have you ever stopped to consider how much time you spend looking for a particular document? Could your file-managing habits be one of the reasons you are not productive? Do you think your filing habit needs improvements?

If you work on a computer every other day, it is very easy to drown in a pool of digital formats. You create presentations, write essays, analyse spreadsheets and edit images and at one point all these gets stored and saved. This goes a long way to prove that document management is behind almost everything we do electronically.  We have an understanding that document management can be one of the most tedious and time-consuming tasks of an individual life so we have put together a guide on some basics to keep in mind that can help you improve any digital documentation routine.

1.      Organise Email Attachments and Documents

Organising email attachment is a great place to start. Your email is a powerful tool which is unintentionally used as a document management tool. You use your email to send and receive emails on a daily basis all of which is easily but digging them up on the other hand isn’t. For a situation like this, it is best you download your attachment in bulk with a tool. Doing so can help you transfer and organise file attachments into your document system smoothly. With this, you can extract and download email attachment from all your emailing platforms, filter the files types and specify download location and other specifics.

2.      Integrate Cloud Storage Into Your Routine: The Web has grown into a cloud computing platform that makes everything accessible online.  Yet this approach can create more stress than they are worth if you don’t plan how you will be using them. Upload files wisely by integrating them with your working habits. Here are a few methods to consider:

·   For mobile work, automate your apps to upload files from your device straight to the cloud.

·   Use dedicated services for different formats of documents.

·   Create a designated cloud folder to download things you won’t need permanently. It will keep your local folders free from junks.

3.      Create A Nested Folder System: 

A structured system is reflective of how you remember information. It can literally point you in the right direction with every level you click through. All you need to do is make sure that your folders have a logical hierarchy. Start off with the main folder and then create subfolders to filter out files. The major thing is to remember to label folders according to your work process.

4.      Use A Standard Naming Convention: 

Use a consistent and logical naming process. Make sure your files include things like date, document status, names, and other details that can pinpoint and categorise the file’s contents. File names should be scannable, naturally ordered and highly descriptive. Remember to decide on the formats you would use for the d i.e. DD-MM-YY or first names.

5.      Separate Your Files By Format:

 Sometimes file names won’t come to mind easily as the format will. If this is the case with you, you might want to organise your files by format. If you use this method along with nested folders, it can be a faster way to find a file. You don’t have to resort through a folder full of different file formats.

6.      Archive and Delete Files Regularly: 

The worst part of creating documents is the fact that they can quickly get outdated or obsolete especially with files created with ad hoc. Set up a time frame to delete files regularly to keep them from piling up. 

With the way file management and creation is constantly evolving, knowing just a few of your habits can go a long way in creating a document management system that works for you. 

How to Know The Best Electronic Document Management Solution

You are likely considering an EDM/ECM/BPM solution that will suit your organisation or you are probably thinking about it as a future undertaking. The truth is that if your organization still receives, generates physical documents frequently or your staff still spend considerable time trying to get those documents, or your auditors, customers/clients, workers still have to depend on business processes that are manual routines for service delivery, you are wasting resources and time running your business.
Whether you are considering it now or in the future, EDM/ECM/BPM solution creates a smarter way to be more efficient and effective in a cruelly competitive business era. Let me warn you that not all EDM/ECM/BPM solutions can meet your need; hence you need, at worst, a suitable one or at best a custom-built/flexible suit.
At worst, an EDM/ECM/BPM solution should be an easy-to-use yet extremely powerful integrated document and workflow management system. It should be able to capture, organise, and share any type of digital or paper-based document within a secure, central repository. Usage should be easy, document retrieval instant, integration with existing applications seamless, with an ability to support as few or as many enterprise users as your firm requires.
The solution should enable your privileged staff gain instant access to critical documents and files 24/7, regardless of their physical location. Documents scanned should be made available to secured, authorised staff via an EDM/ECM/BPM solution with highly secure electronic versioning capabilities.
Not only should an EDM/ECM/BPM solution be able to easily track and control client-sensitive information but also stores all of your firm's most critical content in a highly secure repository and provides comprehensive audit trail capabilities, including date/time stamps, task originators/descriptions, and related document activities such as who worked on or reviewed the document. Ability to manage privileges such as viewing (read-only), printing, editing, deleting, storing should be basic functionalities. This would virtually eliminate any possibility that the documents stored in your system will be altered without detection, ensuring the undisputed authenticity of records.
At best, an EDM/ECM/BPM solution should be custom-built or has the flexibility for such. Good EDM/ECM/BPM solution comes with Software Development Kits (SDK) which would enable your IT department (if you have one) adjust the solution and build on it to suit your firm or integrate it to the most ‘stubborn’ applications ever developed. Integration with existing applications as well as support is very important. Some EDM/ECM/BPM solutions come with web-based forms that enable firms capture and work with information. These forms could also be used to automate basic business processes using Business Process Model and Notation, and enable participation to users beyond your organisation

Central to all these, if not the deciding factor, is the cost of purchase and maintenance thereafter. No good EDM/ECM/BPM solution comes cheap – nothing good comes cheap after all. Continuous usage should not be contingent on supports from the developer as this can be financially draining at the long run. You should have the option to choose when to pay for supports.
Requests for a Proof of Concept (PoC) and visits to existing users of the solutions would enable you to conduct comprehensive comparative analyses.

How paper-light practices can help your legal firm win more cases

Few professions are as ‘docu-centric’ as law firms. Documents are important to law firms as evidence is important in a legal proceeding. In fact, documents are evidence, documents have become a unique feature of the legal profession.  A usual law firm generates or receives myriads of physical documents every year, ranging from pleadings to evidence files which are archived in shelves domiciled in a certain dark room. Emails received or generated are either printed out and physically archived or left in one’s email and on many occasions in different folders in several persons’ emails; hence central location is lacking.

Managing physical documents is crucially important to lawyers and on several occasions overwhelming, frustrating, costly and time-consuming. Of serious concern to every solicitor is taking care of any document entrusted to them. Many dream of a day when they would be able to access whatever documents, whenever they need them, wherever they are within seconds.

A Paper-light office makes it possible for you rely less on a physical document, ensures quick retrieval irrespective of your location, and provides secured storage among other benefits. Paper-light Office converts all physical documents into digitized format(s) with solution(s) that would ensure proper management of these documents. The simple goal is to turn your paper documents (physical archive) into a digital archive which can be securely stored more efficiently (in the cloud) and quickly be accessed anywhere, anytime, hence eliminating time wasting in searching for documents and the fear of losing the document.

The cost of Paper-light Office pales into insignificant when compared with the costs of maintaining an archive room, the man-hour lost in searching and retrieving documents which in some cases are never found, the actual  cost of losing the documents, and other mental distresses and inconveniences experienced as a result of depending on physical documents.     
   
From our experience in dealing with legal firms, Paper-light Office helps to:

1. Increase billable hours and improve client service quality.
2. Streamline the process of retrieving and distributing essential information.
3. Provide simultaneous access to client information.
4. Improve operational efficiency with minimal disruption.
5. Improve information security and document integrity.
6. Enable productivity tracking and accountability, ensuring turnaround requirements are always met.
7. Streamline compliance-driven documentation requirements.
8. Reduce paper, paper storage, photocopying, and faxing costs.

Migration to Paper-light Office is gradual, systematic and custom-built, hence we suggest that you first consider digitization of the most important, frequently consulted or searched documents. Depending on the volumes, cloud storage could be free. To increase your confidence in Paper-light Office, we offer, for a start, to digitize for free 1.5 % of the estimated number of pages of your documents. You determine the most important documents for this test.

We at Tecres Technologies help Legal firms realize that dream with Paper-light Office. Why not allow us to help you make your work easier and more efficient!

10 Mistakes to Avoid When Picking a Document Management Software (DMS)

1. Not buying enough scanning capacity. Too often, organisations use their average document processing volumes when determining scanning capacity.
2. Not including all stakeholders – both business and IT – in the requirements definition. In some cases, the IT department will unilaterally choose the organisation’s scanners, in turn, saddling operations with scanners that don’t meet their requirements or are not easy for operators to use.
3. Buying a solution without conducting a proof of concept. Organizations should never purchase a scanner without first seeing how it processes their documents.
4. Making decisions on front-end and back-end systems separately. An organization’s front-end scanning and capture solution must work in concert with its back-end workflow technology.
5. Not coordinating software and hardware vendors during system deployment. No one wins in this scenario. A lack of coordination typically results in wasted effort, finger pointing, and delayed implementations.
6. Not using a phased implementation approach. In their drive for fast results, too many organisations bite off more than they can chew when implementing a scanning solution.
7. Letting “fear of change” take over. Too many organisations are close minded when it comes to re-engineering their processes, falling back on the way they’ve done things for the past five or 10 years.
8. Not thinking LEAN. Organisations should always be looking for ways to do more with less.
9. Not cutting the paper cord. Many organisations use unique transaction separator sheets for each type of work that they process, creating an enormous breadth and volume of paper.
10. Not sharing – as in shared services. With the economy still struggling, and capital budgets tight, organisations should look to consolidate multiple scanning functions on a single platform.

For free analysis of your Document Management System and a look at our ECM solution, you can contact us via our website at www.tecres.com.ng or send an email to enquiries@tecres.com.ng or call on (+234) 013427176, 08020619478