Using MOSS to eliminate paper: multifunctionals and scanners

This is the first post of a planned series of postings on the topic of using SharePoint to get rid of paper. My intention is to share gathered knowledge on the matter, which means that I don't have a clear idea on what to write in the following articles, but that I share knowledge as it comes along. I welcome all input from the community so please let me know your thoughts and experiences.

This first posting is on the use of multifunctional devices (MFDs) and other scanning devices.

Multifunctionals

MFDs (also called MFPs) are printing devices that have other capabilities, like scanning, as well (For this article, I want to focus the machines that have scanning capabilities as this is what will make the connection with MOSS). MFDs come in various sizes: from a SoHo small footprint type, to a large printing production environment one that even staples your printed books. MFDs can be found in the repro area or on the work floor. MFDs are centralized and you'll have only a few or perhaps no more than one on a site.

Multifunctional solutions usually require some middleware of the MFD supplier to route scanned documents to another system, like MOSS. The MFD itself will have functionality build in to determine the type of content and the middleware will take care of the output type (XML, PDF, TIFF etc) and routing to a document management system. I have not seen a solution yet that can handle MOSS content types. In fact, some MFD manufacturers only mention SharePoint 2003 support.

The big plus for MFDs is that they have simple interfaces that can be used by nearly everyone. As nearly every office will have a printer/copier, an MFD with scanning capabilities can easily replace the old printer/copier.

pros

• easy to use
• nearly every office will require a printer/copier, so a machine with scanning capabilities does not require extra space or extra investment
• can handle bulk

cons

• expensive machines
• often pay per print/scan
• often proprietary software

Scanners

Scanners are office territory and usually reside at someone's desk. You also need a computer to access its functionality and to transfer the scanned documents to a document management system. The scanned documents are first stored in a local cache so they can be worked on before transferring them. This includes enhancing the scan and adding metadata, also referred to as indexing. Not all solutions integrate with the MOSS content types, so if this is a requirement, please take that into account when making your choice.

Some solutions offer routing, which means you can target a document to a specific location in MOSS.

pros

• often a cheap solution
• flexible, as the scanner can be moved easily
• easy to install software
• scans can be enhanced before sending them to a document management system

cons

• mostly used decentralized, so in an office
• device can only scan
• needs a PC to interface, so the user should know how to operate. This makes the solution less suitable for non-office use (like factories)
  

Integration with MOSS

As far as tying into the MOSS features, the local scanners offer more. I have not seen an MFD solution that fully uses content types or site columns, whereas local scanning solutions do offer it. Sometimes, the middleware in the MFD solution offers a client connection to review the scans before sending them to MOSS. The picture below provides a graphical overview of how the two types work. I know I'm leaving out all the detailed steps, but at least you'll get the idea.

If this were a competition, the MFDs would win when it comes to handling bulk, like in a mail room. They would also be the preferred solution to handle standard forms in a factory like environment.

Here's a (limited) feature comparison:

Sources

http://www.knowledgelake.com/solutions/9_sharepoint-2007-software.asp http://www.ecopy.com/Products_eCopy_Connector_for_Microsoft_SharePoint.asp http://www.nuance.com/paperport/professional/features.asp http://www.omtool.com/products/accuroute.cfm http://www.hp.com/large/ipg/docmanage/doc_capture.html http://www.searchexpress.com/sharepoint.htm http://www.kn.nl/navigatie/ (Dutch) http://www.kofax.com/products/ascent/capture/index.asp http://www.nsius.com/Products/AutoStoreWorkflow/Overview/tabid/61/Default.aspx http://www.office.xerox.com/software-solutions/xerox-smartsend/engb.html