Archival File Management
for small or large collections
with audit
SageData is based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Many firms, particularly those involved in medical research or the law, are required to maintain records for lengthy periods, in some cases for 25 years or more. And organisations with a responsibility for employees post retirement, also need to keep long term records, and so use an archival file management system. In some cases, a few thousand files, in other cases tens of thousands of boxes of files.
Fortunately modern technology means that both large and small collections can be managed by the same technology, which is still usually using barcodes, though RFID is sometimes an option. In many cases the documents are stored specifically for internal use, but in other cases there are legal obligations, and in these cases an external auditor may be reqired to measure and confirm the accuracy of the records produced by the system. And again, and appropriate system can not only enable the presence of documents to be confirmed, but can apply statistical techniques to rapidly and effectively validate the accuracy of the records.
Although many documents are now being stored electronically, there are still
situations where paper documents (Physical Documents and Folders) must be retained -
often records for personal, medical or legal use.
Traditional means are often time consuming (which means expensive), can be awkward to
use, and can be prone to problems when a document is misfiled.
Barcode and RFID technologies enable documents to be identified easily, quickly and
accurately, so enabling systems to be more responsive (files are located more quickly),
less error prone (files are less likely to get mis-filed), and require less training (the
UI - User Interface provides guidance).
This note explains how barcode and RFID technology can be applied to paper documents to
help manage them more efficiently.
Using RFID or barcodes
Most often, the things
we are asked about as subjects for tracking
are tangible goods - computers, furniture, vehicles, hospital equipment, medications,
museum artifacts, defense and police equipment, industrial machinery - the list is
long.
However, more often we have fielded enquiries around managing and tracking
paper-based assets - files, folders, invoices, hard-copy documentation and so on. For
these applications, Document Management Systems enable paper based products to be managed
easily and accurately.
In the digital age it seems that paper is not going away any time soon. Part of this is a
legacy issue - many files were started many years ago, part is a legal requirement - for
instance, maintaining actual records with actual signatures is important.
SageData Solutions has used our BassetPro product as a base, suitably configured for specialized file tracking, in several interesting projects. Some government departments maintain enormous archives of materials where files are stored but rarely retrieved. However, when a retrieval IS required, it often needs to be done quickly for an urgent referral. Other clients have a system of file review where paper-based files move rapidly around several desks in multiple offices - and tracking those can be a particular challenge. In this later case, RFID tags are a boon in that files may be tracked down even when they cannot be seen - for example they are under other files, in a briefcase or have fallen down behind a desk.
In our experience, every file and archive management situation is different. The requirements revolve around volume and velocity of material, storage methods, security concerns and end-goals of the user. This is where BassetPro, with its highly configurable interfaces and logic streams, comes into its own.
If you found this useful, you might also want to review:
- tracking documents with RFID
- an introduction to RFID
- mobile data
collectors
- consulting
services: barcodes and their applications
QAOK5253 5012
