5 WAYS THAT YOUR PAPER FILES ARE EATING YOUR PROFITS

Yes, keeping paper files  COSTS YOU MONEY!
Saving documents, files, and records is a prudent (if not invaluable) part of any business,
but there comes a time when this paperwork can out grow and overtake your business.
Converting this paperwork to a digital format can sometimes be a cost effective solution to this problem.
In other cases, archiving your files off site may be more financially advantageous.
In some cases it may be still smarter to NOT keep files and after a
certain amount of time because they may actually become a LIABILITY for your business.

1.Paying for expensive office space for boxes of files that you rarely access?
If your office space is being leased, you are likely being charged the same $ per square foot for the
people and equipment that are a productive part of your business than you are paying for
boxes and files that are contributing NOTHING to your bottom line.

Is your business just accepting this as an unavoidable financial expenditure?
Utilizing an Archival Storage Company is a way that your business can save a substantial
amount of money if these files are not being accessed regularly.
Archival Document Storage can be a fraction of the cost of office space because
you are only paying for the actual (and limited) physical space that your files are occupying.
You are not paying for an entire 25 square foot area to store 10 sq ft of boxes.
Archival document storage facilities are also likey to be far more secure
from disaster or theft than storing files in an easily accessed and open office space.
Your files are still easily accesses through a delivery service or a scan and
e-mail on demand service.

2. Paying for expensive office space for boxes of files that are simply
getting in the way but still need to be accessed regularly?
Converting these documents to a digital format is the perfect solution.
Once stored electronically, the physical space that these files will occupy
shrinks down to the size of a computer hard drive. While the task may seem daunting,
standing in front of your office flatbed scanner for hours, days, weeks, or even months
would not save you ANY money in the long run.
Companies that are strictly dedicated to Document Imaging however, are
perfectly suited for this task. They employ trained professionals who understand how to
format and index these files so that they can be quickly and easily accessed.
Document Imaging companies also employ specialized Imaging (or scanning) equipment
and software that require a substantial financial investment.
Because scanning is all that these companies do, the cost of
these machines can be amortized over many years and many clients.

3. Would the loss or theft of your files cost your business?
You wake up and go to your office one day to find that the building in which all of
your documents are stored has either burned to the ground or been soaked
by fire suppression equipment…now what?
Were your accounts receivable files destroyed?
How do you know who owes you money?
By storing your documents off site, either electronically, or in a secure
facility, you can greatly decrease the risk of this happening to you.
Document Storage companies can store your valuable paper or electronic
documents in facilities that are purpose built for document preservation and security.

4. Are you spending money to have your staff locate and retrieve files from crowded
and unorganized file cabinets or file boxes?
Are you maybe even placing your business at risk unnecessarily?
Whether you are keeping your paper files on site or paying for a self storage facility, you may still need to access these files.
Locating these files takes valuable time that could be spent much more productively.
Storing your files electronically on a computer makes these files almost instantly available.
Type in a key word into a search and a simple click of a mouse and you have your files ready to print or transmit.
And if you are storing these files off site in an unsecured storage facility you are putting both  your files at risk as
well as creating a liability issue as soon as an employee gets in his/her a vehicle to transit to the offsite location.
These costs and risks and risks can be all but eliminated by having a document management expert evaluate your options.

5. At an important meeting and need to present or refer to a particular document?
Need to have someone hundreds or even thousands of miles away access or view a file or document immediately?
Store your documents in a digital format and distance becomes a nonissue.
Documents can be accessed almost instantly from anywhere. With email and readily available software
which allows you to access a computer from anywhere, you quickly eliminate many of the obstacles
that are created when distance would otherwise become an issue.
In today’s financial climate, every business is looking for an edge. By utilizing a dedicated
Document Management Company to help organize and store, your files, and you finally will be able to
STOP YOUR PAPER FILES FROM EATING ANY MORE PROFITS

Standard Rules for Document Management

Document management is the process organizations use to create, control, secure, store, retrieve, share and destroy documents in all their forms. In the age of information proliferation, rapid technological change and security issues, organizations establishing document management systems must consider not only good business practices, but rules, regulations and standards promulgated by government and international bodies.

1. Rule Making Entities: Financial

   • Numerous federal entities issue regulations requiring organizations to comply with document management rules. The following is a summary of such entities, the types of organizations they impact, and the statute or regulation.

     The Securities and Exchange Commission in SEC 17a-4 provides document management rules for brokers, analysts and others involved in securities exchange.

     The Sarbanes-Oxley Law in Sections 404 and 409 impacts document management by all publicly traded companies as well as accounting firms, auditors and those involved with securities trading.

     The Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act (Check 21) regulates check handling and applies to the banking industry. It is administered by the Federal Reserve.

     The Gramm-Leach Bliley Act protects consumers’ financial information held by financial institutions and is administered by several federal agencies.

     The National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) Rule 3010 and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Rule 342 are administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission and regulate record-keeping requirements having to do with electronic communications for members of these two organizations.

   Health Care Rules

   • The Health Insurance Portability and Accessibility Act (HIPAA) applies to such groups as doctors, hospitals, insurance companies and employers engaged in compiling or transmitting patient information. It is administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

     21 CFR 11 is the section of the Code of Federal Regulations administered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and addressing electronic records and electronic signatures. This section impacts healthcare and pharmaceutical companies.

   Military Rules

   • The Department of Defense regulations (Dept. of Defense 5015.2, version 2) define requirements for records management software purchased by the Department of Defense. Other government entities also use this standard for their records management software.

   Other Federal Rules

   • The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure govern how law firms handle information related to legal procedures.

     The Internal Revenue Services Rev. Proc. 97-22 provides rules for the electronic storage and transfer of taxpayer information, and impacts the financial services industry.

   The Need for Rules

   • Americans depend upon regulatory agencies to ensure protections are in place to keep personal information secure, protect financial transactions and exercise appropriate oversight over those with control over the nation’s food, drug, financial, and healthcare assets. The nation’s information infrastructure is vital for its defense and must also be protected.

     Standardization of document management extends beyond the United States. Non-governmental entities such as the International Organization for Standardization and the Open Document Management API work to standardize and share processes for document management systems in order to ensure the security and availability of informational records when they are needed.

   article written by Susan M. Grant EHow contributor

Making your head spin. Don’t worry, the professionals at docQLink can review your document retention policy to make sure your company is in compliance with the various government entities. Give us a call at 973-998-7020 for a free review.

What is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)?

HIPAA’s is a federal law that:

* Limits the ability of a new employer plan to exclude coverage for preexisting conditions;
* Provides additional opportunities to enroll in a group health plan if you lose other coverage or experience certain life events;
* Prohibits discrimination against employees and their dependent family members based on any health factors they may have, including prior    medical conditions, previous claims experience, and genetic information; and
* Guarantees that certain individuals will have access to, and can renew, individual health insurance policies.

HIPAA is complemented by state laws that, while similar to HIPAA, may offer more generous protections. You may want to contact your state insurance commissioner’s office to ask about the law where you live. A good place to start is the Web site of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners at www.naic.org.

One of the most important protections under HIPAA is that it helps those with preexisting conditions get health coverage. In the past, some employers’ group health plans limited, or even denied, coverage if a new employee had such a condition before enrolling in the plan. Under HIPAA, that is not allowed. If the plan generally provides coverage but denies benefits to you because you had a condition before your coverage began, then HIPAA applies.

Under HIPAA, a plan is allowed to look back only 6 months for a condition that was present before the start of coverage in a group health plan. Specifically, the law says that a preexisting condition exclusion can be imposed on a condition only if medical advice, diagnosis, care, or treatment was recommended or received during the 6 months prior to your enrollment date in the plan. As an example, you may have had arthritis for many years before you came to your current job. If you did not have medical advice, diagnosis, care, or treatment – recommended or received – in the 6 months before you enrolled in the plan, then the prior condition cannot be subject to a preexisting condition exclusion. If you did receive medical advice, diagnosis, care, or treatment within the past 6 months, then the plan may impose a preexisting condition exclusion for that condition (arthritis). In addition, HIPAA prohibits plans from applying a preexisting condition exclusion to pregnancy, genetic information, and certain children.

If you have a preexisting condition that can be excluded from your plan coverage, then there is a limit to the preexisting condition exclusion period that can be applied. HIPAA limits the preexisting condition exclusion period for most people to 12 months (18 months if you enroll late), although some plans may have a shorter time period or none at all. In addition, some people with a history of prior health coverage will be able to reduce the exclusion period even further using “creditable coverage.” Remember, a preexisting condition exclusion relates only to benefits for your (and your family’s) preexisting conditions. If you enroll, you will receive coverage for the plan’s other benefits during that time.

Although HIPAA adds protections and makes it easier to switch jobs without fear of losing health coverage for a preexisting condition, the law has limitations. For instance, HIPAA:

* Does not require that employers offer health coverage;
* Does not guarantee that any conditions you now have (or have had in the past) are covered by your new employer’s health plan; and
* Does not prohibit an employer from imposing a preexisting condition exclusion period if you have been treated for a condition during the past 6 months.

source: United States Department Of Labor Website

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Small Business Accounting Data: How Much Is Too Much?

Small business accounting audits may be exposing the IRS to more data than it needs to see, according to reportsin Accounting Today.

Recently, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) launched a campaign to work with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to enable the small-business taxpayer to redact software files to release only relevant data to the IRS in an audit.

The primary concern of the AICPA is the protection of electronic accounting software records that are requested by the IRS for examination. According to the AICPA Tax Executive Committee chairperson, Patricia Thompson, “The software file routinely contains both tax-related and non-tax-related information, as well as information that may not be relevant to the tax years at issue or to the issues under audit,” “For example, the accounting software file might contain a taxpayer’s client or customer list. In the case of an attorney or someone in the medical profession, it may contain information clearly considered confidential under the law.”

In a letter sent in late March from the AICPA to the IRSaddressing these concerns, it stated that the small business accounting software examination program should not be compared to the procedures that large businesses are subjected to in terms of requests for general ledger and subsidiary files in electronic format. The AICPA stresses that the two are simply not comparable.

“Specifically, the large taxpayer undergoing an IRS examination is routinely represented by tax professionals; and the data being turned over in electronic format does not contain extraneous information unrelated to the LB&I [Large Business & International Division] examination  involved,” the letter stated. “By contrast, because the small business taxpayer often maintains his own accounting software file and is not a trained bookkeeper or accountant, the date in the software file is not necessarily directly relevant to the IRS examination.

Because the currently commercially available account software does not allow for the easy segregation of data for small business persons, the AICPA has also begun talking with software developers and vendors to make it possible to produce electronic files that only include the necessary audit information, versus one file that may have many years of aggregated data.

Article written by Diane Carlisle

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Why Outsource Document Scanning/OCR?

It seems so easy. You have, let’s say, 50 (or 5000) pages or so of material, printed or in a file format like PDF, that you very much need in a word processor, database or spreadsheet. What’s the big deal? Just fire up the scanner, run the pages through, use some OCR (optical character recognition) software and voilà, all done. Ah….if only it really worked that way. Most who try this approach end up with poor quality results due to inexperience and/or inferior equipment. Usually the errors that result from this process take more time and effort to clean up than it would have taken if you just typed it in the first place, as laborious as that would be.

Scanning documents and gleaning ‘usable data’ is more of an art than a science. It takes the knowledge, expertise and skill of specialists to turn that seemingly simple process into a workable solution. Outsourcing is about matching needed skills to the project at hand. Every organization has limits on its resources, especially in this challenging economic environment. By outsourcing your document scanning you save time, effort, and money; allowing you to dedicate your time to higher value business functions.

Outsourcing these projects to a document scanning/OCR service that has the staff, equipment, expertise, and experience to produce exactly the results you need makes business sense. It ensures that your core business does not get sidetracked and the scanning project is completed on time, in budget and satisfies your need. Document scanning/OCR service providers working with a variety of clients with similar requirements produce quality results.

Document scanning/OCR service is a very affordable business solution. Many businesses find that outsourcing their document scanning is more efficient. The expenditure in time and effort (and, I might add, aggravation) of trying to process these projects in-house is usually greater than anticipated. Having the work done by well-equipped professionals with expertise in document scanning, optical character recognition and PDF or other file format conversion is quite cost-effective.

By outsourcing document scanning/OCR service projects you gain access to world-class capabilities and resources by leveraging the talent, technology and skills of others. Going high tech without the extensive investment in equipment, highly trained technicians and expensive software gives you the competitive advantage and helps avoid the cost of chasing ever-changing technology. Outsourcing is a viable alternative to building the needed capability from the ground up.

The most successful businesses of today outsource many of their non-core business processes and now have time and money to spend on standing out in the marketplace. If you are looking for ways to reduce costs and focus on your core business, consider outsourcing solutions that meet your business needs. Many businesses and organizations are now realizing the benefits of outsourcing their document scanning/OCR projects. By outsourcing your scanning you achieve a balance of good value and quality results. Document scanning/OCR service provides an economic solution to many business needs.

Author: Janet Wiggins

Employee Theft of Business Information on Rise

As highlighted in the article below, information theft is a major concern for all businesses. Let the experts at docQLink give you a free no obligation analysis of your Document Management Policy. Having a policy in place that not only addresses federal regulations but also addresses  privacy and security is the key to a successful business.  After reading the article below, give us a call at 973-998-7020 or go to our contact page on our website and ask for an analysis of your policy.

Forensics experts at Deloitte in New Zealand report a steady rise in cases of employees stealing confidential business information and taking it to competing firms. According to a January 23 online article in The New Zealand Herald, factors that account for the increase include:

• The ease with which key information can be downloaded to portable devices such as USB sticks or uploaded to social networking sites
• The economic downturn, which has led to disgruntled employees helping themselves to information for their own advantage or to get back at a former employer

The most common theft scenario is an employee taking client information to a new company, which many people don’t see as a crime, Deloitte forensics partner Barry Foster said. Forensics technology expert Barry Foster recounted for the article two examples of employee theft.

In one case, a salesman at a technology company had told other staff he would take clients with him when he left. He made good on that threat by waiting until the secretary left the office without logging off her computer and e-mailed himself a copy of the database from her computer. From his own PC, he then e-mailed the file outside of the company and copied it to a USB stick. After the secretary spotted the sent e-mail and alerted her boss, the company got an injunction against the man, and he was forced to return the data.

In another case, several code developers at an Internet-based company who didn’t think they were being recognized adequately decided to leave with “their” code. When a new member of the development team tipped off the chief executive, Deloitte was called in to secure and preserve the code while the team was away.

According to the Herald article, even though Deloitte discovered the developers had “destroyed data, wiped code libraries and written a backdoor code to allow them remote access,” which were criminal offenses, the firm did not prosecute.

The article said that companies are concerned about reputation, so most cases of information theft are kept secret.  Companies are also usually more interested in resolving the situation than spending time on prosecution.

The article also referred to the University of Otago Security Research Group’s “2010 New Zealand Computer Crime and Security Survey,” which found that more than 50% of companies had no USB incident protection in place. The survey of 176 computer security practitioners in a large variety or sectors also revealed that a quarter had no mobile device security tools or procedures – despite the fact that the survey respondents reported 63 incidents of mobile devices being lost or stolen in 2009. More than three-quarters revoked access and recovered keys when an employee left, but less than half changed passwords or preserved logs.

Although the Deloitte report and the Otago University survey were both focused on New Zealand companies, organizations in other countries should take steps to protect themselves from incidents such as these. Such steps should include:

• Ensuring that the information management policies define what data belongs to the organization and what (if anything) an individual is entitled to upon separation
• Using technology to monitor large downloads of data and to ensure such downloads are authorized
• Developing employee exit procedures that ensure access is revoked immediately upon departure

Diane Carlisle, CRM

January 25, 2011

Hospital Ends Paper Trail for Medical Records

The Post-Star newspaper for Saratoga Springs, New York, reports that the Saratoga Hospital is changing the face of doctor/patient interaction through the use of laptops, tablet computers, and smart phones.

John Mangona, chief information and compliance officer for the hospital, says the goal is to create more accurate records and waste less time asking the same questions. “The initial impression is that it takes more time to capture things electronically, but what we have found is that we end up with a more accurate picture at the end,” Mangona said.

Some of the improvements that Saratoga Hospital reports include:

• Workstations-on-wheels allow nurses to more easily complete electronic assessments with patients and allow doctors to call up information more easily.
• Physician orders for labs or other follow-up care can be entered in the system, thereby avoiding phone calls and additional paperwork.
• Doctors can use iPads to call up patient information, even if it was initially entered on a different device.
• Data is easier to read.
• Medication is administered more correctly through the use of barcode readers.
• Electronic data allows departments to ensure they are meeting care protocols.
• Digital records are easier to share with other hospitals.

As with many business operations improvements, it is easy to be enthusiastic about increased accuracy in health records and the improvements that it is likely to make in overall health care. However, it is also important to ensure that rigorous security protocols are put in place to prevent unauthorized access and misuse of sensitive information.

Administrators putting electronic health records into place have a variety of requirements that must be met to protect the information in their custody. Most recently, the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act contain many of these requirements.

This article was written by Diane Carlisle on February 23, 2011

docQLink is a TOTAL DATA MANAGEMENT company. A FREE consultation with us will provide answers to many of the questions this change will have on your facility. The method of data transmission is the same as you are doing today. Handling data, moving it place to place.

The ultimate goal is increased patient care, quickly, accurately and competently.

FEAR is the only obstacle your staff faces. FEAR of the unknown.  FEAR of making an error. FEAR of reprisal. FEAR is Actually GOOD in this environment. NO FEAR can cause hasty decisions, bad data transition can create huge liabilities. So engulf FEAR. But manage it with knowledge and competency.

“Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself”: Franklin Delano Rosevelt’s First Inaugural Address. March 4, 1933.

docQLink will build a platform within your organization to provide all the safety devices required to make the full hospital community comfortable in the new environment and focused on patient health care. invite us in.

 

Why Should I Have My Documents Scanned

There are many reasons to convert your paper documents to digital files. Increased security, increased office efficiency, decreased administration costs, and environmental concerns are just a few areas where improvement will quickly be realized by converting your files.

Paper documents and files are often and easily misplaced, or even worse, lost forever. Having your documents converted to a digital format creates a safer environment than a standard file cabinet. With today’s technology it is very simple to store your digital documents online, on an external hard drive, or an internal network server, all of which are safer and more secure than your standard file cabinet. Look at your current document storage system – Is it protected from theft? Do you have a backup of every file just in case the original is lost? What would happen if all of your files were damaged in a disaster? Would your business still be able to function effectively? These are very valid and real concerns that every industry must face. By converting your documents to digital files these issues can be significantly minimized or eliminated altogether.

However there are even more compelling reasons, just think of the time you and your employees could save by simply clicking on the file they need instead of searching through countless files. Let’s not forget, if a folder was misfiled it could take hours or even days to locate it. There is also the simple fact that filing cabinets themselves take up valuable office space. In most cases, by converting your files, you will be able fit all of your company’s documents on one single external hard drive the size of a paperback book. What would you do with all of that new found space?

Are you trying to “go green”? Well, converting those documents over to digital files and recycling all of that paper will help save trees and the environment. In most cases there would be no need to retain your paper documents (check with your legal department or attorney) so they can be shredded and then sent to a local recycling company to be reused.

As you can see, there are plenty of valid reasons for your company to switch over to digital documents. If you would like a free no-obligation analysis of your company’s conversion to digital please give the experts at docQLink a call at 973-998-7020 and make sure you mention that you read about it here.

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