How to store a file on the server?

Document automation (scanning, indexing & searching PDFs on a server)

• OK, this is a multipart question dealing with automated document management. PLEASE only take this question if you are willing to be thorough, accurate and complete. I am looking for a research-based professional opioion... I am looking for you to research and locate the following KEY ITEMS to help in managing documents for a small-mid size business: 1. i need a scanner (HARDWARE) that can quickly and easily scan stacks of paper up to legal size, small receipts and checks sizes as well. the scanner should have duplex (scan both sides of a page) and quick automatic sheet feeding (60-120PPM). it should also have a flatbed incase needed. the purpose of this equipment is to quickly scan bills, old documents and receipts for a business. If the scanner itself has built-in PDF conversion with the ability to store the images on a server, this would be ideal. I need a self-contained, not-too-big unit that can do the above and fit on a desktop without being too bulky. The following companies are known for their scanners, but dont be limited to these if they dont do what I need: Bell & Howell, Fujitsu, Kodak, Panasonic, Cannon. also, the machine should have a button for one-touch scanning for use with the next item #2... I NEED YOU TO FIND A SCANNER THAT CAN ACHIEVE MY GOALS, SITE MODEL/MAKER/SOURCE TO BUY & PRICE. 2. i need a document automation/management SOFTWARE that uses the scanner (mentioned above) to quickly convert the images into PDF format (and other formats) and have the ability to FILE THE IMAGES in a file-folder type setup on a server (this should be easily configuarable so I can choose where the images get stored) ALSO I would prefer to have the ability to transmit (via internet or LAN) the scanned images in the event that a branch office is scanning documents with need to go to the main office/server. Once the PDF scans are in a file system, I need either the same software or a secondary software to QUICKLY & EASILY see a CUE OF DOCUMENTS that have been scanned and need to be classified and indexed so that I can search the scanned documents. I want the software to put the information in a MS Access database or something compatible to it. Also, OCR (text extraction) is a desired feature. It would be ideal if the client software for this could run through a web-browser for accessing and classifying the documents and seeing the cue of documents awaiting classification/indexing. If no web-based solution is found, I would rather have the functionality as mentioned. SEE http://home.comcast.net/~mister-bills/screenshots.htm for a similar type of solution I am looking for, but I dont think this one is robust enough. THE OBJECTIVE: I have huge amounts of paper that I want to scan-in and index for storage on my server. I also want to use this as an ongoing means of managing all the paper that seems to come from no where. I am highly unorganized and I need a solution to scan and manage documents like invoices, receipts, bills, bank statements, notices, etc.. Please help, looking for products, pricing and recommendations. Good luck.

• Answer:

  curiogeorges - Thank you for your question. I did much more research since I posted those clarification requests, and have found some solutions for you below. If you choose to rate this answer, please ask for any clarification you may require beforehand. Thank you. SECTION 1 - SCANNERS ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Because you'll most likely be looking to drop a stack of various size sheets into the scanner at one time, only duplex scanners with auto-size detection are going to work for your application. These will likely be sufficient for your needs, because your long term monthly volume is relatively low. However, you can most likely get a faster version of a respective scanner from a vendor for a few thousand dollars more. I have called and talked to each one of these companies to make sure that these scanners fit your application. I also made sure to find out the actual duplex scanning rate, as this will differ from the simplex scanning rate that may be advertised. I provide a link to product information as well as pricegrabber, where you can see rated vendors that sell the product, sorted by shipped price (I picked a Miami zip code, but it shouldn't be much different to other places in Florida). Take a look on Froogle (www.froogle.com) before you buy, since there are other vendors that may have lower prices through this service. (Note: There is a significant price cut on refurbished units; Canon interestingly doesn't have a flatbed scanner with document feed) FUJITSU <-- RECOMMENDED ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Model fi4220C ????????????????????????? 16-25 PPM for both color and mono Product Info: http://www.fcpa.com/products/scanners/fi-4220c/ Purchase ($1227): http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=590049/search=fi-4220c From what I can tell, this scanner has the biggest bang for the buck. PPM outpaces all below (same PPM for color and mono), has duplex scanning with true duplex (dual cameras), and is the absolute cheapest of them all with this kind of feature set. Comes with Adobe Acrobat 6.0. The scanner has one a "product of the year" editors choice award from Transform Magazine, a leading magazine of the document management industry. (See http://www.transformmag.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=17000164) EPSON ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Model GT-15000 ????????????????????????? Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) available separately; ~7ppm mono/~5ppm color Product Info: http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?cookies=no&oid=38633256 Purchase: http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?sort_type=bottomline&masterid=1657225&isbn=&pid= ADF available here (part number B813212): $999 (found through Froogle) http://www.tristatecamera.com/lookat.php3?sku=EPSB813212&sid=3pm5oj6w Model GT-30000 ????????????????????????? ADF built in; ~15 PPM color/~7 ppm mono Product Info: http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/ProductQuickSpec_BigImage.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=206802&category=Scanners&nextPage=/ProductQuickSpec.jsp Purchase ($2400+ refurb, $3220+ new) http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?sort_type=bottomline&masterid=435326&isbn=&pid= The duplex functionality of these scanners is accomplished through one camera with dual-pass. RICOH ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Model IS330DC ????????????????????????? 5.5PPM color; 6.5PPM mono Product Info: http://ricoh-usa.com/products/scanners/features.asp?ProductId=85 Purchase ($1451 open box; $2051 new): http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?sort_type=bottomline&masterid=460601&isbn=&pid= Model IS450DE; 32PPM mono only ????????????????????????? Product Info: http://ricoh-usa.com/products/scanners/features.asp?ProductId=88 Purchase ($4115) http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?sort_type=bottomline&masterid=21547&isbn=&pid= SECTION 2 - SOFTWARE ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? I've looked at the various products on the market, as well as consulted with individuals on the phone, and I'm going to recommend the following as the ideal balance of price and capability. It offers all of what you describe in an all-in-one package. It's web-based, non-proprietary/interfaces with Access, easy to use, with unlimited license. Other solutions are in the multi-thousands of dollars to do all that you describe and/or may not be web-based, and/or only offer certain elements of what you're looking for. SentryFile - Corporate edition (corporate edition most befitting according to the company) http://www.sentryfile.com/index.cfm?index=PRODUCT/HOME "SentryFile allows you to integrate paper documents and electronic documents into an online filing system. It has the all the tools that today's digital office demands, in a single, web-based package. Quickly create a complete digital library of all your important business documents, and rest assured that in the event of a disaster your data is safe." --> see more at link above There's a downloadable demo of it available: http://www.sentryfile.com/index.cfm?index=TRYANDBUY/HOME Purchase it for $1995 from here: E. Accufile, Inc. Glen Macpherson 270-268-1656 Paperport ????????????????????????? As I previously posted, Paperport may be an option, if you're willing to do a non-browser based setup on your network. You will need a multi-user version, which is $767.99 from Buy.com: http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=20353401&loc= Full description at Scansoft link: http://www.scansoft.com/paperport/pro/features.asp#enterprise Doculex ????????????????????????? This product will be most comparable to Sentryfile, but is 5 times the price, at $9995. If you're interested, you can contact Cindy at: 863-297-3691x209. Features of DocuLex Office Capture include: Easy to use interface A set-up wizard enabling quick setup for new project scanning Separator sheet form design Full-text OCR processing OCR recognition of document text in 10 international languages Mark recognition of pre-set template document separator sheets Visual and unattended image quality control with image and database analysis during scanning Password protection capability Unlimited use licensing, with no per-page click fees. ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? There are several companies on the net that do document conversion, and one such company I contacted, Golden Images, LLC, confirms $.08/sheet ($.10 for OCR'd searchable PDF's), with independent PDF files for each sheet or 1 PDF file for all the sheets. GOLDEN IMAGES LLC http://www.pdfdocument.com/ 1680 Trinity Circle Arnold, Missouri 63010 Phone: 636.282.4024 Email: [email protected] Another company in Miami does something similar for $.15 per page for OCR'd PDF's (this company said the rate given by Golden Images above is superb): Document Scanning Center Corporation http://www.scanningcenter.com/ Here's another: Forms Processing http://www.formsprocessing.com/ ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Additional Links (product information): Ricoh Scanner Product info: 781-769-7685 Eric 973-439-7719 770-993-1028 Epson: 1-800-GO-EPSON Fujitsu: 800-626-4686, Don Caruso - 408-894-3586 Ivan - 3928 Select Search Strategy: PDF server PDF document management