SCANNERS – MFP OR DEDICATED DEVICE
Scanning the horizon With businesses increasingly digitalising their operations, scanning is becoming more important. But for office managers, the question is often whether it will be better to get a dedicated scanner or use one that is integrated into an MFP.
With businesses of all sizes embracing the benefits of digitalisation, it means that increasing numbers of physical documents are being scanned and then stored and distributed digitally. This means that the humble scanner is enjoying something of a renaissance, but a question for many business managers is whether to invest in dedicated devices or to have a scanner as part of a multifunction printer (MFP) – and this is something resellers can help with. Deyon Antoine, product marketing manager at Toshiba Tec, says that businesses should consider getting dedicated scanners for their office if they have a requirement for high volume bulk scanning. “Also, businesses wanting to digitise documents as part of their digital transformation process like healthcare providers, legal firms, financial services and insurance companies and large enterprises with centralised records like HR and finance,” he adds. Kevin Dobson, product manager for scan at Epson UK, agrees that dedicated scanners are “a smart choice” for a business that handles a high volume of
paper documents or requires specialised scanning workflows. “This includes sectors like legal, finance, healthcare, education, and the public sector, where document digitisation, data capture and secure archiving are daily operational needs,” he says. “Businesses that have transitioned to cloud-based systems or digital document management will also benefit from the speed, accuracy, and customisation that dedicated scanners can provide. Unlike MFPs or general-purpose devices, dedicated scanners are built specifically for high-speed, high-quality scanning, making them ideal for front-office or back- office environments where efficiency and reliability are key.” Dedicated scanner vs MFP Dedicated scanners and MFPs share many common properties, but each have their own advantages. Deyon notes that standalone scanners are designed for high-volume, continuous bulk scanning. “They offer advanced paper handling, batch scanning, and incremental file naming, which is ideal for digitising large archives or regulatory documents,” he says. “They also typically include larger displays and/or keyboards for better quality control and metadata entry and often have dedicated IDP software to support document scanning and processing.” Deyon adds that they support metadata tagging, encryption and audit trails, which is important for regulated sectors like
Kevin Dobson product manager, scan
epson.co.uk
Epson WorkForce DS-1630 Dedicated scanners are “a smart choice” for a business that handles a high volume of paper documents... “ ”
42
Powered by FlippingBook