What Happens To Your Business In the Event of a Disaster?

The largest blackout in U.S. history incurred damage – from spoiled food to lost sales – is estimated at $6 billion.

According to the Wall Street Journal Business Technology blog, a recent Emerson Network Power survey showed that only 31% of the respondents had a business continuity plan to prepare for such disruptions, yet nearly 80% said they had experienced at least one power outage in 2007, and two-thirds said they expected another one to occur within 12 months.

Did you know that you can use Document Management as the foundation of your organization’s business continuity plan? Despite the recent floods in the Midwest, law firm Arenson & Zimmerman used Laserfiche company to continue working, even though power at their offices would be out for at least four weeks. The weekend after the flooding began, staff set up remote computer connections for all attorneys and support staff so they could work from off-site locations.

Without Laserfiche, staff members would have had to carry large boxes of files down nine flights of stairs while holding flashlights. “Although the stair climbing would have put us all in much better physical shape, Document Management has allowed us to spend our time producing billable work,” concluded legal assistant Laurie L. Chappell. Document Management Solutions definitely helped productivity during this time.

What if your offices lost power for four weeks? Do you know how you could use Document Imaging to keep working? Learn more about how you can better prepare for disaster, whether it’s a power outage, an earthquake or a tornado as part of your business continuity plan.

Document Management Solutions: Recommending It to Your Colleagues

With the support of the Eaton County Information Systems Office, the Eaton County Prosecutor’s Office has successfully transitioned from dependence on physical paper file folders. In fact, we are among the first prosecutor offices in the USA to go paperless!

Changing to electronic files isn’t a revolutionary idea; many private industries have already made the switch because Document Management is a priority for all businesses. But our change has been a revolutionary improvement in how we do the People’s business by providing Document Management Solutions, and is a harbinger of the future for many other prosecutor offices and other businesses.

I think it’s important to show my colleagues that there’s a better way to do business. So, on our Website, we include information on why we chose Laserfiche, how it works, the benefits and our tips and suggestions for success. There’s a frequently asked questions section that answers questions like “How do you handle discovery?” and “What happens if your computer crashes?” We had such a positive response to that page that we created and posted videos about how we work and how Document Management can help, so other prosecutors’ offices can see the benefits of Laserfiche first hand.

One of the other things I do is talk about Laserfiche whenever I can. We host on-site visits from other prosecutors’ offices interested in seeing how “paperless” we really are. (Instead of six file cabinets, we now only need a single drawer – and it doesn’t even hold paper. We use it to hold evidence CDs.) The fact that we haven’t lost a single file in over three years is earth-shattering to other prosecutors thanks to Document Imaging Software.

I also present at industry conferences. Last year, I lectured for the National College of District Attorneys (NCDA) and the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) National Advocacy Center about our paperless file management system. During these presentations, I show screenshots of our Laserfiche repository and explain our various work processes. I also like to show photos of the “before” and “after” in our office. It’s a great way to spread the word that there’s a better way to work than with paper.