Departmental Document Imaging: Issues and Concerns

Document imaging is a process used to transform printed text, pictures, and figures into computer-accessible forms. Imaging technology clearly offers dramatic opportunities for enhancing office automation, but vendors may be too quick to promote imaging as the ultimate solution for document management problems involving both space and personnel. This article presents relevant issues, observations, and a few suggestions that may be useful for anyone thinking about establishing departmental document imaging and management systems, based on investigations undertaken at the University of Florida.