The Power Behind a Paperless Office

It’s no secret, the concept of a paperless office has gained a lot of attention lately. The idea of electronically storing files as opposed to mountains of file folders and walls of filing cabinets is very appealing to most. And why shouldn’t it be? If you can electronically submit a tax return to the IRS, filing it electronically in your office should be easy.

Drake Software is on the leading edge to help tax professionals manage a paperless office. A new Document Management System for tax year 2005 will keep all client information literally at your fingertips. With the help of a scanner, Drake customers will now be able to keep important documents without the need to file stacks of papers.

Since a scanner plays a key role in a paperless office, we thought it might be helpful to share our research on available scanners in order for you to choose the machine that best suits your needs. And yes, each of these scanners is compatible with Drake Software.

Canon CanoScan LiDE –Price: $129
This is a small scanner with a very unique design and a low price. A single cable provides both power and connection to the computer, reducing the wire jungle you may find around your office. However, there is no way to scan legal documents or multiple pages. This scanner would work well for a small, low-volume tax office.

HP LaserJet 3020 – Price: $399
The HP LaserJet 3020 is an all-in-one machine that copies, prints, and scans. It is network ready and allows the whole office to utilize its powerful functions. This machine prints at a very respectable speed of 15 pages per minute. The HP LaserJet 3020 would be a great multi-purpose machine for tax professionals on a budget.

HP 5550C – Price: $299
The HP 5550C is a flatbed scanner with a 35-page ADF. It can scan letter size paper and handle bulky items like books. The software is not great, but this is a fantastic buy for a small office.

Xerox DocuMate 510 – Price: $349
The Xerox DocuMate 510 can rapidly turn paper documents into electronic documents via the ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) at 10 pages per minute. The PaperPort Software allows you to turn a PDF document into a fully editable Word Document. The DocuMate 510 is a flatbed scanner and takes up more desk space than some, but its removable lid allows for easy scanning of books and other bound materials.

Xerox DocuMate 262 – Price: $1,195
The Xerox DocuMate 510 can rapidly turn paper documents into electronic documents via the ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) at 10 pages per minute. The PaperPort Software allows you to turn a PDF document into a fully editable Word Document. The DocuMate 510 is a flatbed scanner and takes up more desk space than some, but its removable lid allows for easy scanning of books and other bound materials.

Fujitsu Fi-4220C2 – Price: $1,349
The Fujitsu Fi-4220C2 is a workhorse for the busy office. It can handle a load of 1,000 pages a day and can scan 25 pages per minute (50 pages per minute in duplex mode). The scan button allows you to print directly from the scanner while its send button allows the document to be to be scanned and then sent to a printer or another application. The combination of an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) and flatbed scanner makes this an extremely versatile scanner.

Fujitsu Fi-4210C2 – Price: $999
The Fujitsu Fi-4210C2 is the same scanner as the Fi-4210C2 without the ADF.

Canon DR 7580 – Price: $4,850
This is a production level scanner at a reasonable price. It can scan 75 pages per minute (150 in duplex mode). It will self-adjust to various document sizes and paper thickness within a mixed batch. It can automatically rotate text orientation and has some useful features like staple identification and faint text recognition.

Canon DR 980C – Price: $6,500
This Canon is a production level scanner that would be appropriate for high volume offices. It can scan 90 pages per minute and automatically adjusts to paper sizes and thickness. This might be a good machine for offices that plan to scan in all their legal paperwork. When you’re shopping for a scanner, be sure to ask yourself these questions:

• Is it TWAIN compliant? Meaning, will it work with your computer without the need of additional software and if not, is that software included in your purchase?
• Does it connect by a bus or serial port, and does your computer have one of these ports available?
• Is a software upgrade necessary for your computer to scan documents at the best available speed?
• Is a warranty available?

From September 2005