at Financial Technnology Year
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Features in High-Volume Document Scanners
for Policy Administration
Industrial-grade scanning equipment that digitizes large volumes of policy documents, applications, and supporting materials for electronic storage and retrieval.
We ask vendors to mark their product against our feature list. It is not available for all products and in some cases we have derived data from publicly available sources. The list of features follows. Vendors can add a further 10 key features of their own.
Cost & Total Cost of Ownership
Pricing and lifetime cost considerations, including consumables.
- Consumables Cost
- Estimated cost of replacing rollers, pads, and other regular-use parts.
- Cost per Scan
- Calculated average cost per page digitized.
- Depreciation Period
- Expected usable economic life of device.
- Downtime Cost Impact
- Estimated operational loss per hour/day of scanner unavailability.
- Energy Consumption Cost
- Estimated annual power usage costs.
- Purchase Price
- Initial procurement cost of the device.
- Recycling/Disposal Fee
- Fee for end-of-life device disposal or recycling.
- Resale Value
- Projected value at end of depreciation period.
- Service/Support Subscription Cost
- Optional or required fees for maintenance contracts.
- Shipping/Installation Costs
- Initial delivery and installation expenses.
- Software Licensing Fees
- Recurring or one-time fees for bundled or optional software.
- Training Costs
- Charges for user/operator training sessions.
- Upgrade Path Cost
- Cost of hardware upgrades for capacity/feature expansion.
Document Handling
Features ensuring the reliable handling of various document types, sizes, and physical conditions.
- Adjustable Guides
- Physical guides to align documents of various sizes.
- Automatic Stacker
- Ability to neatly stack processed documents post-scanning.
- Book Scanning Capability
- Enables digitization of bound documents/books.
- Curled/Folded Paper Support
- Can handle documents with folds or curls without jamming.
- Document Weight Support
- Supported weight range of paper (e.g., 20-110 lb).
- Envelope Scanning
- Can scan envelopes with contents without requiring them to be opened.
- Fragile Document Support
- Can process fragile, damaged, or delicate documents safely.
- ID/Business Card Scanning
- Support for scanning small format items such as cards.
- Long Document Mode
- Ability to scan extra-long documents (beyond standard sizes).
- Manual Feed Slot
- Slot for hand-feeding items that can't be managed by the ADF.
- Mixed Document Detection
- Can scan mixed batches of paper types, sizes, and thicknesses without manual sorting.
- Staple Detection
- Detects and alerts the operator if a staple is present to avoid jams/damage.
- Ultrasonic Double Feed Detection
- Advanced detection method to prevent double feeds.
Environmental & Physical Properties
Attributes affecting physical installation, power use, and environmental impact.
- Device Footprint
- Physical size of the scanner.
- Energy Star Certification
- Certified for energy efficiency.
- Floor Mount Capability
- Can be securely mounted to the floor for stability.
- Humidity Range
- Supported ambient humidity range for reliable operation.
- Low-Emission Mode
- Supports power-saving, low-heat emission operation.
- Mobile/Portable Design
- Designed for easy movement between office locations.
- Noise Level
- Operational noise output.
- Operating Temperature Range
- Supported ambient temperature range for reliable operation.
- Power Consumption (Operating)
- Electrical power required during operation.
- Power Consumption (Standby)
- Electrical power required while idle.
- Recyclable Materials
- Percentage of device components that are recyclable.
- Vibration/Shock Resistance
- Tolerance to typical vibration/shock during operation.
- Weight
- Total weight of the device.
Image and Data Quality
Capabilities that enhance the quality of scanned images and extracted data for downstream use.
- Auto File Naming
- Generates file names based on extracted metadata (e.g., barcodes, OCR, timestamps).
- Auto Orientation Detection
- Automatically rotates pages to proper orientation.
- Automatic Image Enhancement
- Features like deskew, despeckle, auto-rotation, and contrast adjustment.
- Barcode Reading
- Ability to recognize and extract barcode information from documents.
- Blank Page Detection
- Automatically identifies and removes blank pages from scans.
- Color Dropout
- Ability to remove or ignore specific colors during scanning (useful for forms).
- Color/Profile Management
- Support for ICC color profiles and color management.
- Dynamic Thresholding
- Automatically adjusts thresholds for variable document backgrounds.
- Image Compression
- Supports advanced compression algorithms (e.g., JPEG2000, MRC) for storage efficiency.
- Multi-stream Output
- Ability to produce multiple image formats (e.g., color and black/white) simultaneously.
- Noise Reduction
- Filters and reduces visual noise for clearer images.
- OCR Capability
- Ability to perform Optical Character Recognition during scanning.
- Searchable PDF Output
- Creates PDF files with embedded text from OCR for full-text search.
Integration & Connectivity
Capabilities for connecting scanners to local networks, document management systems, and enterprise applications.
- API Access
- Support for programmatic control and custom integrations via APIs.
- Automated Workflow Triggers
- Triggers downstream processing automatically based on scan parameters.
- Batch Metadata Export
- Exports metadata from batches for automated indexing.
- Cloud Integration
- Direct scanning to cloud storage platforms (e.g., OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox).
- Direct to Email/FTP
- Ability to send scans directly to an email address or FTP server.
- Document Management System (DMS) Integration
- Certified integration with leading enterprise DMS.
- Ethernet Connectivity
- Supports wired network connections.
- LDAP/Active Directory Authentication
- Supports user authentication using enterprise directories.
- Mobile App Support
- Offers a companion mobile app for device management.
- Scan to USB Drive
- Allows saving scans directly to USB flash drives.
- TWAIN/ISIS/WIA Driver Support
- Compatibility with standard industry scanner drivers.
- USB Support
- Ability to connect via USB ports (2.0/3.0/USB-C).
- Wi-Fi Support
- Supports wireless network connections.
Maintenance & Reliability
Features related to ongoing device care, robustness, and support.
- Consumable Tracking
- Tracks life and usage of key consumables.
- Device Uptime Guarantee
- Guaranteed percentage of time device is operational under SLA.
- Hot-Swappable Consumables
- Replace consumables without powering down scanner.
- Maintenance Schedule Export
- Export device maintenance records/reports.
- Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF)
- Average operational time between device failures.
- Predictive Maintenance
- Alerts users of impending consumable/part replacement needs based on usage.
- Remote Firmware Updates
- Supports firmware upgrades over the network.
- Remote Troubleshooting Assistance
- Technician can access and diagnose device remotely.
- Replaceable Glass Surface
- User-replaceable glass platen for scanner bed.
- Self-Diagnostics
- Performs automatic checks and reports device health.
- Service Contract Availability
- Availability of manufacturer/partner maintenance programs.
- Support Response Time
- Average time to respond to a support incident.
- Tool-less Consumable Replacement
- Replace rollers, pads, or other consumables without needing special tools.
Output & File Formats
Features related to the variety and configurability of digital output formats.
- Bates Numbering
- Adds sequential numbering for legal/audit purposes.
- Custom Naming Schema
- Configurable rules for file naming.
- Direct Export to Enterprise Content Management (ECM)
- Exports files directly to ECM/DMS platforms.
- Encrypted Output File Option
- Can produce encrypted output files.
- JPEG Output
- Ability to output scanned documents as JPEG images.
- Multi-Page Output
- Supports saving multi-page TIFF/PDF files.
- Output Compression Control
- Configurable compression level for files.
- PDF Output
- Ability to output scanned documents as PDF.
- PNG Output
- Ability to output scanned documents as PNG images.
- Searchable PDF/A Output
- Creates PDF/A for archival compliance, searchable via OCR.
- Single-Page Output
- Supports saving individual files per page.
- TIFF Output
- Ability to output scanned documents as TIFF files.
- Watermarking Support
- Can apply custom watermarks to scanned images.
Scanning Performance
Features related to the speed, capacity, and efficiency at which the scanner can process documents.
- Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) Capacity
- The maximum number of pages the feeder can hold for unattended batch scanning.
- Average Consumable Life
- The average number of scans before parts (rollers, pads) require replacement.
- Batch Separation
- Equipment’s capacity to distinguish and separate batches automatically (e.g., via barcodes or separators).
- Continuous Scanning
- Ability to add documents to the feeder while scanning is in progress.
- Daily Duty Cycle
- The maximum recommended number of pages the device can scan within a 24-hour period.
- Document Size Support
- Supported range of document dimensions (e.g., minimum and maximum width/length).
- Duplex Scanning
- The scanner's ability to capture both sides of the page in a single pass.
- Jammed Paper Handling
- Mechanisms and alerts to prevent, detect, and recover from paper jams.
- Multi-feed Detection
- The ability to detect and alert users of multiple pages being pulled through the feeder simultaneously.
- Pages Per Minute (PPM)
- The number of pages the scanner can process per minute.
- Scanning Resolution
- The maximum and minimum optical resolution supported for scanning documents.
- Throughput Optimization
- Technology features to maximize processing speed (such as skip blank page, auto-crop).
- Warm-up Time
- Time required for the scanner to be ready for use after power-on.
Security & Compliance
Measures designed to safeguard sensitive data and comply with regulations.
- Audit Logging
- Logs all usage and device events for audit purposes.
- Automatic Log Off
- Logs out inactive users after a defined idle time.
- Compliance Certifications
- Meets industry compliance standards (e.g., SOC 2, HIPAA).
- Confidential Watermarking
- Option to add watermarks to sensitive scanned documents.
- Data Encryption
- Encrypts scanned files during transmission and storage.
- Firmware Integrity Checks
- Verifies firmware authenticity and integrity.
- Port Control
- Administratively enables/disables physical connectivity ports.
- Privacy Mode
- Obscures sensitive information on device display and output.
- Role-Based Access
- Differentiated access levels for operators, admins, and service staff.
- Secure Erase
- Erases all data from device memory upon command.
- Secure Print/Scan Release
- Prevents releasing scanned documents until authorized user authentication.
- Tamper Detection
- Alerts if the device chassis is opened or tampered with.
- User Authentication
- Requires user identification before use (PIN, card, biometric).
User Interface & Ease of Use
Features enhancing the usability, accessibility, and operational efficiency for end users.
- Accessibility Features
- Design considerations for users with disabilities (large buttons, voice output).
- Audio Alerts
- Audible notifications for errors, jams, or completed jobs.
- Customizable Profiles
- Ability to define and save recurring scanning settings and workflows.
- Interactive Troubleshooting
- Step-by-step assistance for resolving errors on the device.
- Job Queue Management
- Displays current and pending scan jobs for user management.
- Multilingual Interface
- User interface supports multiple languages.
- On-Screen Maintenance Alerts
- Notifies users when cleaning or maintenance is required.
- Programmable One-Touch Buttons
- Configurable buttons for quick execution of common scanning tasks.
- Quick Start Guide Access
- On-screen or printed guide for easy setup and troubleshooting.
- Remote Management
- Management and configuration via web browser or remote desktop.
- Status LED Indicators
- LEDs for visual notification of device status (e.g., ready, error).
- Touchscreen Display
- Presence of an intuitive touchscreen interface for controlling device functions.
- User Account Management
- Supports creation and management of multiple user accounts on-device.
Vendor Support & Warranty
Aspects pertaining to the vendor’s service, support, and backing of the scanner product.
- Certified Integrations List
- Published list of tested/certified DMS or ECM integrations.
- Customization Services
- Supporting services for workflow or device customization.
- Firmware Update Policy
- Vendor regularly provides firmware/security updates.
- Loaner Program
- Offers backup scanner during repairs.
- Online Knowledge Base
- Self-service documentation, FAQs, and user forums.
- Onsite Support Availability
- Vendor offers on-premises technical support.
- Phone/Email Helpdesk
- Direct helpline for urgent assistance.
- Professional Installation
- Vendor installation service.
- Replacement Parts Availability
- Vendor maintains a steady supply of replacement parts.
- Service Level Agreements (SLA)
- Offerings for defined response and fix times.
- User Training
- Formal user/operator training options.
- Warranty Extension Option
- Purchasable extended warranty for added coverage.
- Warranty Term
- Length of the basic warranty on hardware.