Remote working is fast becoming a part of life for many organisations. It is essential for many employees to be able to work flexibly, at a time and place of their choosing, and companies need to quickly evaluate and implement new ways of working, whilst ensuring staff have the tools they need to maintain productivity and business continuity.

Technology is playing a huge part in this transformation, with faster broadband, 4G and 5G mobile connectivity plus laptops and productivity software helping enable the transition. Making paper digital is an important step in the process, and this is where Fujitsu scanners can help bridge the gap between the home, the community and the office by allowing the instant digitisation and distribution of documents via a business process, workflow, cloud service or collaboration tool.

There are many benefits that can be gained from remote workers using a scanner and embracing paper-light processes. Firstly, scanned documents reduce the need to carry, store and retrieve information from paperwork, and are at reduced risk from flood, fire and theft. Scanning documents facilitates easy sharing of information between colleagues and customers, and, through OCR (optical character recognition), can make the scanned information easily searchable and retrievable, saving time and improving productivity. Once digitised, the information can be organised and stored both efficiently and hassle free for anyone to access anytime and from anywhere. Finally, with the reality of data privacy further governed by GDPR and FOI, scanned documents can be easily tracked, with a clear audit path, so you know who has access, where, how and why the information is stored, retention periods are visible and all goes to help ensure compliance and reduce the risk of fines.

Fujitsu offer a comprehensive range of scanning models, from portable, battery operated scanners, to larger production scanners for archive purposes. For remote workers, they offer two solutions which are ideal for a range of situations.

Firstly, the ScanSnap iX100 is a mobile battery powered scanner, which can scan a range of documents from business cards to A4 size paper (A3 possible with a carrier sheet). The document can then be either stored locally, or sent to an email address, cloud account or smart device. The scanner can send the scan via wi-fi to a laptop, where the bundled OCR software can convert scanned data to an editable, searchable document for easier retrieval at a later date.

Also available is the ScanSnap iX1500. The scanner is part of an integrated software and hardware solution that combines advanced yet intuitive technology allowing the user to scan and route documents to cloud accounts for enhanced sharing and collaboration. The 50 sheet automatic document feeder makes scanning files of paper quick and efficient, whilst the touch screen makes operation of the scanner easy for employees or other members of a household to pick up and use. One-touch icon buttons can be customised to suit the processes of your business needs, and scans can be sent directly to the cloud for easy sharing and storage.