Friday, August 24, 2012

Kodak Seeking Buyer for Document Imaging Division

On Thursday, August 23rd (or yesterday, for those of us still stuck in the office on this beautiful Friday afternoon) Kodak announced that the company is in search of a buyer for its Document Imaging division. Naturally, this move caused quite a stir which led to many questions surrounding the future of those who have partnered with - and purchased from - Kodak Document Imaging. Although we certainly had some questions of our own, in all honesty we feel it couldn't be a better move.

For years Kodak's Document Imaging division has been one of the most (if not THE most) profitable divisions thoughout all of Eastman Kodak. In fact, many of Kodak's other areas of business have been kept afloat over those years by borrowing from the division's profits - and still the Document Imaging department continues to develop and release new products both in hardware and software. With those funds now remaining within Document Imaging, their will be even more resources put towards research and development aimed at maintaining the high level of quality products and services our customers have come to expect.

Additionally, regarding the existing service contracts, we have more good news. When Kodak filed for Chapter 11 earlier this year, the Court stipulated that all service contracts would be honored. It is expected that the buyer of Kodak's Document Imaging division will be held to those same stipulations (cue the giant sigh of relief *WHEW*) and all service contracts will be maintained.

We will obviously be watching this sale closley, though for now we are looking forward to this step in the right direction. Kodak has had its fair share of struggles the past few years, and we are happy that its most successful (and our personal favorite) division will be receiving the attention it deserves. As always, we are here for any questions or concerns you may have. Stay tuned for updates!

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Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Wanting Office Automation Vs. Achieving Office Automation

The NEED for office automation in today's competitive markets is driving business leaders to implement new processes and search for more efficient ways of conducting their day to day operations. In this search for efficiency, many are finding that they want to implement solutions aimed at reducing paper volume and creating workflow solutions that automate manual processes allowing you to do things faster. The problem is, WANTING is not enough when it comes to solution implementation.

Businesses, especially successful businesses, can be quite stubborn when it comes to change - especially when that change is affecting their core operations. Implementing document management and workflow solutions is a big one and while many businesses are striving for office automation stemming from these solutions, the actual implementation and use of them can fall through. We hear it time and time again - business owners go out and purchase document management software, yet find that their employees not only are ignoring the solution's most efficient functions, but that they are also continuing with their old habits of printing copies, attaching large files in emails, and largely ignoring even the most basic functions.

With larger businesses and fortune 500 companies, these solutions have been standard practice for some time now. New employees are trained to use the software on day 1 and thus these organizations retain a high ROI. When viewed from the perspective of a small to medium sized business, it appears as if document management software and workflow solutions should be effective right from the bat. However, don't be fooled into thinking that its as simple as just getting the software and telling people to use it - that's certainly not how it went for those big companies.

When changes of this nature take place, their will be a natural tendency in the office to fight it. Paper is a touchy subject in many organizations - people like to feel the document in their hand and see it physically sitting in front of them or else it is compromised, lacks security, or flat out doesn't exist. We get it - this is how business has been done for years and its how you've been successful. However, the helpful hand of technology is allowing organizations to speed up processes to help grow their business and others must keep pace if they are to remain competitive.

Document management and workflow solutions can only provide the quick and high ROI to help your business grow if they are used properly. This means strict enforcement throughout the entire organization until employees become accustomed to the change. It doesn't take long for employees and organizations as a whole to recognize the benefits, they just need that initial commitment - and that's something we here at Image Express can help with. When we work with our customers in developing these solutions, the education and training on the software is just as important as developing the right solution in the first place. We make sure that everyone who will be utilizing the software is trained and competent with everything the solution has to offer. By keeping a close relationship throughout the training process as well as on going support, we are able to bridge the gap between those who WANT office automation and those who ACHIEVE office automation.

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