Scanning Vendor vs Scanning Partner

If you’re starting a scanning project and wondering whether to work with a scanning vendor or a scanning partner, we know it can seem like semantics, but understanding the distinctions can be the key to unlocking success in your scanning projects. This article guides you through the differences, explores when each option is the best fit, and highlights critical factors for choosing the right company.

Defining The Difference Between A Vendor And A Partner In Scanning Projects

When we talk about the difference between a scanning vendor and a scanning partner, it might seem like the two options are interchangeable. However, there are nuances that are important to understand before you choose who you’re going to work with for your scanning project.

A vendor is a company that will work with you and execute a transaction—in this case, a scanning project—to get you what you’re asking for. A simple example would be if you have a thousand microfilm rolls and you say, “I just need these microfilm rolls scanned into PDFs and sent back to me on a hard drive. I don’t want anything else. I just need this very basic service for backup data.” The vendor would say, “Okay, sure, here’s the scope of work, exactly what you want, here’s your price.” You choose to work with them, they send you the invoice, you get the results back, and the project is done as simple as that.

Person using credit card to pay for something

A scanning partner would be someone who is more advisory and consultative. They provide suggestions and recommendations and really get an idea of what you want and the options available to you, so they can craft a solution that fits your exact needs. Even if you’re not sure what you want, or even if you think you want to go in a certain direction, they’re going to still provide their insight and expertise to give you those solutions and options so you can make the best decision for your organization.

Businesspeople on laptop meeting with others

Using the same example above: you have a thousand microfilm rolls and you’re looking for some PDFs. You’ve just done some basic research and really don’t know what you want. Again, a scanning vendor would just say, “Great, here you go, simple and easy. Just take this basic thing. Let’s knock it out. You pay me, I get the results, we move on.”

A scanning partner would dive into questions about specifics for your project, such as: “Well, what’s the data on the microfilm? How often are you using it? Is this an essential piece of your business? What are you going to do with it afterward? Do you have a system in place you’re going to load these to? Are you looking for a system? What’s your backup disaster recovery plan?” etc. They’re going to dive into everything around the microfilm scanning and get a better picture of the holistic project so they can offer the correct solution, not just a solution.

Something very important to note is that a partner is not necessarily better than a vendor. In many cases, all a client needs is a vendor to make a transaction to get the project done because they already know what they’re going to do with the records. They already know what the end result is. They don’t need to go through a long, drawn-out exploratory phase and look at three, four, or five different options. They know exactly what they want. But if you don’t know exactly what you want, and this is something you’re concerned about, you don’t really know the space, and you’re looking for someone to help you along the way, then you do want to look for a scanning partner to help you with your project. This is just the starting point, and you want someone you can trust to take you through that process and beyond.

When To Choose A Vendor For Transactional Scanning Services

As we illustrated above, you may want to choose a scanning vendor for projects that are simply transactional processes. This might be the case when you know exactly what you want, have the specifics of the project, and understand all the different pieces of the scanning and digitization process.

Essentially, you’re just looking for that transition from analog to digital, and you can manage everything from there. Often, smaller projects are transactional because they are quick and have no scalability. If you have, say, 10 boxes of paper records, you’re not going to be looking for a long-term partner and all the different solutions you can possibly implement to scan those 10 boxes. You’re going to be looking for someone to just get them scanned, return them to you, pay the invoice, and move on. You don’t need anything beyond the small project that can be done efficiently.

Sometimes, you don’t want a customized 5-course chef-pick meal. All you want is a hot dog.

Hot dog vendor making a hot dog with mustard

Reiterating here, there’s nothing wrong with transactional scanning services or scanning vendors. They’re absolutely essential to some people’s projects, and that’s all they need. So you don’t have to think, “Geez, I really need to find a scanning partner for my project,” no matter if it’s large or small. If it’s a simple transactional project, that’s fine—choose a vendor. However, if it’s something more complicated with complex requirements, many steps and phases, or if it’s a very large undertaking where you need someone to help you plan it out and guide you through the project process, then you do want to look for a scanning partner.

The Advantages Of A Scanning Partner For Complex, Large, Or Long-Term Projects

The advantages of a scanning partner for complex, large, or long-term projects include building a relationship rooted in their expertise, knowledge, and ability to provide you with guidance and advice throughout the project or multiple projects.

When you have a large or complex project, there can be many moving parts and aspects you may not even consider because digitization is not your world. However, digitization is the world of a scanning company, and if you have the right partner, they can use their experience to craft a solution and a project process specifically for you. They understand all the intricacies of your project, the requirements, and the nuances of your unique needs.

Additionally, when you partner with someone, unexpected issues may arise during your project that neither you nor your scanning partner anticipated. At such times, your scanning partner can utilize their network and resources to recommend other companies that can help with aspects of the project, something not typically found in a transactional interaction. When it’s just a one-and-done process—where they do the scanning, you pay, they deliver the images and data, and you both move on—there isn’t a relationship built on mutual assistance.

In a partnership, however, both parties aim to help each other as much as possible. Building a long-term relationship becomes essential because of potential future projects or due to the prolonged interactions during complex projects. This fosters a solid relationship and genuine connection, where the scanning partner wants to help you, even if it involves recommending services outside of their company. The focus is on achieving successful outcomes together, not just making a quick dollar.

Key Factors To Consider When Selecting A Scanning Partner

Experience

Experience is a critical factor when selecting your scanning partner. If they’re going to be a true advisor and guide you during your digitization project, you need to know they have experience working with other clients and projects. They should possess the knowledge to successfully help you achieve the end result you’re looking for.

While experience can be indicative of the company’s longevity, it’s not just about how long they have been around; it’s also about the collective experience of the company, as well as the experience of your individual sales account executive. It’s important that the company can leverage its industry knowledge to provide you with the best solutions for your needs, utilizing their years or even decades of experience.

Bright idea concept, a hand holding a lightbulb that is shaped like a brain

However, longevity doesn’t always mean they are the best at what they do. It’s not just about how long the individual account executive or the company as a whole has been around, but also the actual experiences they have gone through. How many projects have they done that are similar to yours? Are they accustomed to working with the same materials or types of organizations you’re associated with? Are they familiar with the types of data you’re providing to ensure they can truly apply their knowledge to your project? Or have they merely been around without significant relevant experience?

You want to make sure you are looking for two types of experience. Longevity indicates they are doing something right since they have lasted, but you should also look for actual experience specific to your needs.

Resources

Resources are another factor you need to consider when you’re choosing a scanning partner, especially when you have complex or large projects. You want to ensure that, even if they have the experience, such as the longevity we discussed, and have worked on similar projects, they have the capability to execute a project at the same scale or complexity as yours. They need to have multiple aspects to their company to be able to apply to your project and ensure it is streamlined and successful.

Group of businesspeople smiling for the camera

Resources can be physical, like the ability to scan large quantities of records. That’s one type of resource. It can be the labor resources to do something in a timely fashion; maybe they have the machines and the experience, but they cannot complete a project in the timeline you need. That’s a resource you should be checking on.

There’s also the mental and intellectual resources that may need to be applied to your project, especially if it’s complex. Do they have the capability to adapt to situations and come up with new ideas and solutions that may not be available now but are necessary for your project? So there’s that adaptability resource you need to be looking for as well.

Security

Security is a critical factor, even if you don’t have sensitive records. Most people today think, “Well, I don’t have confidential records, so how important is security?” We would say security is essential for any project. There’s the physical security of keeping your records safe while they’re out of your hands. You want to ensure that they have the facilities and processes in place to protect your records while they’re in the care and control of your scanning partner.

Then there’s digital security: when they’re scanned, where they’re stored, and how they are transmitted. If you’re using a hosting platform, how is your data protected while you’re utilizing your scanning partner’s hosting application, or when it’s being sent to you via electronic transfer? If using a USB drive, how is it encrypted when you send it? Those are all pieces of security as well.

Security team watching monitors and videos

The way to check on security is to ask for their certifications and the regulations they comply with. You can always ask for audit reports. You should inquire with your potential scanning partner whether they run an internal security audit or are audited by a third party, such as during a SOC 2 Type II audit. Having an unbiased outside organization conduct an audit is a great way to verify if they’re following their claims. If they are being audited, they should be able to provide you with reports about their results.

Communication

Communication is one of the most important aspects of working with anyone, even in a transactional vendor relationship. Communication is important, but even more so during a partnership with a scanning company. If communication is lacking, you’re going to be concerned throughout the entire project, so you want to make sure that communication is how you want it to be. There may be a lot of push or a lot of pull, depending on how you like to communicate. You’ve got to make sure it’s there overall.

Concept of two heads talking to each other, colored blocks representing ideas and words

A good way to gauge the communication of the scanning partners you’re researching is just during the initial process. When you contact the company, do they get back to you in a timely fashion? Are they clear, concise, and complete when you ask questions? Do they respond quickly and answer your questions? Do they get frustrated when you ask a lot of questions, or are they very helpful?

Another thing to look for is transparency. If it seems like they’re trying to hide things, it’s probably not the best indication of a good communication partner, someone that’s going to be really trying to help you the whole way along. However, if they are transparent, providing information, and giving you options that may not even involve working with them, it’s not guaranteed, but that’s a good indication of solid communication and being able to trust them.

A fantastic way to gauge communications and work with a partner going forward is to do a sample or a pilot project. So if you have a scanning project, let’s use microfilm again, you have 10,000 reels for instance, and they recommend doing a sample. During that sample process, really keep an eye on how they communicate, because during the sample, that could be a good indication of how a full project would go. How’s the transportation? Do they let you know when your material arrives? How quickly is the sample turnaround? Do they show you the results and ask you for your opinions? Do they keep you updated throughout that process? That sample can really give you an idea of how it will be to work with them once they actually get the contract and your investment.

Warm and Fuzzy

And lastly, this is one of those factors that’s not really tangible per se, but it’s essential in our minds—that warm and fuzzy feeling. When you’re talking with a scanning partner, maybe you’re on the phone, in emails, or reviewing samples, whatever it is, you still need to have that warm, fuzzy feeling that gives you the internal indication that this person is going to be the best one to work for you. They’re going to do what’s right for your company, not just for them to make money.

If you don’t have that feeling or see red flags pop up, you really need to consider: are you going to be comfortable moving forward with this partner, sending them lots of your records, and paying them for their services if you don’t have that feeling of trust and reliability? The gut feeling is something you can’t really quantify, but you need to be aware of it.

How A Scanning Partner Adds Value Beyond Basic Digitization Services

We’ve touched on a few points about how a scanning partner, compared to a scanning vendor, can be a differentiator during your project. A partner can really help guide you along the process of digitizing your records.

The added value of a partner versus a vendor is the closeness of the relationship and the ability to trust each other. A partner provides transparent answers, even if it’s not in the company’s immediate monetary interest, but in your best interests as the client. A partner ensures you’re getting the results you want and are succeeding.

Two workers walking and talking in a hallway

In our case, we’ve been around since 1958, and we have many client-partners that we’ve worked with—some for years, some for decades. They trust us, and over that period of time, they know that we’re not just out to make money off of them. Yes, we’re a business that needs to stay profitable to continue providing our services and value to clients.

However, our partners know that we will offer solid services and recommend solutions that help them, even if it means not working with us directly, because we want them to be successful. We understand that putting their success first strengthens the relationship and partnership. When something arises related to our services, they’ll want to work with us because of that positive experience.

In Closing

Whether you decide to engage with a scanning vendor or partner, the choice impacts the success of your scanning projects. The key lies in aligning your project’s needs, goals, and complexities with the strengths each option offers. While a vendor can efficiently handle straightforward, transactional tasks, a scanning partner provides substantial value for more intricate or expansive projects.

By considering factors such as experience, resources, security, and communication, you ensure that your selected partner aligns with your vision, fostering a collaboration that extends beyond mere digitization. Ultimately, the right relationship can become a pivotal force in achieving efficient and effective digital transformations.

Next Steps

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Working With A Scanning Vendor vs A Scanning Partner