Despite repeated promises that the paperless office is just around the corner, the completely paperless office remains "just around the corner." Nevertheless, bMighty's brand new Imaging How-To Center can show you how to leverage document imaging to save money, improve your company's workflow, and even go a little green.

The Imaging How-To Center follows on the heels of the Server How-To Center (sponsored by HP), launched last month to kick off our new line of topical How-To Centers addressing key business subjects.

Like the Server How-To Center, the Imaging How-To Center is all about providing useful, no-nonsense advice to small and midsize companies. It offers free downloadable guides designed to help you use imaging efficiently and effectively. Here are some examples from the first three guides:

PRIMER: Document Imaging, Simplified
Sample Benefit: Version Control -- Even a rudimentary document management system -- one that stores documents with descriptive, date-based file names -- makes it easier to ensure that everyone is always working with the most current version of a given document. A more elaborate system can maintain a revision history as well, enabling review of earlier versions

FAQ: 11 Questions About Document Imaging, Answered
Sample Question: How do I prepare my documents for imaging? -- For the most part, you do the same things you do when making copies:
* Remove all staples, paper clips, and any binding.
* If any sheets might otherwise jam in an automatic document feeder, make a new, clean flat copy.
* Divide the document according to how you will identify and store the electronic files.
* Print identifying cover sheets and place them with the documents.
* Stack the documents and cover sheets in the proper places, in piles that your scanner's ADF can handle.

STEP-BY-STEP: 7 Steps to Document Imaging
Sample Step: Set Up Your Storage Hierarchy -- You'll want to set up folders on your server to match the categories you've defined. For example, you might have a directory named "Site Plans," a subdirectory for each site, and even further subdirectories in each of these for the categories you define. Alternatively, you could set up the folder hierarchy first and then separate your documents accordingly.

More Guides are on the way, and there's also an interactive Quick Poll and helpful links to related bMighty, InformationWeek, and TechWeb stories, plus imaging resources from around the Web. Not to mention case studies and other useful information from Kodak, which is sponsoring the Imaging How-To Center.

But this time there's even more! An exclusive bMighty video shot on location with InformationWeek editor Andrew Conry-Murray and Kodak VP Roger Markham discussing how businesses can improve workflow with document imaging, the document-imaging value proposition, and how to gauge the ROI of an imaging investment.

Go to the bMighty Imaging How-To Center