Managing data is one of the big issues that schools face when it comes to their local print provision. There are school reports, class documents, newsletters to parents, exam results and a whole host of other things that need to be scanned and stored safely. Most schools are aware of how important it is to reduce their carbon footprint and moving towards greater digitisation of their information is just one way they are trying to cut down on consumables.

The good news is that the once time consuming process of scanning documents is set to get a lot speedier. Sharp have now produced their online software called the DMS Assistant that aims to make things a lot easier by simply reducing the amount of time that busy administrators need to spend on scanning and cataloguing documents.

With the Scan2SIMS desktop helper, you can do everything you need to do in a fraction of the time it would normally take. It works like this:

• The administrator uses the desktop software to set up a scanning job on their own pc.
• They create a ticket which contains all the necessary information for putting the document into their school data system.
• The job is stored and an icon appears on the screen of the Sharp MFP that is going to perform the scan.
• The scan of the document can then be done in the usual way by pressing the icon – the document is copied and then sent to the SIMS, correctly catalogued.
• Digital information can be stored in a variety of ways, either by individuals, groups, classes or years.

It’s a great time saving tool for schools, colleges and universities where large amounts of data often need to be stored and made available in digital management systems. But it could also be an excellent software solution for those businesses that store and need ready access to a whole host of digital information.

The other great news is that the DMS Assistant allows you to do simple searches into your SIMS enabling documents to be found quite easily and then printed off if needed.

Sharp multi-function printers have come a long way since the old days when all they could do was print. They can now be controlled via desktop computers, even smartphones, and they have the capability for better and more sustainable print management with many organisations electing to digitally store and send documents rather than waste large quantities of paper. The DMS Assistant software is just another way for school administrators to reduce the time they spend on scanning and cataloguing to their SIMS.

Licences for the software are available on a per school basis which means it can be used by any number of staff and for any number of MFPs. As it is designed to connect to the SIMS then administrators will need to have the SCAN2SIMS connector licence which is purchased on a yearly basis.

For schools looking to streamline their document management processes, then a solution such as DMS Assistant can make a big impact, reducing time spent on administration and freeing up staff for other important tasks.