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Author Topic: Recommendations for home office scanning/organizing software?  (Read 3282 times)

Lolipop Jones

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I'm looking for something which will help us get several years of home-based business paperwork digitized. 

Must haves:
Recognize and work with any TWAIN-aware scanner (I have three, each is best at a different thing)
Automagically name and classify the resulting scanned documents (most pdf, some jpeg) using dates/labels/keywords for easy retrieval.
Purchase, not subscription.
Local storage - not the #*@&!! cloud.

Preferred:
Stand alone software - not bundled with yet another scanner I'd have to buy.
Installable on 2-3 computers without extra cost.

Any suggestions????
Today's problems were yesterday's solutions....

big-red

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Re: Recommendations for home office scanning/organizing software?
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2016, 02:06 AM »
I'm in a similar situation. Running a business with the office based at home. As I do all of my own paperwork, I'm totally dependent on software solutions to make life bearable.

After searching for a scanning / filing solution, I settled on FileCenter from Lucion Technologies. It seems to work with any scanner. It incorporates a cut down version of PDF-Xchange. It doesn't have all the features of the full PDF-Change Editor (which I've purchased separately), but has more than enough features to process scanned docs, and to make some pdf annotations.

It has excellent indexing and search capability. I don't use naming options, but the capability is there.

What I liked is that the original file structure of you folders remain intact. FileCentre doesn't send your files to a propietry database, which then becomes inaccessible if their company goes bust.

Yes, you purchase this outright. It's not cheap, it's going for $199.00 on their website at the moment. Unfortunately it seems that this price is per computer. The support renewal is optional, but very reasonably priced.

I don't know whether it's the best software of its class, but in the 3 years I've used it, I've never looked back.


IainB

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Re: Recommendations for home office scanning/organizing software?
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2016, 02:47 AM »
I might be able to give some pointers.
I've just rephrased your requirements as I interpreted them:
Requirement:
Home office scanning/organizing software to get several years of home-based business paperwork digitized. 

Mandatory:
  • M1 - Scanner-independent: Recognize and work with any TWAIN-aware scanner (I have three, each is best at a different thing)
  • M2 - Intuitive: Automagically name and classify the resulting scanned documents (most pdf, some jpeg) using dates/labels/keywords for easy retrieval.
  • M3 - Client-based: Purchase, not subscription. Local storage - not the #*@&!! cloud.

Nice-to-have:
  • P1 - Stand-alone software: not bundled with yet another scanner I'd have to buy.
  • P2- Multiple PCs: Installable on 2-3 computers without extra cost.
    ________________________________
Please take a look at an old post I made, where I had very similar requirements - it could have a lot in common with your requirements: EPSON Perfection V330 Photo Scanner + ABBYY and ArcSoft software
That scanner was initially installed under Win7-64 HP. It is currently running fine (after a bit of fiddling about) under Win10-64 PRO.
The software which came bundled with the scanner was quite good for most home use purposes, but was in reality a sort of cut-down version of what you could buy if you wanted something more sophisticated for an office.
Copied from that post, the bundled software was:
  • EPSON Scan: for just scanning stuff.
  • ArcSoft MediaImpression: for modifying images and making vids out of photos and vid files (not used yet).
  • ArcSft Scan-n-Stitch: e.g., for stitching panoramic photos together (not used yet).
  • ABBY FineReader 9.0 Sprint: for scanning stuff to documents or files.
  • ABBY Screenshot reader: for capturing and OCRing (as required) screen captures
    ________________________________

I also later got a Brother MFC-J65IODW A3 lnkjet printer, (MF="Multi-Function") which came bundled with "Personal" Nuance PaperPort 12. The software is scanner-independent and is rather good. I would like to upgrade to the latest version (v14) and probably the v14 "PRO" version, but am reluctant to shell out the money right now.
Costs and details for Nuance PaperPort are here:
PaperPort - Document Management Software | Nuance

I first learned about about Nuance PaperPort software in the context of when I was investigating the software that came bundled with the Fujitsu ScanSnap scanner. Searching on Amazon I found that there are other badge-labelled versions of the Fujitsu ScanSnap scanner, most seeming to come with the same/similar software bundle.
My interest in the Fujitsu ScanSnap was initially sparked when I cam across an informative (year 2007) review that mentioned the scanner here: Palimpsest: the guide to a (mostly) paperless life | 43 Folders
That scanner and software would have been updated since, of course, but they were a combination that, in current form, though still not cheap, would seem to be just what you/I might want for a home office.

IainB

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Re: Recommendations for home office scanning/organizing software?
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2016, 04:12 AM »
@big-red: Thanks for the info - FileCenter from Lucion Technologies looks rather interesting. From the testimonials, it seems that frustrated Nuance PaperPort users find FileCenter to be a godsend. Not many salesy claims can beat the documented user experience about software - I'd like to try it out now!    :Thmbsup:
I see that it's on special offer till 30th April:
http://www.lucion.com/buy.php
   Edition    Retail    Discount    Price    
Professional    $224.95    11%        $199.95
Standard        $99.95    50%        $49.95
*All Prices Per Computer