by Tammy Taylor
Staff Writer
The old saying “it’s not what you know, but who you know” is the key marketing concept for VyMed Data Services, LLC.
VyMed Data Services is introducing LaserFiche software to Northeast Florida and South Georgia. LaserFiche is a record management system that enables client companies to digitize their paper files into an instantly accessible, paperless system.
Jimmy Kelly, president of VyMed, and business partner Don Ward opened the company five weeks ago in Riverside after Ward was introduced to the LaserFiche concept by relatives.
“Don came up to me one day and said, ‘I have an interesting opportunity to talk to you about,’ ” said Kelly.
That was in early November. By mid-January, the two businessmen were on a plane to Long Beach, Calif. to the National LaserFiche 2004 Planning Session where they received intensive training with the software and services.
Meetings begin this week with accounting, physician and attorney’s offices to pitch VyMed services.
“While we plan to keep our market options open, I expect we will initially gravitate toward legal practices, the health care industry and accounting firms where we have business and personal relationships,” said Kelly. “Having worked with these markets in the past, (Ward and I) have knowledge of their unique requirements.”
Along with word-of-mouth marketing through VyMed, LaserFiche provides co-op direct marketing, workshops for targeted vertical offices and webinars, on-line demonstrations provided to clients by LaserFiche representatives.
“LaserFiche is a very impressive organization, which has a strong software suite of products designed to meet rigid government compliance standards,” said Kelly.
The software provided by VyMed will help to eliminate data management problems by removing paper files and converting them to disk or placing the information on a web accessible server.
“I see a major shift in the current marketplace,” said Ward. “In today’s global marketplace, medical, legal, financial and accounting records must be kept secure, but need to be readily accessible electronically. LaserFiche does this seamlessly.”
Cost of the VyMed service depends on the condition of paper files. Scanning ranges from 3 cents to 8 cents per page. According to Kelly, files contained within a five-drawer lateral file cabinet will cost between $850 to $1,000 to scan and convert to an electronic format. Price also increases if a company wants web access to archived files or if the company chooses to commission the Date Forward service provided by VyMed.
The Date Forward service provides many options to a company digitizing their files. The company can choose to have their own scanner or they can drop paper files off to be scanned at the VyMed offices in Riverside.
Also, VyMed will pick up office files to scan. Information is then either put on a disk or directly uploaded onto a personal or VyMed server.
“Studies have shown that an employee can spend from one half hour to two hours per day researching and retrieving files,” said Kelly. “This system will allow them to have the information almost instantly with the click of a mouse.
“If an attorney is working at home over the weekend, and he needs the Smith file, he can go on his PC, type in the web address, access that file and get all the information that’s included in that file.”
LaserFiche was established in 1987. The California-based company provides services for more than 21,000 government agencies, schools, law offices, health care providers, financial service companies, and other businesses worldwide.