Report: Federal agencies need more help to transition to a digital database

January 14, 2014

Efforts to clean up the government's paper trail continue to hit roadblocks, even though President Barack Obama issued a directive to do so two years ago. Under this mandate, all federal agencies were required to meet specific deadlines, including one on December 31, 2013, but a report from MeriTalk found that almost half of offices are behind schedule.

Although some agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have simplified some its data processes, many other government agencies are facing obstacles. About 92 percent reported that their agency "has a lot of work to do," while 70 percent explained that little progress has been made on emails and permanent records.

Neglecting to take the time to clean up the clutter and outdated paperwork may result in future problems for agencies and businesses that file paperwork to the government.

"All of that paper cholesterol is bad for agencies' health – creating legal liabilities, putting information at risk, and generally making Federal mission owners unable to operate effectively," MeriTalk founder Steve O'Keeffe told IT Business Edge.

There are many ways to implement electronic data entry services, but the switch can take weeks, even months. Instead of doing it alone, agencies may want to consider contacting a document management provider to streamline these efforts. These professionals know how to approach these large projects without interrupting an organization's current operations. 

Tab Service Company is a Chicago based company with over 53 years of experience as a data processing service provider.  We provide business with outsourcing solutions for document scanning services, data entry services and mailing/lettershop services. As an SOC2-approved organization, we apply industry-best practices to our approach with clients.