02 sep 2022
This Labor Day, we’d like to enjoy the long weekend and say goodbye to the summer season just like everyone else. But we also think it’s a good occasion to appreciate how our working conditions have changed for the better. Labor movements and trade unions have secured all the employee benefits we have today. But technology is continuing to improve our workplaces. Our grandparents could never have imagined that one day people would be able to conduct business negotiations, sign contracts, and hold meetings where participants are not only scattered across the globe but also not necessarily wearing pants.
Back in the ’70s, when the first computers hit the market, there was a lot of enthusiasm and speculation as to how they might change the way we work. Some went as far as saying that our workplaces would be paperless as we entered the new millennium. We’re now 20 years past the due date and still not quite there yet. However, the world is seeing a definite positive change. According to some research, paper consumption in offices has decreased by around 20 percent. But what’s more important is that environmental awareness and the number of people who genuinely care about the environment grow every year. iScanner users are definitely among those for whom sustainability is not an empty word.
iScanner users comprise a huge and diverse community. A short while ago, we had a survey to see who uses iScanner the most and why. Turns out that some users were much more inventive than we are with ways to use the app. For example, among them we have a minister who scans the Bible to prepare for sermons, an actress who scans lines to have a digital version of them, and a yacht’s chef who uses the app to scan recipes. This Labor Day, we give you a list of professions that get the most out of using iScanner in the hope that you might get some ideas of how it can be useful to you.
Self-employed people enjoy their freedom, but it comes at a heavy price. The amount of issues and documentation they need to deal with can be downright overwhelming. Tax returns, agreements, invoices, expense reports, and countless other documents and forms require time, attention, and office equipment. The reason entrepreneurs like iScanner so much and use it on a daily basis is not only that it can replace an office scanner. The app makes all kinds of paperwork and expense reporting much, much easier.
Medical professions are notorious for the number of forms they need to fill on a daily basis. In fact, the average doctor’s appointment means an hour of patient-related paperwork for the hospital at the very least. On top of that, healthcare professionals must undergo regular certification, which also involves a great deal of paperwork. Quite often, certification bodies request information that has been previously provided but they didn’t bother to check their databases for, like dates of birth, qualifications, or certificates. This means that highly-trained, skilled professionals have to spend hours collecting their documents, scanning them, and sending them over to various institutions. Unfortunately, iScanner can’t resolve all the bureaucratic issues in the medical industry, but it can assist with these tedious tasks. The autofill feature can make completion of various forms much quicker, and the documents can be scanned, stored, and emailed right in the app.
We often post about how iScanner can be useful in education, both for students and teachers. There’s no need to mention how much paperwork teaching itself requires every day. But in addition to that, there are numerous school forms, student progress reports, applications, and more. A scanning app like iScanner can significantly ease this burden and free up the educator’s time for education itself.
Real estate workers have to deal with huge amounts of paperwork—sales contracts, repair and maintenance records, appraisals, mortgage statements, home insurance records, home inspector reports, deeds, and more—on a regular basis. On top of that, real estate agents very rarely have the luxury of sitting behind a desk all day. Working on the go can be frustrating if you have to drop by a print shop every time you need to scan. Naturally, mobile scanners have become a game changer for the industry. With iScanner, real estate professionals can have the whole office in their pocket.
Researchers are another group of professionals who benefit from a mobile scanner. Hollywood movies often portray researchers as quirky professors who conduct wild experiments to their heart’s content. In reality, though, behind every exciting discovery, there’s an ocean of paperwork. Every experiment is heavily documented before it’s even conducted, which isn’t an easy task in a lab environment. More often than not, every log, every report, and every protocol has to be sent for review and approval.
Having to fill, collect, organize all the papers and notes and not lose anything in the process can be a special kind of hell, particularly for those who work at several different facilities. iScanner can help with every step of the process, from completion to sharing a filled and signed document for review. The handy file management system can also organize records by project, facility, or any other appropriate way and prevent loss of important documents.
In the course of their work, retail workers must complete a variety of tasks that are made much quicker and easier with iScanner. The app’s count mode can count goods on shelves or the number of boxes in incoming and outgoing shipments in seconds. Inventory counts can be facilitated and a lot of processes automated. By scanning barcodes, items can be easily found in the company’s catalog if they are missing price labels and a client is inquiring about them. Processing returns becomes much easier with the app too. Employees can fill in the required return forms, sign them, and send for approval right in the app.
It’s no secret that managers, especially those on a senior level, have a great deal of meetings, contract negotiations, and business trips. Quite often, trips overlap with their other responsibilities, making signing, reviews, and approvals more difficult than they need to be. iScanner makes it possible to perform all these tasks very easily on the go regardless of computer availability. In the app, they can sign and even stamp documents right on their smartphone. What’s more, the app lets them digitize meeting minutes and share them with the team in seconds. The file management system comes in handy when they need to manage several different projects at the same time.
Mobile apps have made it possible for us to work and be in touch with teammates and clients even when we’re traveling, enjoying a bath, or even sipping a cocktail under a flowery parasol. This amazing mobility has reshaped our work environment, making it more inclusive and nurturing. Being able to work from anywhere has also done wonders for human creativity as compared to the one-size-fits-all office setup.
This remarkable change has created a domino effect: digital tools take over dull, mind-numbing tasks, which frees up time and makes people feel happier at their workplaces, which in turn makes available the human resources necessary to create even better digital tools. This spiral goes on and on, taking humanity to a whole new level and creating a better world for everyone. We are proud to be a part of this spiral. This Labor Day, we want to celebrate our community whose work makes the world a better place every day. We’ll keep doing whatever it takes to meet their needs and be the partner they trust.
