Ditching the fax machine + installing a fax server = reduced risk
Regulatory compliance is the number one driver for replacing fax machines with fax server software. Saving some cash and productivity gains run a close second with environmental awareness gaining in the standings. Is regulatory compliance a top priority for your organization? We hope you said yes…phew! Grab your coffee and let’s talk shop.
In order to comply with regulations, you must be able to provide documented proof that you are in compliance with the standards that govern your type of business. So what do you need to know about compliance?
1. PROCESS CONTROL
Do you have control of the information in your documents when you manually send them through a fax machine? Think about control over who sees them, how they got there, and where documents are being delivered. Are you confident that information is being received by the right people? (Did Betty grab your confidential fax on her way to the coffee machine instead of hers? It happens more than you think.)
You need a fax server to control where documents end up upon delivery. A fax server can act as a hub that works with software applications you already use (think, EPIC, Meditech, Cerner, MS Outlook or Exchange and so many others). The beauty: no manual intervention – yay! The documents are delivered electronically (with special dialing rules that our guys can set up for you). Now you can manage, track and control how your important docs. are delivered within your organization. Easy-peasy!
2. INFORMATION INTEGRITY
Think about what documents could raise your risk of noncompliance. Ouch! Some examples include the following:
- Accounting documents such as purchase orders, purchase requisitions, proofs of delivery, order confirmations, and invoices.
- All contracts such as customers, employees and vendors
- Employee paper-work such as nondisclosure agreements, insurance claims receipts, health claims and health records, human resource paperwork, and expense accounts
- Corporate documents such as stock trade confirmations, account statements, and bank statements
All of these documents are potential areas of security threat and pose a risk to your compliance, while a fax server can deliver documents as unalterable PDF or TIF images over a secure Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). What does this mean for you – super secure!
3. PRIVACY
Are you sure that your confidential information is kept private? Do you have safeguards in place to prevent information tampering? One regulation requires businesses to obscure customer data which at its most basic level means keeping people from seeing what they’re not supposed to see (Remember Betty?). Paper faxes are outside the control of your computer system and can be seen by anyone. Fax servers by design enhance security because they eliminate nonsecure, standalone fax machines and deliver documents in tamper-resistant formats. You know exactly who received the information with confirmed delivery.
For an added layer of protection some fax server software even offers encrypted and certified email delivery options that require passwords to access information, as well as provide electronic verification of receipt for better authentication. These features help diminish the risk of confidential information falling into the wrong hands (You’re like the Magnum P.I. of the IT Department now!).
4. AUDIT TRAIL
Do you have an audit trail of your corporate communications? Regulations dictate that businesses physically protect information and provide a history of what has happened to the information and which people have had access to it (that’s the audit trail folks). Among other functions, fax server software can track fax history, provide verification of fax delivery, assign access passwords, and route incoming faxes to individuals’ fax or email inboxes and be the on-ramp to automated workflows. These features provide a deeper audit trail for protected documents to help satisfy tracking and reporting requirements. When a company uses fax server software, faxes are received directly to end-user mailboxes so paper doesn’t sit out in the open—a crucial requirement of HIPAA. Plus, once a fax has arrived in your inbox via a fax server, the document is tamper resistant and cannot be edited without that event showing up in the audit trail so there is no question of who accessed a document. This is especially important in industries that must undergo surprise inspections or audits.
And what about your MFPs (you know, those huge copiers down the hall)? One of the biggest advantages of connecting a fax server to your MFP environment is the ability to track and keep history logs of documents scanned and routed from various capture devices. Sweet!
5. STORAGE
Paper documents are generally stored in file folders and filing cabinets. Go back and read numbers 1-4 for the problem with this type of storage! Fax server software digitizes your documents and the associated metadata can be stored along with your documents in a secure repository. Do you use a document management system or database for long-term document storage? Fax server software can also integrate with these systems to meet your electronic document retention requirements. Ahh, safe and sound!
Do you feel like a compliance whiz now? It can all be a little overwhelming. That is why we are here! Would you like to talk to one of our Fax Guys now? We are more than happy to talk to you and share with you how a fax server can work in your IT environment.
Call us now! 952-224-3340 Option 1.
What else would you like to know about faxing? Seriously. Let us know. We aim to arm you with the most faxing information online! We’d love to know what’s on your mind! So, what are you waiting for? Tell us!
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