A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Scanning Department

A look behind the scenes at Merak's scanning department

september 2024 - in Merak

A focused team organizes documents in boxes in a bright office. Natural light streams in from large windows. Efficient and spacious workspace.

So who are those people who digitise your paper documents?

In 2003, Merak took an important step towards the future by starting to digitise customers’ documents. The scanning department was set up as a direct response to customers’ needs and soon became an indispensable service. Since then, scanning documents, books and plans has become an essential part of Merak's portfolio of services. The scanning departments in Schelle and Meer (Hoogstraten) work with advanced scanners to deliver high-quality, perfectly readable scans every day. It is a process that involves a huge amount of effort and calls for a great deal of accuracy and expertise. What does a working day in these departments look like now and what makes this job so special? In this article, we take a look behind the scenes through conversations with employees from both sites.

An employee with red hair operates a scanner in a bright office. She stands focused at the machine while scanning documents.

Our team in Meer (Hoogstraten)

Monika, team leader of the scanning department in Meer, has been with Merak for six years. She began her career as a scanning operator and progressed to her current position. She particularly appreciates the variety in her work: "Sometimes we prepare documents, sometimes we scan. Every day is different and that keeps it interesting." For Monika, the biggest challenge lies in meeting the tight deadlines. "Planning is essential, but I don't often experience real stress. We work well together, and when things get busy, we can count on our colleagues in Schelle to take over some of the work from us."

Nicole, who has been working at Merak for 13 months now, says the atmosphere in Meer is very good: "It's a quiet job, not too stressful. Every day, there is something new to learn." She started her current job right away and has learned a lot since then. "We are a small team, and that makes the work very enjoyable. We even organise a barbecue every now and then because we all celebrate our birthday in August!"

Peter, who is in charge of document preparation, also finds peace and structure in his work. He started at Merak in February of this year and appreciates the organisation and the pleasant working environment. He likes the fact that the tasks are clear and that he doesn't have to lift heavy stuff at Merak, which makes his work physically less burdensome.
The team in Meer loves traditions: Every morning the scanner is thoroughly cleaned and drinking coffee is a regular ritual. "We have our own coffee machine, because we don't like the coffee here in Meer," Monika jokes.

Our team in Schelle

Merak’s Iargest scanning department is located in Schelle. Here too, the staff were happy to talk a bit about their jobs.
Sven, who has worked at Merak for 30 years and is responsible for the entire scanning department, describes his work as varied: "Every day is different. I deal with operational problems, head up sales and keep in touch with customers." Sven notes that the scanning market is changing: "We need to think more and more with the customer who wants a hybrid solution – a combination of archival retention and digitisation, so that their documents are both secure and readily available when needed."

His colleague Stefaan, project manager and supervisor, adds: "It's a challenge to get everything done within the deadlines, especially for short-term projects." Stefaan has been with Merak for eight years now and came from a company with similar activities, so he soon found his way round. He appreciates the humour on the shop floor to keep the atmosphere light-hearted, especially when deadlines are approaching.

Fatima, who works as a scanning operator and prepares mail, particularly likes the variety of tasks: "This week I'm scanning, that's my favourite job. But the alternation keeps the work interesting."

Kristof has worked at Merak for 6 years and is responsible for the quality control of the scanned documents. “It’s a very meticulous check, but I’m a bit of a stickler for detail, so this job is right down my street.”

Fatima, an employee wearing a headscarf, operates a large scanner in a bright office. She works carefully while inspecting the machine.

Challenges and growth

What all employees have in common is that they see deadlines as the biggest challenge. Whether it's planning large projects or scanning last-minute documents, timing is crucial. But the atmosphere remains upbeat on the whole. "Of course there are occasional arguments," says Nicole, "but that's to be expected."

The changes within Merak are visible to everyone. For example, Monika from Meer notes that the introduction of scan-on-demand has increased the workload. This is not surprising, because, as soon as a scan-on-demand request arrives, employees need to get started immediately to get the document delivered digitally to the customer by the next business day. Fortunately, they don’t have to search through all the boxes manually and our systems help us, so that we can have every box in the scanning department ready to be digitised in no time.

A unique work environment

Working in the Merak scanning department is not only about speed and precision, but also about working together and nurturing a good atmosphere. Whether it's meticulously preparing documents or delivering scans on time to the customer, every employee contributes to the success of the department. "It's quiet work, but with enough challenges to keep it interesting," Monika concludes.

Despite the differences between the sites, both teams share a common commitment to delivering high-quality results and creating a pleasant working environment. With a touch of humour and a strong coffee culture, they keep the atmosphere between colleagues relaxed and friendly, even on the busiest days.