Document Scanning Quote Request Form: Ask Enough to Price the Project, Not for the Documents

Overview

A potential client may have five ordinary archive boxes, fragile bound ledgers or 80,000 pages that need OCR and indexing. A good quote request distinguishes these projects without asking clients to disclose confidential record contents.

Explain the first step before showing fields

Use a label such as Request a Scanning Quote and say that submitting a form starts a human scope review. An initial enquiry is not document transfer, pickup confirmation or a final quote.

A helpful introduction: "Tell us approximately what you have, where it is and what usable digital files you need. We will review the project and contact you about next steps. Do not attach confidential source documents."

Contact and organization

Ask for contact name, business/institution name, phone, work email and location. If the supplier has a real pickup region, city and postal code can help determine eligibility. Never ask for customer account numbers, names from source records or personally identifying information about the records' subjects.

Identify the material type

Choose only actual services offered:

The selection should guide follow-up, not falsely indicate that every unusual material can be scanned at a standard per-page rate.

• Loose office pages, folders or boxes.
• Bound books, registers or archival volumes.
• Plans, drawings or other large-format material.
• Photographs or film formats if supported.
• Mixed collection, condition unknown.

Quantify in units the visitor understands

Ask for approximate pages, folders, boxes, books or sheets, including the unit. Include not sure as a valid answer. A box count does not establish page count: density, size and preparation vary. Make it possible for the operator to quote after a survey or pilot sample rather than publishing a false instant price.

Ask about preparation and condition

Optional questions can describe staples, bindings, double-sided pages, fragile materials, folded plans, mixed sizes or special handling. These affect production time. Do not instruct customers to unbind fragile material or photograph sensitive pages for an unsecured form.

Capture output requirements

Offer searchable PDFs, image files, document grouping, index fields or "need advice." Distinguish basic OCR text search from reviewed structured extraction. Recognition quality depends on language, handwriting and original condition; do not guarantee perfect text accuracy.

Ask for a brief explanation of the intended use so the team can decide whether file naming, folder structure or repository compatibility needs discussion. Do not promise a DMS import unless the provider has a tested method.

Logistics: pickup, on-site or drop-off

Ask whether collection, approved shipping, customer drop-off or on-site processing is requested, but offer only arrangements the supplier actually supports. Record desired timing as a preference, not a guaranteed production date.

For sensitive material, use a checkbox such as Security and transfer arrangements require a separate discussion. Never ask the customer to reveal medical, financial or legal file contents to qualify a quote. Return, retention and disposal of originals should be explicit contractual decisions.

A sensible field order

Advanced technical details can wait for a reviewer.

1. Business and person to contact.
2. Service city or pickup region.
3. Material category.
4. Approximate volume and unit.
5. Preparation or condition issues.
6. Output format, OCR and indexing preferences.
7. Requested timing.
8. Pickup or processing location preference.
9. Sensitivity flag without personal details.
10. Short project description and consent appropriate for contact.

Sample review case

A prospect requests digitization of 120 boxes from three sites, searchable PDF and multiple index fields. The site captures only this metadata. The scanning company contacts the buyer to clarify counts, sample condition, pickup arrangements, output test and original-document policy. It does not instantly commit to a price or accepted custody.

What OneStudio actually provides

OneStudio's website and enquiry features can support the public front door and ordinary contacts. No OCR engine, secure intake vault, document management system or physical chain-of-custody capability is verified. Those remain separate specialist workflows.

CTA

Test this form with a fictional twenty-box project. If office staff can plan the scoping call without requesting a single confidential page, the form is doing its job.