In this article we will discuss the feasibility of obtaining a photo or picture ID online. First of all what are we talking about specifically?
Are we talking about obtaining a passport? No, a Canadian passport cannot be acquired on line, the process involves the application being made in person or by mail.
How about a driver’s license? No, the standard procedure is to book an appointment in person.
Ok well then let’s say you own a company with 250 employees and you have decided to implement an employee photo ID card program for the security and safety of your staff as well as for the company. Would this be feasible to be obtained online? The answer is yes.
Where would you start?
The first decision that needs to be made is : Do you want to produce your photo ID’s in house? Or would it make more sense to outsource ?
Producing in house would require a commitment to purchasing the necessary equipment needed as well as staffing issues to produce the photo ID’s. This would make sense if there was a high number of cards to be produced on the spot, and on an on going basis. In this case I’d suggest in house production if the number of employees exceeded 1,000. This would be a more cost effective solution overall.
However in this case, having 250 employees and anticipating fluctuating needs in the number of cards you will require per week (or even per month) I would recommend outsourcing.
The advantages in outsourcing are: not worrying about purchasing or maintaining issuance equipment and software, no purchase of cards, no worrying about of staffing employees to do the work. We can provide access to our online photo ID system, where you can enter the data and upload photos. Once you review the information, you can submit to our cloud print queue.
By partnering with a trusted ID solutions provider, and using our online software, you can design your card to your specifications. Things like security requirements (ie: visual effects, chip or mag stripe encoding), graphic design (ie: layout of card, colour, etc) and integration with your IT system can be worked out as part of an entire ID card solution package. Another advantage for outsourcing is flexibility should your requirements change in the future. Things like design or security features can be altered in a timely period.
The typical procedure in outsourcing a Photo ID order would be as follows:
a) determine the information to go on the card,
b) establish a design for the card, then
c) provider will create a proof, produce and distribute the Photo ID cards.
This of course can all be done online.