Document imaging and scanning have been a huge shift for businesses and have brought significant benefits to businesses, such as increased efficiency, better organization, cost reduction, and quick access to data.
Document imaging and scanning involves converting paper documents into digital files that can be easily stored, searched, and retrieved.
However, before you decide to digitize your archived documents, there are some things you need to consider. This blog post offers insight into what you need to know before document imaging and scanning your archived documents.
Determine the scope of the project:
The scope of the project is the first thing you should consider before starting any document imaging and scanning project. It is important to identify the types of documents that need to be digitized, the total number of documents, and the volume of pages in each document. You should also consider whether the documents need to be organized into folders and subfolders, or if they need metadata or indexing to enable easy retrieval.
Identifying the scope of the project will help you prioritize your resources and ensure that you have enough capacity to complete the project.
Choose the Right Equipment:
The quality of your scanning equipment will have a significant impact on the success of your document imaging and scanning project. There are numerous brands and models of scanners available in the market. You should choose a scanner that can handle the volume of documents you need to scan and has the desired output quality. In addition, some scanning equipment comes with software that can help you manage the scanned files more efficiently.
Ensure Adequate Security Measures:
When digitizing your archived documents, it’s essential to consider data security. The confidentiality of the documents you are scanning should be adequately protected. You should ensure that your scanning process happens in a secure location, and that the electronic storage of the scanned documents is secure. You can use encryption and access controls to protect your sensitive data from prying eyes. Adequate measures will ensure that your company doesn’t fall victim to any data breaches and that you follow data protection laws.
Use Professional Document Scanning/Imaging Services:
Document imaging and scanning can be a time-consuming and complex process. If you or your team don’t have the skills or time required, it’s best to leave it to the professionals. You should look for a reputable document scanning/imaging service provider with experience in handling the specific type of documents you have.
Professional services will take care of every aspect of the process from document preparation, scanning, and indexing, to secure disposal of the physical documents, and provide high-quality digital files.
Have a Backup Plan:
Accidents can happen and technology can sometimes fail; it’s therefore important to have a backup plan in place. Ensure that you regularly back up your digital archives and have a disaster recovery plan in place. You should be equipped with an off-site backup process, essential for data recovery in an extreme scenario, such as a system crash, fire, or flood.
Conclusion:
Digitizing your archived documents can be more complicated than it seems. However, by taking the right steps and considering the factors outlined in this blog, you can ensure a smoother and more successful transition. With the many benefits of document imaging and scanning, it’s an investment that every business should consider taking to achieve better organization, increase efficiency, reduce costs and improve data accessibility.
Western Archives might be the solution you’re looking for! We’re document imaging and scanning professionals.
