What is Document Digitization? And How to Convert Paper Documents into a Digital Format
Document digitization is widely regarded as the most important step towards true digital transformation. Not only does it free up office real estate by eliminating the need for archaic solutions like filing cabinets and storage rooms, but it also significantly improves data security, fosters more efficient collaboration, and saves on business spending.
What is document digitization?
Document digitization is the process of converting physical documents into digital form by way of scanning the paper copy and uploading the converted file into a centralized repository. This makes for easier and more secure document accessibility, searchability, and shareability across multiple platforms.
5 benefits of digitizing documents
The benefits of digitizing documents are numerous, but the most significant advantages include improved security, easier access and preservation, better customer service, increased productivity, and cost savings.
Tighter document security
When sensitive data is printed and circulated on paper, the risk of inappropriate exposure to unauthorized readers is comparatively high. When documents are digitized, authorized parties have much more control over who can access the files.
Furthermore, document activity can be tracked and logged, creating a clear accountability trail and ensuring that organizations stay audit-ready at the click of a button. Complying with privacy requirements is a simple matter when you know exactly where and how your records are stored, and who last accessed them.
Finally, security capabilities like firewalls, data mirroring, encryption, role-based user permissions, and more can protect your data from security breaches. Security-conscious document imaging solutions should offer multi-level security settings, so bear that in mind when inquiring about a solution.
Easier access and preservation
Unlike decentralized, paper-based storage solutions, document digitization facilitates seamless and secure access to documents from anywhere, at any time. Not only does this centralization improve productivity and collaboration by enabling concurrent access, editing, and real-time insights, but it also builds disaster resilience.
Paper files are especially vulnerable to damage and destruction by fire, extreme weather, and human error, but digitized files are far better protected from these elements. Moreover, creating and storing redundant files across multiple platforms is far easier when they are digitized. Ultimately, digitized documents lend themselves far more easily to data recovery and integration.
Better experiences that win the loyalty of customers
In our technological age, customers have come to expect service delivery and informational access at the speed of digital. As clients and constituents become more comfortable with the convenience of automation, they become increasingly intolerant of manual, paper-based forms and processes which force them to wait.
With the right document imaging solution in place, companies and public service agencies of all sizes can maintain an accurate inventory of organized and searchable records that are easily and quickly accessible. This level of speed and efficiency produces superior customer experiences that build loyalty and win new business. For public agencies, it enhances the transparency of these processes and improves the constituent experience of government services.
Increased productivity and faster turnaround times
Historically, record requests have been extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive. However, the digitization of documents means that content can be organized in a centralized database that is easily searchable, shaving turnaround times down to mere minutes instead of hours or days.
Before digitizing their files, Florida’s DOH Personnel and Human Resource Department’s manual, paper-based processes overwhelmed a full-time staff. They were spending significant time responding to record requests by rifling through countless paper documents.
These manual processes were prone to document loss, misfiling, repeat requests, and delays in response times, which contributed to the high cost of training new staff. However, once they digitized their documents, it took staff a fraction of the time and effort it took before to find documents and respond to requests.
Cost savings at the price of paper and beyond
When documents are digitized, the need for costly consumables like paper, stationery, and storage is eliminated. Reduced demand for physical documents and their associated requirements means that more space in the budget (and physical space in the office) is freed up for more productive uses.
For instance, when New York State’s Nassau County digitized their records, they repurposed an entire floor of office space that was previously occupied by files in storage. Thousands of square feet of expensive office space were freed up by the digitization of documents.
How to digitize documents in 4 steps with the help of a digitization partner
Digitizing your documents with the help of a professional digitization partner can save you time, ensure quality, and provide peace of mind. Here are four steps to guide you through the process when working with a trusted digitization partner:
Step 1: Consultation and Assessment
Start by scheduling a consultation with your chosen digitization partner:
1. Needs Assessment: Share your specific requirements and objectives. Discuss the types of documents you want to digitize, the desired format (e.g., PDF, searchable text), and any special considerations.
2. Volume and Timeline: Determine the volume of documents to be digitized and establish a realistic timeline for the project.
3. Pricing and Terms: Request a detailed quote, and review the terms of service, including pricing, project scope, and data security measures.
4. Quality Standards: Ensure that the digitization partner adheres to industry-standard quality control measures and compliance with relevant regulations.
Step 2: Document Preparation
Sorting and Organization: Sort your documents into categories or batches based on document type, size, or any other relevant criteria.
1. Document Cleaning: Ensure that your documents are free from dirt, staples, paper clips, and any other obstructions that could affect the scanning process.
2. Metadata Collection: Compile any necessary metadata, such as document titles, dates, and other relevant information, to be associated with each digital file.
3. Barcode or Indexing: If required, discuss with your digitization partner whether you need barcodes or indexing to aid in document retrieval and organization.
Step 3: Intelligent Digitization
Let your digitization partner take care of the scanning process:
1. Secure Handling: Entrust your documents to the digitization professionals, who will handle them with care to prevent damage during the scanning process.
2. High-Quality Scanning: Benefit from their expertise and state-of-the-art equipment to achieve high-quality scans with the desired resolution and file formats.
3. Quality Assurance: Your partner will perform quality checks to ensure that each document is accurately scanned, and any issues will be addressed promptly.
4. Data Security: Verify that your partner has secure protocols in place to protect the confidentiality and integrity of your documents during and after the digitization process.
Step 4: Digital Delivery and Integration
After the digitization is complete, receive your digital documents and integrate them into your workflow:
1. Receive Digital Files: Your partner will provide you with the digitized files, organized according to your specifications and naming conventions.
2. Quality Review: Conduct a review to ensure the digital copies meet your quality and accuracy standards.
3. Document Management: Integrate the digital documents into your document management system or workflow, ensuring easy access and retrieval.
4. Backup and Security: Implement backup procedures and security measures to protect your digital archive and ensure its longevity.
What documents should be digitized?
Almost any document you can imagine can be digitized, but digitization is best-suited to documents that require sensitive and secure handling. This way, important documents are preserved for posterity and protected from damage, decay, and security breaches.
HR documents
HR departments need simple and secure access to employee data, which makes HR documents a prime example of files that are well-suited to digitization. These files include employee contracts, performance reviews, payroll information, health and safety reports, financial information, and more. It can also include non-personal HR data like important bylaws and policies, employee handbooks, job descriptions, and onboarding materials, which can be stored in a centralized location for easy access by authorized users anywhere, at any time.
Contracts and agreements
In addition to employee contracts, client-related contracts and other legal documents are good candidates for digitization. By digitizing files like invoices and transactions, client contracts, proposals, and service agreements, it’s easy to make backup copies and improve customer service by ensuring that authorized parties have instant access to these documents.
Financial records
By digitizing important financial documents like receipts, statements, bills, purchase orders, statements, and reports, retrieving financial information and staying audit-ready is a simple matter.
Let Image API take the stress out of digitizing documents
Digitizing documents takes the stress out of securing and preserving important documents, and Image API takes the stress out of digitizing documents. Image API’s document imaging and digitization solutions are designed with security, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness in mind.
Not only does our document digitization process follow a chain of custody practices that enable document tracking throughout, but we also follow strict security protocols and use ANSI/AIIM standards to ensure excellence.
Image API’s document imaging services are entirely scalable to meet either short-term or long-term goals. Our imaging centers are prepared to handle high volumes, and 25 years of experience in state and local government make our experts uniquely qualified to tend to the paper-related challenges facing public service agencies.
Eliminate the vulnerabilities of paper at the speed of digital with Image API. Contact us for a quote today.
