Archives can be a challenge to manage, because of the need to transport documents, keep them for lengthy periods of time, and even archive from old archives that are obsolete, require failing equipment and that may be suffering from degradation. Being able to catalog and store your records digitally is a significant solution to many document-related problems, particularly when dealing with older paper and legacy technology.
Gradual Document Scanning
Sometimes it is either not in the budget to immediately have all of your documents scanned at once, or there are simply too many to do so in an efficient manner. Sending them away can be logistically challenging, and disrupting your current operation to scan records is not usually preferential. So you have to compromise, and have them scanned in stages. Though it can be frustratingly slow, even delayed progress is still progress toward the goal of being primarily paperless.
Totally Paperless
The goal of going completely paperless may sound extreme, but more and more businesses and agencies are moving steadily towards this end. As natural resources become increasingly expensive and must either be recovered or further extracted expensively, using digital media for everything humanly possible seems to be the only logical route an enterprise can take. As digital records become the norm, record-keeping standards are changing rapidly. Either outsourcing the scanning of your records or taking on your own scanning equipment is the most reasonable course of action to take when it comes to preserving what is important. While going totally paperless may not be feasible in the short term, cutting down the amount of paper you use by preserving records digitally can save a lot of logistical difficulties in storage.
Cloud Scanning From Camera-Enabled Devices
The ability to use portable devices to scan documents, and then to keep them on the Cloud, is a revolutionary part of modern services. While your portable device may not take the best pictures, imperfections can be digitally edited out, as can background miscellany that is immaterial to the records themselves. Further, using a properly monitored server managed by a company that specializes in this sort of service means that the documents are secure once you send them. While using professional-caliber equipment is naturally the best choice, even using the storage options available coupled with amateur-caliber equipment may still be viable, depending on if that complies with your industry's regulations.
Scanning of Older Documents
Sometimes older documents are on paper that has faded, or been damaged in a previous local issue such as a flood, mildew, rodents or other damaging events. In those cases, digital enhancement may be necessary to ensure that the records are intact enough to retrieve and utilize properly. Using a professional service that has dealt with issues of this nature in the past makes it far more likely that they will be able to help you when the time comes to scan legacy documents.
Other types of scanning that can be necessary involve other older documents, such as microfiche. Microfilm was used for decades as a miniaturized storage medium. Unfortunately, film only lasts so long, and the equipment that makes it readable has long since fallen out of mainstream usage. As well, maintaining this equipment is an unnecessary expense. Scanning from microfilm is a viable option.
Access From Anywhere
Document scanning is only as useful as its accessibility. With controlled document access that involves password protection, the people who need to access scanned documents can do so, without accidentally altering them. At the same time, privacy and compliance with laws can be maintained from end to end.