If all of your files are currently in hard copy format (i.e. paper documents) and being stored onsite in your facility, you are at risk of serious trouble. A natural disaster, fire, theft or a number of other unexpected disasters can result in the loss or destruction of files. That’s probably one of the worst scenarios any business can face.

Your records contain valuable information and likely cannot be replaced. Keeping them in paper format without any backup is a risky move.

For decades, companies have relied on microfilming technologies to preserve their important documents. However, today’s digital world has brought the future of microfilming to a crossroads. Newer, more affordable and easy-to-use alternatives have caused many businesses to reassess their options.

You probably already know about all of the advantages of maintaining records in digital format: it saves space, lets you access information quickly and makes it much easier to share records.

If you’ve been contemplating what to do with your archive of microfilm files—but haven’t actually gotten around to doing anything yet—don’t wait any longer. Now is the time to act, before it’s too late. There are many changes happening in the microfilm industry, which may make it more difficult and expensive to maintain and expand a microfilm archive.

This should give you the nudge you need to get moving and start transitioning to a more modern document management system. Digital files are much more convenient, easy to store and share.

If the thought of maintaining your business records seems overwhelming, we totally understand. Not long ago, records management consisted of trying to keep a bunch of scattered files and documents in a somewhat orderly system. Just trying to keep track of all of the files and papers—which may have been created or filed by many different people, each with their own particular system—could be quite a challenge.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were an easy way to get all of this stuff under control? That’s where we can help. We are experts at document management in Hamilton. We can convert all of your files to digital format (if they aren’t already) and then set you up with a software system that lets you manage your files easily on your own.

Think about your archive of records for a moment. Does it give you anxiety just to think about rooting through all of those files? If so, your archive probably consists of many files and stacks of papers that are likely stored in towers of boxes with little or no organizational system. And you may even have a variety of different types of data formats, including microfilm, faded papers and maybe even some fax paper that has long since started to curl and fade.

Considering using network scanners for your Hamilton business? Many other businesses have made that same decision. Network scanners offer several benefits, including:

For years, micrographics were the system of choice for many businesses that needed to store important records in a physical archive. These days, it’s increasingly rare that you need an actual hard copy of records. Storing these records can be a hassle, and since most offices now operate on a computer-based system, it just makes sense to have your records stored in digital format.

A bigger (and more timely) issue is that the future of micrographics is a bit in flux at the moment, as changes in the industry causes supplies to become harder to find and more expensive to buy. These challenges are likely to only increase as the trend toward digital becomes more prevalent among industries that previously favored microfilm.

As many businesses that rely on microfilm for data storage are discovering, finding (and affording) microfilm products is not as easy as it used to be.

In the past, one of the benefits of a microfilm storage system was the relative affordability of microfilm supplies. That may no longer be the case. Recent changes in the industry have caused prices to rise (in some cases dramatically) and for many businesses, cheap microfilm prices may quickly become a thing of the past.