Should you simply toss them in the recycling bin? Should you hang on to them, just in case?
You have two main options after your paper documents have been scanned into your document management system: retain them or destroy them. Depending on the unique needs of your organization, you will choose to keep your paper documents, shred them, or a combination of both.
Store Them
As you transition to a digital document management system, your organization may choose to retain the paper copies of your records for a period of time, or indefinitely. While it is not always necessary to keep the physical copies of your documents as a backup, for peace of mind some companies may opt to store them. Both on-site and off-site storage solutions are an option, depending on how often your paper documents need to be accessed. If historic documents need to be stored, be sure to choose a carefully climate-controlled storage facility that will help prevent further deterioration.
Shred Them
When choosing a document scanning provider, ask what types of document destruction services they can provide after the scanning process is complete. Your chosen company should offer highly secure paper shredding services to ensure your confidential information can never be retrieved or fall into the wrong hands mistakenly. Shredding of documents following scanning is a common choice for businesses and organizations who need to free up physical space in their office, or who may have years of tax documents, employee and member records that are infrequently accessed.
Store & Shred
While your newly created digital files can be backed up at an off-site or cloud server for protection, some companies prefer to retain the physical copies of their paper documents as another layer of redundancy. Your business may choose to keep the physical copies of important documents such as current employee or member records, while shredding copies of past records that are no longer in use. This combination of document retention and destruction is suited for organizations who feel more comfortable having both a digital and physical copy of a document should it ever be needed.
For more information on MES Hybrid Document Systems’ document scanning and shredding capabilities, reach out to our team today for a quote.