How To Prepare Documents for Scanning and Digitization

The digital age continues to revolutionize many elements in your daily life, from how you listen to music to how you preserve memorable portraits and files. In this vein, paper files and documents are approaching extinction.

However, with the use of digital documents, storing your crucial files and information is easier than ever before. To get there, you’ll first want to know how to prepare documents for scanning and digitization. Luckily, this guide can assist in explaining what digitization is and how to keep files safe and accessible for years to come.

What Is Document Digitization?

Document digitization is the process of putting physical documents in a file format. Most common formats include PDF formatting, but also include XML, XMS, and strict text formats.

More organizations are utilizing cloud storage, as it allows for streamlined access to company resources. Furthermore, document digitization is a safe and secure process. Many cloud storage systems allow users to keep an administrative access level or a basic access level.

This way, you can provide departments with a set of documents for their eyes only and another set for the entire company to view.

Why Is Document Digitization Important?

Overall, document digitization is important for a variety of reasons. As most of the workforce has moved to remote roles, it allows for easy transfer of information to newer hired roles. Document digitization also allows for faster sales processes.

For those in the housing market, communicating through digitized documents allows for safe transactions. Uploading documents to a secure account allows you to move forward through the housing checklist, resulting in quicker, more seamless transactions.

Using electronic means to access your documents also promotes a digital trail that you can access at any time, regardless of how far back in time your search reaches. There are several systems to also back up cloud storage or account storage that will ensure you won’t lose the file online.

What Are the Benefits of Document Digitization?

Whether you’re scanning and digitizing documents for your business or solely seeking a way to convert your books and magazines, anyone can benefit from document digitization. The top four benefits include:

Easy Accessibility

Document digitization allows you to access files in a digital form anywhere, eliminating the need to travel to specific places or departments in search of essential information. For professional settings, having easy accessibility can also improve data flow within the organization, resulting in increased productivity.

Data Security

Once you digitize your documents, you’ll be able to better define future access when necessary. Defining accessibility levels may enhance data security, protecting businesses from data leaks or hacks. It helps to have a robust cyber security system to maintain data safety.

Storage and Recovery

Storing your digitized documents is a straightforward process, further assuring data safety in the event of a breach or software hack. Additionally, storing your files in multiple locations provides extra protection against potential corruption or loss.

While businesses have additional servers and cloud storage to rely on, you can achieve the same result by storing your files in external hard drives and USB drives.

Environmentally Friendly

Lastly, digitizing photos, documents, and other essential files eliminates the need for printing! You can share images and information through email, ultimately resulting in the conservation of natural resources.

How Do You Scan and Digitize Documents?

While there are also third-party mobile applications that allow one to take a photograph of their files, this process can be frustrating and inefficient, especially when tackling large stacks of paperwork.

Here at DiJiFi, our professionals scan and digitize documents regularly. When digitizing paperwork, it helps to invest in a commercial scanner. A scanner will be able to photocopy the original document, enhance the visual, and create a copy of the document in one of the formats mentioned above.

After scanning, the best practice is to correctly label the document for organization purposes. Usually, documents will default to the date and time of original scanning. This step is important to build a foundation that allows members to quickly locate and reference information.

After scanning, digitizing, and organizing, it helps to determine their final destination. While you can store electronic files locally on a singular device, it would be inconvenient for an entire organization if all files were only available locally. A more realistic process is to keep files in cloud storage.

This way, an administrator would be able to assign specific users to specific department files when necessary; they can also lock data logs that contain sensitive information. Some of the most common cloud storage systems include Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Apple’s iCloud Drive.

What Equipment Do You Need?

For the most part, digitization of documents is advantageous because there is not a lot of equipment needed! As mentioned above, a commercial scanner would be appropriate for digitizing large amounts of documents.

Storage will still be needed to hold necessary physical documentation. Often, cloud services also require monthly subscriptions or fees for online storage. This expense could barely be considered equipment, though.

Are There Mistakes To Avoid?

Now that you understand some of the best practices for digitization, what are some of the most common mistakes to avoid? Giving users of your organization access and passkeys to all files is a big and sometimes costly mistake.

When working in industries with sensitive information, it’s important to keep these files secure as you would for the physical versions. Being mindful of who has access to which platforms or documents is important.

Another common mistake is not taking the time to establish best practices for organization. If you organize and plan early, you can save time and effort later trying to establish where a file went or how it should be organized. Giving your team training material on these best practices can save you time and money in the long run.

As you continue to move forward through the digital age, ensuring that your essential documents and photos remain safe is a priority. Knowing how to prepare them for scanning and digitization allows you to go paperless while still having access to vital information.

With the rise of cloud storage, record keeping is getting easier. To ensure your documents remain readily available, reach out to us at DiJiFi. We specialize in document scanning and digitization services that convert files into paperless alternatives for your everyday usage.