File Management Getting a Digital Makeover

The modern company has either completely digitized their business or has at least thought about it. This complete sea change has created a lot of beneficial situations for these organizations, but one element that often gets overlooked is the process of document digitization. In today’s blog we thought we’d go through the document digitization process and why it is so potentially beneficial for businesses. 

Many businesses have tried to do this over time and have created more questions than answers. A lot of companies started when the process required physical infrastructure such as floppy disks, CDs, or flash memory. Today, the digitization process can all be handled in hosted environments located in the cloud.  

What is Document Digitization?

The main strategy here is to eliminate the need for printing, paper, and physical storage of these files. It is much, much easier and more cost effective to store, send, and back up digital files than it is to store them physically, have people search for them, and have to send them off through mail or transcribe them into a digital message. 

For some organizations, like ones that deal in the legal and medical fields, having secure digitally-stored files can be a complete godsend. Not only is it easier to retrieve personal data, it can provide the information in real time, producing better care and services in what can often be stressful times for people. 

How Does Document Digitization Work?

The first thing you need to know is that document digitization is different from the development of digital documents, which are created in digital environments. The digitization of documents is the act of creating documents that your organization has on file and turning them into digital media. Essentially, physical documents are adapted to a digital form; not scanned in. This means that digitized documents can be searched and indexed.

The process is a little more in depth than just scanning documents and indexing them that way. First you need to get all the documents you want around and classified. This can take some time and effort, but it makes the digitization process much easier. The system depends on the standardization of documents. After that, the digitization starts with information being entered in a well-considered order. This makes the final process of indexing much simpler. Once it is complete, you have a reliable, secure, and redundant database that you can search for any information. 

At SCW, we help businesses get the technology then need to succeed. If you are interested in document digitization or any other modern technology to help bring your business into the 21st century, give us a call at (509) 534-1530.