Nowadays, it is unthinkable for acompany not to use digital archiving services-with robust IT infrastructure-for its documents.
The frenetic speed at which document flows move makes it clear that increasingly complex and sophisticated systems are needed to manage one’s documents.
Handling paper documents has always been a source of great stress in certain productivity- and time-saving-oriented settings.
In addition to being impractical, analog documents result in considerable loss of time.
Piles of paperwork within which finding the required document often becomes a wearisome activity.
With digital archiving, no.
Digital document storage: a premise
Before explaining the benefits of this practice, it is necessary to shed light on some simple concepts directly related to that of digital archiving.
Concepts that, if not explained properly, are likely to generate misunderstandings.
Document storage and digital preservation
Very often there is a tendency to equate the digital management -or archiving- of documents with their preservation.
Although the two activities are common in nature, they differ in some specific aspects.
When we talk about archiving, we refer to a practical and immediate way of managing documents, which is done primarily through the use of digital archives and tools.
Specifically, reference is made to what is called a workflow: the life cycle of a document.
Cycle that includes being on call and sharing the same with company employees: depending on their roles and responsibilities.
Digital Preservation
Instead, by preservation we mean a complex process that is based on specific regulations in the Code from the Digital Administration.
The concept of digital preservation, rather than on the type of medium, refers to the nature of the document.
The criteria considered, therefore, are those of preservation of legal value and integrity and authenticity of the document.
The document must not be a digital copy of the paper one, but a normatively faithful reproduction of all legally relevant characters of the same.
The criteria for digital preservation?
There are two characters taken into consideration during the digital preservation process
- Bit preservation: ability to preserve bits as originally recorded.
- Logical preservation: the ability to use the data contained in the document in the future as well.
Electronic storage
Directly related to the digital preservation process is the concept of electronic document storage.
A paper document can be replaced, in all characters required by the regulations, with a digital version of it.
Digital document storage in detail
Beyond all these regulatory niceties, which we will not explore further, the advantages of a digital document storage process are undoubted.
- Reduced storage space: a digital archive is obviously immaterial; it does not take up space with endless filing cabinets and shelving;
- Immediate document retrievability: documents are accessible at any time, using any device connected to the Internet. Once uploaded to the system, the file is accessible and indexable according to different criteria, searchable and editable as needed. Some cloud services also allow offline work.
- Reduced cost and time: with increased availability comes a reduction in cost and time, optimizing all phases of the workflow.
- Paper savings: in an age when environmental issues have also gained a very strong weight in business decisions, digital archiving services bring undeniable benefits in terms of environmental protection.
- Security: digital archiving platforms provide excellent service in terms of document security, inalterability and uniqueness.
Digital document archiving: how to do it?
There are systems galore for digitally archiving one’s documents.
Some,-memory cards, external hard drives and USB media-are somewhat dated, in vogue especially in the 1990s.
It must be said that although it was already possible to digitally preserve documents, there was not yet enough legislation in those years to legally define this activity.
Today, in addition to onsite data storage services, companies mainly leverage the Cloud platforms, with storage spaces that can be extended based on their needs.
Substitute storage with Oltrematica
Do you need to turn your paper archive into a digital one and store your digital documents legally?
Oltrematica offers an optical replacement storage service for all types of businesses.
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