Digitization of documents requires a lot of planning, so having a plan in place is an essential step in the process.
Digitalization of documents is not a very difficult task but can be very time consuming if it has been a long time since the company implemented their digital document strategy. Digitization of documents requires a lot of planning, so having a plan in place is an essential step in the process.
Current Documentation
First, you must know where all of your existing files are, as most companies usually have a mix of electronic records and hard copies. While you may think you don’t have to touch the electronic files, you actually should look through all digital files and change certain aspects to make them all organized and easy to search through. Once you’ve gone through all the digital records, they should be named correctly and be in an easy-to-search system.
Also, you must know what files are only stored as hard copies. These files will be time-consuming to digitalize, so it’s a smart idea to organize all of the hard copies in one place before starting the process to see the entire task in front of you. While it will take a lot of time, the benefits of digitizing all of your document into one system are very worth the time and effort.
Naming Conventions
Before you start the digitalization process, determine with your team if you want to use a naming convention. This is important to decide before completing any steps, as it is much easier to implement from the beginning than to go back and change it later. Be sure to communicate with everywhere who works with the files about the naming conventions so new files will be consistently added in the future.
Document The Process
While you’re planning the digital document strategy, you should be documenting the process itself. This simply means that every step of the strategy should be written down, so it is easy to follow for your team. Also, if there are any changes to your original plan, documenting the process allows you to see the mistakes and figure out what went wrong.
A Timeline
Within your strategy should be a timeline with goals and easy to measure metrics. The timeline should be created after you look over all of your files and have an idea of the scope of the project you’re about to take on. Your timeline should also reflect that the first few steps will be the hardest and most time-consuming, then over time, the process should move much quicker.
Discover Better Solutions with Micro Records
Micro Records are the pros when it comes to organizing your office and helping to provide you with tools to make your office better. We provide a wide variety of solutions to explore when it comes to your office like scanning and digital systems. For more information on how we can help your business utilize better organizational techniques and get the latest technology solutions visit us online or give us a call at 877-410 SCAN. For more tips on the newest technology follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, and Flickr.