For many businesses, recordkeeping is a chore, a bi-product of the many records generated each day. These records often contain information about your customers, vendors, or employees, much of which is sensitive and needs to be managed carefully. As these records continue to accumulate, keeping them organized and secure can be difficult, especially when they are stored on paper. Managing them requires extra time, space, and effort, none of which add real value to your work.
That’s where document imaging comes in. While the term might sound technical, it’s actually a simple process that takes a lot of the unnecessary effort out of managing records. By converting paper files into text-searchable digital images, businesses can organize and access information more easily, while avoiding the common frustrations that come with paper storage.
In this article, we’ll explain what document imaging is, how it works, and why so many businesses are digitizing their paper records.
What Is Document Imaging?
Document imaging is the process of converting paper records into digital files, that can then be stored and managed electronically on a computer. Instead of relying on filing cabinets or banker’s boxes to organize your records, document imaging creates a digital filing system that is organized, secure, and easy to search through.
Document imaging services like ours give businesses that still rely on paper an easy way to digitize and organize their existing records all at once. It’s a great way to preserve older files while getting everything ready to work within a new digital system for the future.
How It Works
With document imaging, each record is captured as a high-quality digital file using professional scanning equipment, then paired with information like the date, author, or department taken directly from the document itself. This added data makes your records searchable and easy to organize with precision.
The Technology Behind It
The document imaging process uses both hardware and software to ensure accuracy and usability. High-resolution scanners capture each document in full detail, while optical character recognition (OCR) software (or manual data entry) is used to convert printed text into searchable digital text. The resulting files are typically saved as PDFs or TIFFs, which can be stored, indexed, and shared much more easily.
The Benefits of Document Imaging
Managing records electronically makes life a lot easier. Once your files are organized within a digital system, you’ll start to see the difference everywhere, faster work, stronger security, and savings that build over time.
Better Efficiency
Finding what you need takes seconds when your records are stored electronically. No more sorting through old folders, file drawers, or storage boxes, just type a name, date, or keyword and the information appears right away. It’s faster, easier, and makes everyone’s job a little less stressful.
Lower Costs
Paper recordkeeping eats up space and employee time, both of which come at a cost. Digitizing your records reduces the need for storage rooms, filing supplies, and time spent hunting for information, all of which can lead to meaningful savings over time.
Better Security
The digital records created through document imaging can be encrypted, password-protected, and restricted by user permissions, making it much easier to control who can access sensitive information. Unlike paper files, which can be seen by anyone who walks into an office or storage area, digital systems keep customer, vendor, and employee information securely contained and traceable.
Better Use of Space
Digitizing your records can free up a surprising amount of space around the office, space that can then be put to better use. Rooms once filled with filing cabinets or storage boxes can become additional work areas, collaborative spaces, or even a new break room for the team. However you choose to use it, going digital gives you more freedom to shape your workspace to fit your needs.
Disaster Recovery
Paper files are vulnerable to just about every kind of damage or mishap imaginable. Digital records, on the other hand, can be stored securely in multiple locations at once, giving you reliable backups of all your information if something unexpected happens. Whether it’s a fire, flood, or system failure, digitized files can be recovered quickly, giving you peace of mind that your data will always be accessible.
A Smaller Environmental Footprint
While digitizing documents doesn’t undo the paper that’s already been used, it does open the door to more sustainable recordkeeping going forward. Once files are scanned, the original paper can be securely shredded and recycled, keeping it out of the landfill.
Moving to a digital recordkeeping also helps curb future paper use by replacing printing and filing with electronic storage and sharing. Over time, those small changes add up to a meaningful reduction in both paper consumption and environmental impact. It may not be a major priority if at all, but it can’t hurt either.
What is the Difference Between Document Imaging and Scanning?
Although scanning and document imaging are used interchangeably, they’re not exactly the same thing. Scanning is the first step, the process of creating a digital copy of a physical document.
Document imaging starts with scanning, but also involves organizing, indexing, and storing those files in a way that makes them easy to find and manage later on. In other words, scanning creates the image, while document imaging turns that image into part of a usable, searchable digital system.
The Document Imaging Process
Document imaging is a clear, step-by-step process designed to keep records organized and secure. While every project is unique, most follow the same general workflow: preparing the documents, scanning, enhancing the images, indexing, performing quality checks, and storing the final files for easy access.
Step 1: Preparing the Documents
Before anything is scanned, each record needs to be carefully prepared to ensure a smooth scanning experience and high-quality results. This includes removing staples, smoothing out creases, taping down sticky notes, and placing documents in the correct order. Each set of related records is given a cover sheet with tracking information, keeping everything organized and accounted for from start to finish.
Step 2: Scanning
Once the documents are ready, technicians perform calibration tests to fine-tune scanner settings for clarity and accuracy. Using professional-grade scanners, they load and scan the documents in batches, converting them into high-resolution digital images that form the base of your new digital archive.
Step 3: Image Enhancement
After scanning, the images are reviewed and adjusted as needed to improve readability. This may include fine-tuning brightness or contrast so every page is clear and legible. (For government or historical projects that follow FADGI standards, these adjustments are not applied.)
Step 4: Indexing and Organization
This is when the digital files become text-searchable and easy to manage. Important details such as names, dates, or document types are captured using optical character recognition (OCR) or entered manually, then attached as metadata to each file. The documents can be organized by category, department, or any other structure that fits your business, making it simple to locate specific records later.
Step 5: Quality Assurance
Each document is manually reviewed by a technician to ensure that the digital images accurately reproduce the original document, and that the relevant metadata has been attached. Only after this review is complete are the files approved and added to your digital archive.
Step 6: Storage and Retrieval
Finally, the completed files are delivered according to your preferences. They can be uploaded directly into your document management system for instant access, delivered on an encrypted USB drive, or transferred securely via SFTP. No matter the method, your records end up organized, protected, and ready to use.
Is Document Imaging Accurate?
The accuracy of document imaging depends on the technology, process, and quality controls used throughout the project. Optical character recognition (OCR) software can capture text from scanned pages with impressive precision, but the final results still rely on the condition of the original documents, scanner calibration, and the capabilities of the imaging software. Consistent quality assurance and proper equipment settings are key to maintaining accuracy.
At SecureScan, every image is reviewed to ensure it matches the original document exactly. If a scan doesn’t meet our standards, it’s adjusted and re-scanned until we achieve a perfect reproduction. Beyond image accuracy, we also verify the information captured from each file through double-blind data validation, ensuring that the data you receive is as accurate as possible.
Why Work With a Professional Document Imaging Company?
While it’s possible to handle small scanning projects in-house, large-scale document imaging takes time, equipment, and expertise that most businesses don’t have on hand. DIY scanning can also introduce issues like poor image quality, inconsistent indexing, or security risks, all of which can make managing digital records more difficult later on.
Partnering with a professional imaging company like SecureScan makes the process faster, smoother, and far more reliable. We bring specialized tools and experience to every stage, from scanning and indexing to data validation and secure delivery. Teams like ours are trained to handle large volumes of records, maintain consistent image quality, and keep sensitive information protected at every step.
Working with experts also helps ensure compliance with data privacy and retention requirements, reducing the risk of costly errors. Most importantly, it frees your staff from the manual work of scanning and organizing documents so they can stay focused on doing what they do best.
Problems to Avoid in Document Imaging
Document imaging completely changes how a business manages its records, but there are a few common mistakes that can slow the process down or create issues later on down the road. Knowing what to watch for and how to prevent it ensures your project goes off without a hitch.
Inadequate Planning
Planning ahead is one of the most important steps in any document imaging project. Businesses should think through how and when the work will happen so it causes as little disruption as possible. That includes choosing the right time to start, arranging any extra support your team might need, and preparing to be without certain records temporarily while they’re being scanned. A little planning upfront can make the entire process smoother and easier for everyone involved.
Overlooking Privacy and Compliance
When records contain personal or sensitive information, it’s important to identify those materials early and communicate their handling requirements before scanning begins. Flagging documents that need special attention, and being clear about the kind of information your records contain, helps ensure everything is managed appropriately and in line with privacy requirements. Taking this step up front helps protect your business and keeps the scanning process running smoothly.
Disorganized or Duplicate Records
A messy archive going in often means a messy archive coming out. Duplicate files, outdated records, and disorganized folders can make the imaging process take longer than it should and add unnecessary costs. Before scanning begins, take time to review your records and decide what truly needs to be kept. Removing duplicates and unnecessary paperwork helps ensure your new digital archive is clean, organized, and easy to manage from day one.
Failing to Plan for The Future
Once records are digitized, it’s easy to assume they’re automatically secure, but that’s only true if the right security measures are in place. Businesses should have a plan for how their digital files will be stored, who will have access to them, and how that access will be monitored over time. Setting up permissions, encryption, and regular backups helps protect your records long after the scanning process is complete.
Wrapping Up
Document imaging makes managing records simpler, faster, and more secure, giving businesses a clearer view of their information and more control over how it’s used. Understanding how the process works, what to expect, and how to prepare ensures your project is a success.
For more than 22 years, SecureScan has been helping businesses of all sizes transition from paper to digital systems with accuracy, care, and security at every step. Whether you’re ready to start your document imaging project today or are just exploring your options, our team is here to help. Contact us today or request a free quote to learn more about how we can make your transition to digital effortless.
