Now that you’ve decided to digitize your records, you’ll finally be able to say goodbye to paper piles, filing cabinets, and the manual processes that have been slowing your business down.
Of course, there’s still the process of getting everything scanned, and like most things in business, a little bit of planning can go a long way.
If you’re working with a large number of records, taking the time to sort through what you have, discard what you no longer need, and organize what’s left can save you time, money, and frustration down the line. It also gives you more control over the outcome of your project by laying the groundwork for a well-organized digital system you’ll be able to rely on for years to come.
In this article, we’ll walk you through how to organize and prioritize your records before scanning begins, including how to sort and structure your files, decide what’s worth keeping, and prepare your team for the process.
Why It’s Worth Taking the Time to Organize
Getting things organized is an important part of preparing for a scanning project. It gives you a chance to step back, look at the bigger picture, and envision the final product, a digital recordkeeping system that fits perfectly into the way you do business.
The choices you make now will influence how easy it is to transition into your new system and how closely it mirrors the way you’ve been managing records on paper. A little planning on the front end helps avoid unnecessary costs, keeps your project focused, and makes the entire process feel more manageable, especially if you’re working with a large volume of documents.
Step 1: Take an Inventory of What You Have
Before anything gets scanned, its helpful to get a clear picture of what you’re working with. To do that, you need to look at all of the places where records are currently being stored, including filing cabinets, desk drawers, storage closets, back rooms, even off-site facilities. Anywhere paper lives in your business should be part of this review.
As you go, take notes about the different types of documents you see, how many there are, and where they are located. You don’t need to count every sheet of paper, and nor should you. Just keep track of many file drawers or banker’s boxes you have, which should be more than enough information to estimate your scanning costs with our free tool.
This is also a good time to figure out which records are being used regularly, which are archived and no longer in use, and which, if any, are just taking up space. That can help you set prioritize certain records over others, or you may even decide that some records aren’t worth scanning at all.
Step 2: Categorize Your Records
Once you’ve taken stock of what you have, the next step is bringing some structure to the chaos. That means categorizing your records in a way that makes sense for the way you work.
Every business handles this part a little bit differently, but it doesn’t need to be complicated. Group records by type, department, client, project, or whatever makes the most sense for how you plan on using them later. The way you organize your paper records now should match how you want your digital files to be arranged once everything has been scanned.
Step 3: Eliminate Records You No Longer Need
As you go through your records, you’ll likely come across a few that no longer serve any purpose. Maybe they’re outside the legal retention period, are already duplicated elsewhere, or just aren’t relevant to your business anymore. Either way, this is a great opportunity to let them go.
The fewer records you scan, the less your scanning project will cost, and the easier it will be to manage everything once it’s digital. There’s no sense in scanning documents that you don’t need, they’re just digital clutter you’ll end up deleting later anyway. By cutting unnecessary records out of the equation, you’ll be left with a cleaner, more focused system from the start.
And if you need help with disposal, we offer secure shredding services to take that task off of your plate.
Step 4: Set Aside Records That Need Special Handling
Not every document can be digitized the same way. As you go through your records, it’s worth flagging anything that might require a different process or a little extra care.
Oversized materials like maps, blueprints, and engineering drawings need large format scanners, which are completely different from the equipment used for standard documents. The same goes for microfilm and microfiche, which require a specialized process to and equipment to digitize. Older, fragile documents, especially those of historical value, need to be handled with extra care to avoid damage during preparation or scanning.
At SecureScan, we offer dedicated services for all of these formats, including large format scanning, microfilm scanning, and historical records scanning. Letting us know about these materials in advance gives us a clearer picture of your project and helps us coordinate everything more effectively.
Step 5: Prepare Your Team for the Changes
Switching from paper to digital recordkeeping changes everything about how your team finds information, handles new documents, and responds to requests. The more lead time you give your staff to prepare for these changes, the easier the transition will be for them.
Before scanning begins, share the plan in detail with your team. Let them know what’s being scanned, when it’s happening, and how things might change once the project is complete. This gives everyone a chance to ask questions, offer input, and prepare for the change rather than being surprised by it later.
Bringing your team into the loop early also makes them more likely to support the transition. In many cases, staff can help make the process go more smoothly, whether by flagging high-priority files, helping organize materials, or simply knowing where things are stored. The more prepared they are, the better the outcome tends to be.
Step 6: Finalize Your Plan With SecureScan
Taking the time to get organized upfront helps set the tone for a successful project. It keeps things running smoothly, avoids unnecessary costs, and ensures you end up with a digital recordkeeping system that truly works for your business.
The final step is working out a plan that covers all the details of your project with SecureScan. We’ll talk about how your files will be scanned and in what order, how you’d like the to name your digital files and what data you want to extract from them, and your preferred final delivery format.
If any of your records require special handling, like large format documents, microfilm, or historical files, we’ll make sure to involve the relevant teams in your project. We’ll also go over logistics like pickup scheduling, preparation, and delivery timelines so that your project stays on track.
Our team takes care of all the more tedious preparation tasks like removing creases and staples and taping down loose sticky notes. All you need to do is sit back, relax, and leave the rest to us.
Whether you’re digitizing records for just a single department or your entire business, we’ll make sure your project is managed efficiently from start to finish. To get started, contact us, or request a free scanning quote from one of our scanning technicians.