Don’t miss this upcoming webinar, co-hosted by ARMA and Access, designed to give you the tools and insights you need to elevate your Information Governance (IG) program.
As organizations generate more and more information that needs to be organized, stored, and secured, they’re increasingly turning to digitization to address common information management challenges. Digitization refers to the process of migrating information stored in physical formats to digital formats. In digitizing, organizations gain better access to records, enhance security, and streamline processes, making it an essential part of modern businesses.
However, tackling a digitization project—no matter how large or small it may seem—can quickly turn into a pit of wasted time and resources without a proper plan. This is where a structured approach can help guide organizations through the critical steps of digitization.
Continue reading to learn how a structured, “gated” approach addresses three distinct stages: establishing policies and procedures, managing content effectively, and adopting a forward-looking approach for future data handling. Along the way, you’ll realize the path to successful digitization is clearly marked and ready to be pursued.
This initial gate focuses on setting up foundational guidelines. Effective policies and procedures around information management ensure consistency, regulatory compliance, and security across the organization. These elements are vital for managing the information lifecycle in a way that aligns with legal and organizational standards. While policies and procedures will vary across your organization depending on each business unit’s needs and the types of files managed, here are some overarching best practices that should be incorporated:
Change Management and Implementing Policies
Once you’ve built a strong foundation with your policies and procedures, it’s time to establish a digital strategy that’s sustainable, adaptable, and scalable. Gate 2 is all about establishing a strong, adaptable foundation for managing digital content effectively throughout its lifecycle. The aim is to ensure that digital records are not only accessible and compliant but also manageable in ways that support organizational goals and future growth.
Full-scale digitization projects are a huge capital expense, as well as timely, so start by identifying your business needs and considering your budget, timeline, and current accessibility to records (e.g., legacy content). Prioritize what information needs to be accessed today versus biting off more than you can chew with a “scan all” strategy. Consider partnering with a records management provider to help analyze what should be prioritized for scanning, the right timing for full digitization, and options for information that may not require immediate access.
Once you’ve identified your organization’s immediate needs, it’s time to implement solutions that consider ease of use for the end-user and allow for future growth. Here are some key practices to consider:
Why You Don’t Need to Scan Everything and How Access Unify Can Help
Don’t miss this upcoming webinar, co-hosted by ARMA and Access, designed to give you the tools and insights you need to elevate your Information Governance (IG) program.
The third gate looks ahead, focusing on building a scalable and future-oriented framework. This stage ensures the longevity and integrity of digital content by maintaining data quality, security, and compliance for future access. This forward-thinking approach is essential for managing records sustainably, as it helps companies adapt to evolving compliance requirements and technology advancements.
Adopting a future-ready mindset for continuous improvement and adaptation within a digital transformation strategy is much like building and customizing a dream home, and it cannot be accomplished overnight. Once you’ve established a solid foundation (Gate 1 – Policies and Procedures) and a secure structure (Gate 2 – Content Management), you can focus on enhancing and expanding the program over time. Gate 3 is akin to adding new features to your home (like a patio or updated appliances) as things change over time.
Ultimately, you don’t want to wait until you’re done with gates one and two before thinking about gate three. It’s important to consider all three gates from the outset to create a cohesive strategy that aligns policies and content management with future goals.
How the Three Information Gates are Like Building a House
Navigating the three gates of digital transformation—Policies and Procedures, Managing Content, and Forward Planning—is crucial for any organization seeking to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. By implementing the best practices outlined here into your records management strategy, your organization will experience decreased legal risk, more time for staff to focus on higher-value initiatives, access to any document at any time… and the list goes on.
Access is here to help with incremental digitization solutions to make your journey through Gate 2 seamless. While investigating Access’ historical operations and projects, it was discovered that only 20% of what’s scanned is actually viewed. This statistic highlights the importance of prioritizing and scanning active files rather than digitizing everything. Partnering with Access lets you steer clear of document scanning mistakes, paves the way for more successful implementation, and sets your business up for long-term success.
For more tools and insight on how to optimize your digital transformation processes and find efficiencies, tune in to our webinar “Leveraging Your Data: A Journey Through 3 Essential Information Gates.”
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