Digitization: More Than Just Scanning
Many people think digitization = scanning. But scanning is just the first step. The real goal of digitization is to make a paper document searchable, organized, and permanently preserved in digital form.
Without OCR processing, a scanned document is just an image — you can't search the text, copy content, or automatically extract data.
OCR: The Technology That Reads Documents
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is technology that converts images of text into actual, searchable text. Modern OCR systems, especially AI-based ones, achieve accuracy of 99%+ even on poor-quality documents.
What OCR can recognize:
- Printed text in English, German, Serbian, and other languages
- Tables and structured data
- Stamps and signatures (as images, not as text)
- Different fonts and text sizes
- Text on rotated or skewed documents
Which Format to Use for Storage?
Choosing the right format is crucial for long-term preservation:
| Format | Advantages | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| PDF/A | ISO standard for archiving, self-contained | Long-term storage, legal documents |
| Universally compatible | Everyday use | |
| TIFF | Lossless quality, supports multi-page files | High-quality archival scanning |
Recommendation: Use PDF/A for all business documents that need to be stored for more than 5 years.
Legal Aspects of Document Digitization
In the EU and many jurisdictions worldwide:
- Digitized documents can have the same legal validity as originals, under certain conditions
- The digitization process must be documented
- The integrity of the digitized document must be ensured (proof it hasn't been altered)
- A qualified electronic seal or signature may be required for certain document categories
- Paper originals can be destroyed after digitization, unless law requires otherwise
How to Organize the Digitization Process
Phase 1: Preparation (1-2 weeks)
- Create an inventory of all paper documents
- Set priorities (most frequently used documents first)
- Define folder structure and naming conventions
- Choose a DMS (Arhivix or another)
Phase 2: Scanning (2-4 weeks for an average company)
- Scan in batches by category
- Use an ADF scanner for bulk scanning
- Check scan quality
- Apply OCR to every document
Phase 3: Organization and Verification (1 week)
- Verify all documents are properly categorized
- Test search — can you find documents?
- Set up access controls
- Create a backup strategy
How Much Does Digitization Cost?
Costs depend on volume:
- DIY: Scanner (€200-1,000) + DMS subscription + your time
- Professional scanning service: €0.05-0.15 per page (for large volumes)
- Full service: Scanning + organization + DMS setup: depends on volume
Conclusion
Document digitization is an investment that pays for itself many times over. Less space, faster search, better security, and regulatory compliance.
With Arhivix, digitized documents become instantly searchable with AI — upload a scanned document and find it in seconds, without manual tagging.
