Assessing the need for digitisation

When carefully considered, planned, and managed, business process digitisation programs or back capture digitisation can offer a range of benefits for an organisation. For example, digitisation can help organisations:

Improve business process efficiency, quality, and consistency by identifying areas where practices can be done more efficiently through digitisation and reducing the burden on organisational resources. When you digitise you can increase consistency and efficiency in processes by using the same rules for classification, security, and access. It also helps with indexing, so information is easier to find.

Integrate records with digital systems like an Electronic Document and Records Management Systems (EDRMS), removing the need for hybrid paper‑and‑digital files. Staff can rely on digital records as a complete and accurate account of business activity from the point of digitisation onward. When stored in an EDRMS, digital copies can be managed as official records, with access and security controls that keep them read‑only and tamper‑proof. These records can also be linked with related information and managed consistently over time, strengthening the organisation’s ability to organise and protect important records.

Enhance accessibility and improve knowledge sharing as digital records are far more accessible than paper records as they can be viewed from any location without needing physical access. They can be shared across networks, viewed simultaneously by multiple people, copied, and distributed quickly to different stakeholders. This makes knowledge transfer more efficient and helps staff reuse information, saving time.

However, digitisation programs only improve access if it is well managed. Poor planning can undermine the benefits. For example, insufficient metadata or weak quality control can make records harder to find later, reducing accessibility instead of improving it.

Improve awareness of records, response times and client service as a robust digitisation program can make it much easier and quicker to retrieve and view digital files rather than the original paper records. This can reduce the time taken to respond to clients if there is greater awareness of what records are held and where.

Reduce costs related to storing, managing, and accessing records as once records are digitised, the original physical records may no longer be needed and can potentially be destroyed. This could free up physical storage space and reduce storage, handling, and transport costs. It’s essential to confirm early whether the originals can legally be destroyed or transferred to Museums of History NSW as State archives.

When paper records are destroyed, the digital versions become the official records and must be kept according to retention and disposal requirements. Ongoing costs for managing and migrating digital files should be considered.

Promote greater staff flexibility as staff take advantage of new technologies and allow them to access records in diverse locations like working from home.

Better plan for business continuity as digital records are much easier to duplicate. Records can be backed-up using the organisation’s normal back-up procedures and included in disaster recovery procedures. High risk and high value records that are essential to the functioning of the organisation can be protected from disaster and secured in different locations in digital form.

Generate support from clients and the community for the organisation or even generate income for the organisation e.g. from selling copies of digitised photographs.

Read potential risks below and means to mitigate them:

• That money will be wasted or additional risks incurred by poor selection of records.
  • Ensure selected records support program aims and are well chosen
• That the complexities of digitisation can be underestimated
  • Research, plan and manage requirements for the program
• That the costs of digitisation can be underestimated
  • Define all expected costs as part of planning and ensuring the organisation has adequate resources over the lifetime of the program
  • Consider how different or complex processing requirements will impact on costs
  • Consider the ICT infrastructure and system architecture requirements for the potential volume of digital files in scope including any costs for new systems to store digital files
  • Consider the long-term costs of managing digital files
  • Review program aims and selection decisions if resources cannot be guaranteed
• That original paper records cannot be destroyed after digitisation e.g. due to legal reasons to retain them in original format, intrinsic value or other reasons
  • Ensure staff and contractors are aware of disposal requirements for the original paper records selected for digitisation before embarking on a digitisation program
• That original paper records, including State archives, will be destroyed without authorisation
  • Ensure staff and contractors are aware of disposal requirements for the original paper records selected for digitisation before embarking on a digitisation program
  • Build staff training and quality assurance measures into programs to ensure that no unauthorised disposal takes place
  • Require senior approval for any disposal to take place
  • Contact State Records NSW before embarking on the digitisation of records required as State archives
  • Arrange for the transfer of records required as State archives to Museums of History NSW
• That digitisation will not result in an authentic representation of the original paper record that is fit for purpose
  • Identify the essential characteristics of records that must be reproduced so they are fit for purpose
  • Create quality benchmarks to ensure that essential characteristics are reproduced
  • Ensure that commonly offered digitisation features like image manipulation are not used or do not affect the authenticity and reliability of the digital files
  • Define suitable technical and metadata standards
  • Provide staff training and supervision where necessary
  • Provide rigorous quality assurance checks (either of images or samples of images)
  • Develop and document procedures and standards
• That digital files are not stored or protected appropriately
  • Ensure digital files are managed according to the organisation’s records management program
  • Capture digital files into a recordkeeping system where they can be accessed only by authorised users, secure from alteration or deletion, in context with related records, protected from disaster and kept for their required retention periods
  • Ensure that master files are not stored on removable media where they can be at risk
• That duplicates or derivatives are not managed appropriately
  • Ensure digital files and their duplicates are managed according to the organisation’s records management program
  • Adopt well defined metadata with relationships between records to ensure that it is very clear whether the original exists, which is the ‘master’ and which are derivatives, and what purpose they are for
• That digital files will not survive and remain accessible and useable for as long as they are required
  • Ensure suitable choice of technical standards for the record’s retention period
  • Ensure digital files are managed according to the organisation’s records management program
  • Ensure appropriate metadata is assigned
  • Ensure that their longevity is planned for e.g. migration on an average of 5 to 7 years to maintain information accessibility and integrity
  • Define funds for ongoing management in business cases and making them available when required
  • Assess the impact of technological and storage decisions on the longevity of files
• That there will be problems experienced with service providers
  • Ensure that the organisation has defined, documented and communicated clear benchmarks and standards required to contractors
  • Ensure that all relevant requirements are built into contracts
  • Regularly monitor the performance of contractors
• Accessibility and privacy issues
  • Ensure if the records are subject to copyright, that they are adequately covered through metadata
  • Ensure sensitivities and privacy of personal information are identified and are adequately assessed with appropriate measures implemented for access

Organisations should develop business cases which define anticipated risks, describe how they apply to the program, and show how they will be managed. 

Digitisation can seem like a cost-effective solution, but it's important to recognise that the costs can be significant and vary depending on the scope of the program and the quality of the digital files needed. Some common costs to consider include:

• Physical conversion of hard-copy records (the digitisation process) is labour-intensive and can be very expensive
• Digitisation software and hardware, including upgrades
• Training and support for staff involved in the digitisation process (often included in contracts with software and hardware suppliers)
• Space for digitisation work to take place
• Health and safety assessments and measures to ensure staff safety
• Staff time for planning, establishing, and documenting the program with appropriate benchmarks
• Staff time for preparing records, digitising them, applying metadata, conducting quality control checks, monitoring and evaluating the program
• Managing challenges such as non-uniform or poor-quality original records
• Technical infrastructure and storage space for maintaining digital records
• Software on desktops for viewing digital files
• Training and change management strategies for all staff who will access the digital files
• Ongoing maintenance and updates to systems
• Managing digital files over time, including costs of migration (if applicable).

To assess whether digitisation is a worthwhile investment, you can compare these costs to:

• The costs of inaction, such as the potential risks or inefficiencies of not digitising records.
• Potential savings from destroying original paper records (where relevant), leading to reduced storage costs.
• Potential savings from improving practices and providing better access to records.