What is Document Archiving And How To Automate It

What Is Document Archiving?

Document archiving is the process of storing records that are no longer used or relevant separately so they are no longer taking up space in your document management system, but are still preserved and can be accessed for legal purposes.

Unlike your regular file storage, archiving focuses on long-term retention, data integrity, security, and controlled access. Archived documents are typically moved from active systems into secure repositories where they can be retrieved when needed but do not interfere with daily operations.

Documents are archived once they reach the end of their active lifecycle, for example, receipts are typically archived after seven years of being issued.

At this stage, the document is classified, indexed, and stored according to predefined policies. Metadata such as document type, creation date, owner, and retention period is assigned to ensure efficient retrieval and compliance. Over time, archived documents are reviewed, retained, or permanently deleted based on retention rules.

Documents are archived for several important reasons.

Organizations must comply with laws and regulations that require records to be kept for specific periods, such as tax, financial, or employment records.

Archiving also helps to keep a clean and relevant document management system by removing inactive documents from active systems, improving performance and productivity.

Additionally, archiving protects critical business information, ensuring it remains accessible in the event of audits, disputes, or historical analysis.

Retention is a central component of document archiving.

Retention policies define how long each type of document must be kept before it can be reviewed for deletion or permanent preservation.

These periods are often driven by legal requirements, industry standards, and internal risk management policies.

Document Archival vs. Document Deletion

Document archival and document deletion serve very different purposes. Both processes reduce the volume of active data, however, there is a key distinction: Once can be accessed and the other one can’t.

Document archival preserves records that are no longer actively used but still hold legal, regulatory, operational, or historical value.

Archived documents are stored securely for long-term retention and remain retrievable when needed for audits, legal inquiries, compliance checks, or reference.

Archival emphasizes data integrity, traceability, and controlled access, ensuring that records remain authentic and unaltered throughout their retention period.

Document deletion, on the other hand, is the permanent removal of records that no longer have business, legal, or compliance value.

Once deleted, these documents cannot be recovered. Deletion is typically performed only after a document has met its defined retention requirements and has been approved for disposal.

Proper deletion reduces storage costs, minimizes legal exposure, and supports data privacy regulations by eliminating unnecessary information.

From a compliance perspective, archiving is a protective measure, while deletion is a risk-reduction measure.

Premature deletion can expose your organization to regulatory penalties or legal challenges, whereas failing to delete documents after retention periods expire can increase liability during litigation or audits.

For example, legal and contractual document such as contracts, lease documents, and nondisclosure agreements are typically archived.

While expired transactional records may be deleted after retention requirements are met. Including old expense reports, obsolete purchase requests, and completed workflow forms with no further compliance relevance.

What Documents Can Be Archived

A wide range of business and organizational documents can be archived once they are no longer actively used.

Financial documents are among the most commonly archived records and include receipts, invoices, expense reports, bank statements, and tax filings. These documents usually require strict retention and are frequently needed for audits or reviews.

Operational and administrative documents can also be archived. This category includes contracts, agreements, purchase orders, policies, procedures, and internal reports.

Although these documents may not be accessed daily, they often need to be preserved for reference, legal protection, or compliance purposes.

Human resources records are another important group of archival documents. Employee files, payroll records, benefits documentation, and performance reviews must be retained for defined periods even after an employee leaves the organization.

Digital communications and electronic records are increasingly archived as well. Emails, scanned documents, digital forms, and system-generated reports are often subject to the same retention and compliance requirements as paper-based records.

Effective archiving ensures these digital assets remain searchable, secure, and readable over time.

How to Define a Document Archival Strategy

Defining and archival strategy will simplify the process and ensure that all documents are archived correctly.

It can be done in 5 simple steps:

Step 1: Identify and categorize all document types

Each category should be clearly defined based on its purpose, sensitivity, and regulatory requirements. This step creates the foundation for consistent and compliant archiving practices.

Step 2: Establish retention schedules for each document category

Retention periods should align with legal obligations, industry standards, and internal risk considerations.

Clear retention rules help ensure documents are archived, reviewed, and deleted at the appropriate time.

Step 3: Define access controls and security requirements

Archived documents often contain sensitive information, so it is essential to specify who can view, retrieve, or modify records.

Role-based access and audit trails support accountability and data protection.

Step 4: Select the right storage solution

Whether using on-premise systems, cloud-based DMS platforms, or hybrid models, the chosen solution should support scalability, security, searchability, and compliance.

Integration with existing systems is also important to ensure smooth workflows.

Step 5: Run regular reviews and audits

Periodic assessments help verify compliance, identify inefficiencies, and adapt policies to changing regulations or business needs.

How to Automate Document Archiving

The issue with document archival is usually efficiency.

You need to set up reminders to remember when a document’s lifecycle is coming to an end, you need to take time out of your day and rack down and archive documents every day.

However, this process can be automazied for your peace of mind, and to adhere to security and regulations.

DMSs or ECMs provide tools to capture, organize, store, and retrieve documents throughout their entire lifecycle.

By setting up your automated workflow, your DMS will be able to automatically move documents from active use to archival storage based on age, status, or usage patterns.

ECM platforms go beyond that and enforce retention policies, apply metadata, manage access controls, and trigger automated deletion when retention periods expire. This ensures consistent compliance across departments and document types.

Automated workflows also improve visibility and efficiency.

Notifications, audit logs, and reporting tools allow your whole team to track archived documents, monitor retention compliance, and respond quickly to audits or legal requests.

As shown in this 5-minute video!

Manage Document Archival With Dokmee

Archiving your document is a vital step to keep a clean, organized, and relevant document management system.

However, keeping up with retention policies and archival schedules can be tricky.

With platforms like Dokmee you can easily set up automated workflows that will send guarantee you don’t miss any important dates.

Additionally, it is the smoothest platform to retrieve those documents, should you need them.

If you’re ready to try, book your free demo today.