45% of physical documents are lost within the first 24 hours.

This leads to huge regulation issues and mistrust.

Document digitization or document numerisation is a process that efficiently solves this issue by transporting all your documents to a secure and unique digital location.

What Is Document Digitization

Document digitization (or document numerisation as it is known in Europe) is the process of converting physical records into digital files that can be stored, managed, and searched either on the cloud or on local servers.

It typically involves scanning paper documents, applying OCR (optical character recognition), and organizing them with metadata to make them easily retrievable.

The process includes preparation, capture, indexing, and long-term storage planning.

The goal is to create usable digital files that are searchable, compliant, and seamlessly integrated into a DMS or ECM platform, to guarantee that legacy records remain accessible, even after retention periods end.

Why Should You Digitize Documents

Most enterprises and governmental services have moved online, so having to go back and forth to search for documents that may or not be in your current cloud-based system can lead to an inefficient and frustrating process.

Moving all your document to a document management system reduces these inefficiencies by 80%. A DMS guarantees documents can be located and retrieved in mere second thank to advanced search and metadata.

Automated retention ensures compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, while secure access controls protect sensitive data.

Digitization also preserves fragile or aging records and allows teams to collaborate seamlessly. In modern business and government operations, which increasingly occur online, digitizing both historical and active records ensures continuity, operational efficiency, and compliance.

Finally, around 45% of paper documents get misplaced during the first 24 hours of receiving them. Lost documents can result in serious losses, including money and client trust.

With most business and government activities now online, digitizing historical and active paper records ensures organizations maintain continuity, efficiency, and legal compliance in a digital-first environment.

How to Digitize Documents

In-house digitization is usually the safest approach as a structured production process, similar to a small-scale manufacturing line.

We will get into a comparison and cost of in-house migration and outsourcing to service providers later on.

Each stage of the document digitization process should be planned carefully so it runs smoothly and with fewest hiccups possible.

First of all, you need to assess if your organization is ready to prepare for the migration. With this ECM readiness assesment tool, you can see where there are gaps and what needs addressing before you begin the migration.

Step 1: Prepare your documents

Preparation is often the most labor-intensive stage.

Typically this can be done by two or three document preppers who will be in charge of taking out staples or paper clips, separating pages from bound books, and sorting documents logically so that scanning can be done seamlessly.

Without a well-organized prepping line, you would run the risk of losing or misplacing pages during scanning.

Step 2: Start scanning

Scanning converts prepared documents into digital images.

Operator responsibilities include feeding documents into high-speed scanners, monitoring output, and adjusting settings for color, duplex scanning, or resolution. Modern scanners can process thousands of pages per day, but efficiency depends on preparation quality and operator workflow.

The average range you should be shooting for is somewhere around 100 to 160 pages per minute.

Step 3: Index your documents

Indexing assigns metadata such as document type, date, or reference number, making digital files searchable and usable.

While manual indexing has been common, it has come to be inefficient due to innacuracy and lack of sufficient index fields. If you outsource this process it can be the most expensive part of the document numerisation process.

Automated capture and indexing can extract and populate multiple fields automatically, reducing labor and errors.

Step 4: Run quality control

The trick here, is that you can skip the salary and time of running quality checks if you have strong hardware and automation for your index fields.

With high-accuracy scanners and AI-driven capture software, spot checks are often sufficient, making full-scale manual QC optional.

Benefits and Challenges

Digitization your document comes with a number of risks and advantages that you need to consider.

Among the benefits you achieve:

• Improved accessibility and searchability

One of the most significant benefits of document digitization is the ability to quickly locate information at the drop of a hat.

Once records are digitized, they become searchable by keyword, date, or category, allowing your teams to retrieve documents in seconds rather than the average 1.8 hours per day team members usually spend locating physical files. This increased efficiency supports faster decision-making and reduces administrative workload.

• Stronger compliance and records management

Digital systems make it easier to meet compliance and retention requirements.

Records can be tracked, monitored, and automatically archived or deleted according to policy, helping organizations maintain consistent governance and reduce regulatory risk.

Using a DMS such as a Dokmee, you can very easily generate your document retention policies and add them to your automated workflows:

• Cost savings and space reduction

Digitization reduces the need for physical storage space, offsite archiving, and manual filing systems.

Over time, this leads to lower overhead costs and minimizes the risk of lost, damaged, or misplaced paperwork.

• Better collaboration and productivity

Teams across departments or locations can securely access the same documents at the same time.

This improves collaboration, supports remote work, and helps streamline workflows by reducing delays caused by physical file handling.

On the other hand, the digitization process has some drawbacks that can become liabilities if you’re not ready for them. However, when managed correctly, they are acceptable.

• Large backlogs take time to digitize

One of the most common challenges is handling large volumes of existing paper records.

Backlogs can take considerable time and resources to process, particularly when documents vary in format, age, and condition.

This means you must prioritize what to digitize first and determine what can be archived or securely disposed of, and prepare a clear team for the production line after assessing the true size of your backlog.

• Planning workflow and resources

Digitization projects require careful planning around staffing, timelines, and processes.

Without proper coordination, projects can slow down, become costly, or create bottlenecks that impact daily operations.

• Consistent indexing and organization

A digital archive is only as useful as its structure.

Without clear standards for naming, tagging, and organizing files, documents can become difficult to locate. Establishing consistent indexing practices is essential to maintain usability over time.

As we have mentioned earlier, with powerful automation this becomes a non-issue.

With strong planning, clear policies, and proper resourcing, these challenges can be managed effectively.

When done well, document digitization improves daily tasks and creates a more organized and secure foundation for future growth.

How Much Can Document Numerisation Cost?

Costs vary widely depending on document volume, labor, and indexing requirements.

In-house digitization typically costs between 2.5 and 4.5 cents per page, while outsourced services may range from 7 to over 20 cents per page.

Staffing, equipment, and indexing depth are the main drivers of expense.

For example, a production line that needs to handle 300,000 documents might cost around $10,000 in total when done in-house, while outsourcing could reach $60.00, depending on the cost of service providers and your desired amount of index fields.

Accurate page counts, workflow planning, and automation can significantly reduce total project costs.

What Software Do You Need?

Successful digitization requires both software and hardware.

A DMS or ECM platform, such as Dokmee, provides storage, access control, and automated indexing for digital files.

Capture software connects scanners to the indexing process, applying OCR and extracting metadata automatically. Dokmee can then store documents in their appropriate folder in the your favorite DMS.

Page counting tools help organizations estimate workload, staffing needs, and costs before starting the project.

Production scanners, sized appropriately for daily volume, form the backbone of the operation.

Final Tips…

A successful digitization project depends on planning, consistency, and smart prioritization.

If you take time to structure workflows, define standards, and focus on high-impact records first tend to see faster adoption, better organization, and stronger long-term value.

To make sure you manage the document digitization process correctly, follow this checklist:

• Define scope, goals, timelines, and responsibilities before scanning
• Count or sample pages in advance to project costs, staffing needs, and realistic completion timelines
• Prioritize documents according to use
• Standardize consistent file tags and categories
• Create clear workflows for scanning, quality checks, indexing, and storage
• Apply retention policies early
• Use automated capture, classification, and routing tools
• Keep quality control regularly

Following these practices helps keep digitization projects efficient, cost-effective, and well-organized from the start, resulting in a digital archive that is reliable, secure, and easy to use.

And to find the best automation to digitize your documents effectively, book a demo with Dokmee today.