What should I do with my paper documents after they have been digitized?

A final consideration for scanning your documents is what to do with the physical papers after they have been scanned.

Securely destroy originals

In most instances, a scanned document is as good as the original – unless there is a legal, regulatory or business reason that originals must be kept. As a result, it is not uncommon for physical documents to be shredded after scanning.

If you do not want or need to keep your physical documents after scanning, most vendors will offer document shredding services – be sure to ask if there is an extra cost for this service.

Retain originals as backups

Some companies feel more comfortable retaining their hardcopy documents as a backup.

If you need or want to retain your physical documents after scanning, your vendor can return the documents to you after scanning. Many document scanning vendors also offer offsite document storage services if you don't have extra space available in your offices.