Scanning everything isn't always the answer — and neither is storing it all. Five questions and a simple matrix to decide what to digitise, what to store and what to destroy.
Answer three quick questions for a recommendation. It takes about 30 seconds.
| Option | What it means | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Store | Records stay on paper in secure off-site storage, retrieved when needed. | Rarely used records you must keep for years. |
| Scan everything | The whole archive is back-scanned to searchable digital files. | Records used often, by many people, in many places. |
| Hybrid (scan on demand) | Records stay in storage; any file requested is scanned and sent the same day. | Mixed archives where you can't predict what will be needed. |
| Scan and shred | Records are scanned, then the originals are securely destroyed. | Records where a legally admissible scan can replace the paper. |
This is the biggest factor. If people need the records every week, scanning pays for itself in time saved. If a box is opened once a year, storing it is almost always cheaper.
Records with only a year or two left before destruction rarely justify scanning. Records you must keep for decades may — especially if they're used. Our UK retention guide sets out the key periods.
Scanning to BS 10008 preserves the legal admissibility of scanned records, so in many cases originals can be destroyed where your policy allows. Some originals — such as deeds and wills — are usually kept regardless.
Hybrid and remote teams, multiple sites and shared services all favour digital records. If only one team in one building ever needs a file, storage with next-day retrieval may be enough.
Records kept in offices or clinical areas occupy expensive space. Moving them to off-site storage — or scanning and shredding them — frees it up.
| Short retention left | Long retention left | |
|---|---|---|
| Used often | Scan on demand, then destroy on schedule | Back-scan — and consider scan and shred |
| Used rarely | Store, then destroy on schedule | Store, with scan on demand for requests |
| Past retention | Don't scan or store — securely destroy to BS EN 15713 | |
Very few archives fit one box in that matrix. A typical organisation has a small set of active records worth scanning, a large dormant archive best kept in storage, and a pile of records that should simply be destroyed.
Because we store, back-scan, scan on demand and securely destroy in our own UK facilities, we can apply the right approach to each part of your archive — under one audit trail and one contract.
Tell us what you have and how it's used. We'll recommend the right mix of storage, scanning and destruction — with a clear, no-obligation quote.
We'll be in touch, usually the same working day. Anything urgent? Call free on 0800 281857.
It depends on how often the records are used and how long you must keep them. Frequently used records usually belong in digital form; rarely used records with a long retention period are usually cheaper to store, with scan-on-demand for the occasional request.
Records stay in secure off-site storage, and any file that's needed is scanned and sent the same day. You only pay to scan what people actually use.
Often, yes, where your policy allows and the documents are scanned to a standard that preserves legal admissibility, such as BS 10008. Some originals, such as deeds and wills, are usually kept.
Neither scan nor store them — have them securely destroyed to BS EN 15713 and keep the certificate for your audit trail.
Yes. We store, scan, scan on demand and destroy, in our own UK facilities, so you can use the right approach for each part of your archive under one audit trail.