Digital archiving and sustainable information management: why should you?

What is (digital) archiving?

Archiving is essentially nothing more than storing information in such a way that you can retrieve it at a later date. The goal is not to store information but to find it. The main difference between storing and archiving is that archiving implies a search methodology that makes finding information easier.

Simply put, digital archiving is the process of storing, organizing, and managing electronic documents and data in an orderly system for future use. Unlike traditional archiving, where physical documents are stored in filing cabinets or storage rooms, digital archiving stores documents and data in electronic form. This is done on servers, cloud storage, or other digital storage media.

However, digital archiving is not limited to simply storing electronic files on a hard drive or server. It is also not just digitizing physical documents without a structured system for organization and access. Digital archiving is much more than just a matter of technology; it also requires attention to policy, procedures, and compliance with data protection and security regulations. And finally, digital archiving is not a one-time action. It is an ongoing process of managing, maintaining, and improving digital archives to keep them in line with the changing needs and desires of your organization.

Is a digital archive really necessary?

According to Wikipedia, digitization is 'the transition from information to a digital form, i.e., in a form that can be used by electronic devices such as computers.' By linking these devices and combining information sources, new insights are created, traditional business models are disrupted, and changes occur rapidly.

Today's information landscape is not a passive, dusty concept. It has become a means of production, an essential link, and ingredient of countless processes. Underlying information and documents, for example, serve as the basis for decision-making, they are a source of data that needs to be processed, or they provide the (legal) evidence.

In this dynamic environment, it is no longer acceptable to waste time searching for a physical file that is 'somewhere' in your organization. Moreover, space is valuable, so why would you allocate it to a static and physical archive? Speed and efficiency and 24/7 availability of documents are the norm. Preferably on different devices, anywhere. A digital archive makes this possible.

What requirements do you have for a digital archive?

In addition to the fact that digital archiving often involves documents and logically is strongly linked to document management and enterprise information management, we also see increasing demand for the ability to store sound clips and images. The digital archive must support the corresponding specific file formats in the import processes. Being able to have good integration capabilities with other systems, at least via the common interfaces web services and XML data, is therefore an absolute requirement.

The time when archiving came at the end of the work process is long gone. The moment a document is scanned, an email arrives, or a WhatsApp message is archived, it is immediately available to everyone. The digital archive must therefore support multiple channels (multichanneling) with the right import processes.

Digital documents are becoming more and more part of active business operations. For this reason, a modern digital archive usually has a workflow component. It can actively change the status of documents and trigger other systems. For example, a handler who receives a notification in the primary system when a document is stored in a specific file.

Sharing and making information available requires proper authorization. A good authorization policy ensures that information is only available to those entitled to it. A system should support your policy, and the same goes for the software vendor. Therefore, look for an ISO 27001 certification. This does not give you a 100% guarantee, but it does provide you with the assurance that the organization has considered the security of your information.

Now that we know what digital archiving entails, what its benefits are, and what requirements you have for a digital archive, let's take the next step to how it contributes to sustainable information management.

Sustainable information management

‘Sustainable’ is a word that may initially make you think of the environment, of combating global warming. But sustainability in the context of information management is about managing and preserving digital documents and information in such a way that it ensures their integrity, authenticity, accessibility, and usability in the long term.

A digital archive contributes to sustainable information management because it helps facilitate and ensure:

• Authenticity: ensuring that digital documents and information are what they claim to be and that you can verify their origin and source.
• Sustainability: implementing archiving practices and processes that allow you to preserve and use stored digital documents and information in the long term. Even as the technology used changes over time.
• Integrity: ensuring that stored digital documents and information are not altered or compromised over time and that their content remains reliable.
• Accessibility: ensuring that authorized users can easily find, retrieve, and access stored digital documents and information throughout their entire lifecycle.

In short, a digital archive is an essential part of sustainable information management because it helps manage and preserve information in an efficient, accessible, secure, and environmentally friendly manner for future generations.