23/04/2020
Since the beginning of the 21st century, the world has entered in a digital revolution where digital tools and apps are used extensively. Every business relies entirely or partly on digital information that has become an even more important asset for companies. To manage this digital information properly throughout the entire life cycle, appropriate organizational and technical measures are required. Even if organizations are using capture and ECM solutions to manage information, they often forget the last life cycle step: archiving.
What does it mean to archive digitally?
In the “paper world”, most companies reduce archiving to its most simple solution: storing paper in the basement or in offices. Because paper is deteriorating slowly, we could assume that the readability on the long term was ensured and that the integrity of the documents could be proven easily.
Due to the fast evolution of technology and its fast obsolescence, integrity of information and readability of digital archives has become crucial. This requires technical and organizational measures to ensure the preservation of information.
Following international standards such as ISO 14721 or ISO 16175, a decent digital archiving solution will help your company to get rid of the paper files and will enable you to get easier access to your information.
A decent digital archiving solution requires several characteristics such as:
Converting files to a long-term preservation format
Describing archived information
Documenting the lifecycle and information preservation operation
Checking validity and fixity of information
Ensuring long-term integrity
Managing the retention period and disposition
Monitoring the file format and storage solution
The purpose of the requirements is to preserve the legal and/or financial value of your information. A legal framework enforces companies to preserve a variety of documents such as social documents, HR documents, accounting,…and to be able to prove their authenticity and integrity. The aim of a digital archiving solution is to preserve the legal value and to manage the risk of a claim or lawsuit