Accounting documentation, including accounting books, accounting vouchers, tax returns, personnel documents, technical documentation, warehouse documents and other documents used to conduct business activities – archiving often causes many critical problems in the organization and storage of such documents.
In order to streamline document archiving processes, it is worth deciding on their digital transformation first, i.e. transforming paper documents into appropriately secured electronic documents. On this basis, it will be possible to create a modern digital archive in the company.
What is Digital Document Archiving?
Currently, more and more entrepreneurs decide to store company documentation in digital form, because it brings a number of benefits, including reduced costs, more effective data protection, and easier compliance with legal requirements related to the method of storing documents.
One of the advantages of using documents in digital form is the ability to develop a digital archive, which creates a collection of documents stored electronically on disks or in the cloud.
Digital document archiving therefore refers to storing documents in secure digital archives, taking into account the documentation requirements specified in legal regulations.
Digital archiving may concern various types of documentation, for example:
- Accounting documents, including tax books and accounting books, accounting evidence such as VAT invoices
- Tax documents, including tax returns
- Inventory documents
- Employee files and other documents relating to staff
- Technical documentation
- Public registers
- Civil status books
- Court records
Why is It Worth Using Digital Document Archiving?
Storing documents in a digital archive brings numerous benefits, including:
- Saving Space – Digital archives do not require physical space such as filing cabinets, filing cabinets or storage rooms, which helps reduce operating costs.
- Easy Accessibility – Digital archives can be accessed from anywhere with internet access, allowing authorized users to remotely control their content. Documents that need to be reviewed can then be read anywhere, anytime.
- Easy Backup – Backing up digital documents helps prevent the loss of important data due to failures and disasters such as fires or floods.
- Version Control – Digital archives aid in version control by allowing you to track changes, revisions, and updates made to documents over time.
- Environmental Protection – Whether it is archiving warehouse or accounting documents, the use of digital files reduces the need for materials, including paper and ink, leading to a smaller environmental impact.
- Security Digital – Archives can be encrypted and protected with access control methods, ensuring that only authorized people have access to confidential information and can view or modify company records.
Document Archiving – Document Encryption and Granting Access Rights
The first important practice in digital document archiving is to properly secure them so that they do not fall into the wrong hands.
In such a case, the entrepreneur exposes himself to serious consequences that result from both breaking the law and losing his image. What should proper archiving of digital documents consist of?
l Authentication
Employees should have access to certain documents through authentication, or in other words, confirmation of their identity.
l Website Security
The use of website security techniques, such as the HTTPS protocol, allows information flow to be encrypted to prevent hackers from intercepting it.
l Access Control
Company documents should be secured through the use of access control levels. They are designated for selected positions and groups so that only authorized employees can work with specific documents.
l Encryption
It is also worth remembering that all important documents should be appropriately encrypted using secure methods, such as SSL encryption, PDF password protection, etc. Encrypted documents can only be opened using the appropriate password – the decryption key possessed by authorized persons.
Document Archiving – Data Backup and Antivirus Protection
Taking appropriate measures to protect data from loss, including accidental deletion or viruses, are very important principles for archiving documents in digital form. What should you remember in this regard?
l Backups
Back-ups are very important in the process of storing data in digital form because they reduce the risk of data loss due to unforeseen events, such as computer failures, malware or natural disasters.
l Virus Protection
Malware can cause significant damage to documentation. One serious problem is viruses that encrypt documents and require a fee for a password.
Archiving documents therefore requires the use of effective anti-virus protection, which can also be used by software designed for archiving and document management, such as a reliable PDF Editor program.
Document Archiving – Data Sovereignty and Separation
Secure document archiving requires that they be placed in appropriate archives, separate from other system files. Where should they be stored?
l Sovereignty
The issue of data sovereignty is crucial in archiving. Data sovereignty assumes that data should be stored in the country of operation and not in other countries, because this may translate into a lower level of data security.
This is particularly important when storing data in the cloud, i.e. on external servers belonging to the data center.
l Data Separation
Proper data archiving also means separating data, i.e. storing it separately from other files, including the cloud provider’s system files and software files. Applying such document classification rules allows for improving their security.
Document Archiving – Integrity
Archived documentation must have full integrity, which means that it should not be modified when it is not permitted, in order to prevent manipulation and loss of key data. How to prevent this?
l Electronic Signatures
An effective way to protect the integrity of documents is to use electronic signatures. These signatures are equivalent to handwritten signatures, which prevents document forgery in the company.
For example, the SwifDoo PDF Pro program provides a E-signature feature for your PDF files, which translates into greater privacy and protection.
l Save Changes
Any changes that occur in documentation should be carefully recorded so that the entire history of the document can be recreated.
Changes can be recorded with dates and user-specific information to help you know who made any changes and when if the file format and content change.
l Version Management
Version management is very important for maintaining the integrity of documents. It allows users to know that they are using the latest, most recent version of a given document.
In Summary
Only proper archiving of accounting documents and other documents protects the company from common problems in their storage and negative consequences resulting from violations of legal issues.
However, it does not have to be a problem when a proven document management system is used for this purpose.