This is a question that we get all the time at interScan and a common question many people might still have. The short answer is, yes, people are still scanning paper despite the increasing trend toward digitalization. While many organizations have moved towards a paperless environment, there are still various reasons why paper documents continue to be scanned, in several industries or by government agencies. 

Who uses paper scanning

Companies

Legacy paper records and documents are still challenging for many organizations and government agencies that aim to improve access and searchability. Companies often store employee records, financial documents, historical papers, and healthcare files. However, converting these records into digital format can help organizations become more efficient and compliant. To address this challenge, scanning service bureaus specialize in document scanning and offer services to scan legacy documents for various industries and companies. These bureaus have experience managing and handling sensitive documents and can provide additional services such as secure storage and disposal.

Government agencies

In addition to companies, government agencies may also scan legacy document records to digitize and modernize their record-keeping systems. This approach can enhance access to government records, improve transparency, and promote accountability. As a result, scanning service bureaus are vital in supporting organizations and government agencies as they work towards digitizing their paper-based records and moving towards more efficient and compliant document management practices.

Legal firms and the courts

Legal firms and court systems rely heavily on scanning legal documents for easy access, searchability, version control, document management, and compliance efforts. Additionally, it reduces paper storage costs and can enhance efficiency. Many legal support providers offer document scanning services to law firms, corporations, and government agencies, including document coding and indexing. In-house legal departments also scan legal documents as part of their document management processes to comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Scanning legal documents can be complicated due to the large volume, size, and security and privacy concerns. Therefore, ensuring secure and compliant scanning and management is crucial to safeguard the information's confidentiality and integrity.

Healthcare and financial industry

Industries such as healthcare and finance may be required to maintain paper records for specific periods, and compliance regulations may dictate document scanning. These records must be digitized for long-term storage, providing easy accessibility and the ability to search and share them. Scanning paper documents can also enhance data privacy by reducing the possibility of physical document loss or theft. Securely storing digitized records and restricting access to authorized personnel can minimize the risk of unauthorized access or data breaches. Additionally, scanned documents can be a part of an organization's disaster recovery plan, as they can be easily retrieved and restored during natural disasters, fires, or other unexpected events, minimizing the organization's impact.

Conclusion

Scanning paper documents can streamline workflows, facilitating access and document sharing across various departments or locations. Some organizations may have partially digitized their document management systems, and scanning paper documents may be necessary to integrate them into digital systems. Certain documents, such as contracts, may require physical signatures that must be scanned and stored as part of the electronic document. Additionally, some employees may prefer working with paper documents and may scan them to have both physical and digital copies. Despite the trend toward digitalization, there are several reasons why paper documents are scanned and integrated into digital document management systems.

What is also important to understand is that the use of paper documents by government agencies and businesses also differs vastly depending on the country. Some countries might require more or less physical paper documents when performing official acts. So, eventhough this article mainly focussed on scanning in the US and while scanning is still prevalent in the US, it might even be more prevalent and used in other countries.