Digitization is costly and should not be seen as The Answer for
simplifying storage. From an archival standpoint (Archival in the sense of
an archival repository and not IT archiving) is that digitization be
utilized to preserve hard copy original by making a digital surrogate for
routine access. Digitization of hard copy is also only part of the cost,
storing documents on servers / tapes can be more costly than storing a box
of paper, especially when considering long term preservation and access.
Technological obsolescence of hardware and software will add to costs to
retrieve ESI -- upgrades, migrations, conversions over time will cost more
than box storage. I am not advocating paper, but as long as our employers
have printers readily available to their employees, records managers will
have to manage paper to some degree.
My 2 cents is to be selective about what is vital or important enough to
merit digitization, and not to digitize everything. My other 2 cents is
that employees need to be educated on what does not need to be printed to
paper because the electronic version is The Record Copy.
Stephen Cohen
Records Manager
MetLife \ Legal Affairs
27-01 Queens Plaza North
Long Island City NY 11101
212-578-2373
"Don Prososki" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent by: "Records Management Program" <[log in to unmask]>
02/05/2008 08:54 PM
Please respond to
"Records Management Program" <[log in to unmask]>
To
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Subject
Re: Avg. Cost offsite storage vs. onsite
I just retired from a greeting card company in Kansas City last Friday.
The cost of digitizing hard copy records is "insane". Don't fall for it.
If my company would have digitized it's hard copy records, it would have
cost, are you ready?? $8,750,000. It's not going to happen!
The best thing you can do is to digitize from first day forward...that is
to begin a document management program and let the hard copy records
expire.
Thanks,
Don Prososki, [log in to unmask]
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