Benefits of digitisation

More and more businesses are adding value to their collections through developing digitisation initiatives. Each organisation has different priorities but the benefits of digitisation include:

Access

The information in documents can be published in a number of ways and made available to global audiences, so that access is no longer restricted to those able to visit the physical location, saving time and travel costs.

There is also the ability to access existing resources previously limited by their format, such as large maps and materials stored on microfilm.

Generating income

Many documents contain information that can have a commercial value when presented to the right audiences. Digitisation unlocks this potential to create new income streams.

Brand

Opening up your archives can benefit your brand by inspiring new audiences and raising the profile of the institution. Many modern brands are rediscovering the value of their ‘brand heritage’.

Searchability

Capturing the right descriptive data from a digitised document makes finding relevant content much easier, and helps maximise research efficiency.

Preservation

Following digitisation, physical documents will not need to be accessed as often, therefore reducing potential damage caused by handling.

Interaction

Digitised content is versatile and can be used to communicate with customers across a range of channels. It is a particularly strong tool for social media, opening dialogue with customers and encouraging activities like crowdsourcing and blogging.

Integration

Records can be integrated with digital systems and made readily discoverable within digital catalogues.

Disaster recovery

Paper records are vulnerable to many risks. Digital copies ensure information remains retrievable if a site disaster leads to loss of analogue formats.