Deadlines for federal agencies to go paperless are approaching — here’s how you can make the transition as seamless as possible
For government agencies, the volume of paper documents continues to grow. Federal entities need technological solutions to help manage the constant flow of paperwork. This is especially true as regulatory archiving deadlines approach.
Government document management systems help form the backbone of the modern federal agency. They provide enhanced organization tools. They also ensure everyone can access the files they need. Yet, there are specific considerations entities must make when choosing one that fits their workflow. The following tips will help you find a solution to make your transition seamless.
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The mandate to go digital: challenges and benefits
In 2019, the U.S. Government mandated that all federal agencies transition from physical record-keeping methods to digital ones. As of this publication, the due date for the digital transition is June 30, 2024.
Federal agencies must also ensure digital documents meet standards set by the Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative (FADGI). These standards judge still images by file format, image resolution, and more. Digitized images receive a final rating between one and four stars.
To comply with the government mandate, agencies will likely need to change some aspects of their document workflows to exist within digital government document management systems. These systems often come with their own unique features, strengths, and limitations.
Yet, the benefits of making the change are massive. These systems make it easier to access important information. They enhance security standards, ensuring only authorized users have access. And they provide easy, reliable methods of tracking changes for full transparency.
Did You Know?:When properly calibrated, the fi-7700 meets FADGI Modern Textual Records (MTR) compliance standards. Click here to learn more.
What to look for in government document management systems
If you’re in the market for a digital government document management system, there are several crucial features to look out for. These features are essential for optimizing efficiency, security, and customer satisfaction. Be sure to examine the following when comparing solutions for your facility:
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) compliance
When going paperless, federal agencies must adhere to compliance guidelines set by the National Archives and Records Administration. These regulations provide a series of requirements to ensure the security, accessibility, and accuracy of all digital documents and records. Choosing a NARA-compliant government document management system should be your number one priority.
Security features
Password protection and multi-factor authentication are a must. Systems should also encrypt files in transit and at rest. This will prevent malicious actors from viewing private information as users download files. It will also ensure unauthorized users cannot view sensitive information without verifying credentials.
Version control
Many government document management systems keep log files to track changes. This provides transparency into which users are accessing files. Administrators can then follow up with employees not following set guidelines. Some systems can also roll back changes to previous states to reduce errors.
User access management
Document management systems also allow administrators to set user restrictions on folders and files uploaded to the network. With user profiles, managers can ensure that authorized users can view and work only with the files they need to complete their jobs.
Metadata and tagging
Tagging features allow users to organize documents based on user-defined keywords. Systems can also scan files and sort documents based on metadata within the file. These automated processes can improve document retrieval times and reduce data loss.
Did You Know?:PaperStream Capture Pro scans digital documents to find relevant information. It can then name and tag each file for rapid organization.
Cloud storage
Storing documents on the cloud provides greater access to employees within large offices. The cloud also facilitates collaboration with remote workers and employees in other locations. Agencies should ensure that cloud storage space is ample for current and future needs.
Our recommendation: fi-7700
Those in the market for a document scanner to integrate with your government document management system have no shortage of options. We take great pride in having spent the last 50+ years researching, designing, and developing some of the most advanced and powerful electronics in the world, including our professional grade fi Series scanners.
Built to purpose for the most demanding document handling jobs, fi and SP scanners are capable of processing tens-of-thousands of pages per day at the highest levels of accuracy. Their intuitive integration capabilities with all existing work suites minimize time-to-value for businesses looking to invest in tools that will pay dividends for years to come.
The fi-7700 is designed to meet the demands of the modern federal office. It sports an enterprise-level 300-page automatic document feeder and rapid double-sided scanning speeds. These features can make short work of even large-scale digitization projects. And when calibrated accordingly, the fi-7700 can meet crucial MTR FADGI standards to ensure your documents are compliant. Click here to learn more or shop the rest of our production scanner line.
Note: Information and external links are provided for your convenience and for educational purposes only, and shall not be construed, or relied upon, as legal advice. PFU America, Inc. makes no representations about the contents, features, or specifications on such third-party sites, software, and/or offerings (collectively “Third-Party Offerings”) and shall not be responsible for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of such Third-Party Offerings. Please consult with a licensed attorney regarding your specific situation as regulations may be subject to change.