Is it better to keep physical or digital files for record-keeping?

When it comes to property compliance, which is better: paper or digital record-keeping? 

Property compliance can be taxing as it is, so here at Crysp we want to make sure your record-keeping doesn’t add to any stress and is as easy and simple as possible. For many, it is reassuring to have physical copies of important documents and to have them to hand. However, using paper for record-keeping means you’re required to know where the documents are and keep them safe. Keeping paper documents under lock and key may seem secure, but they’re still vulnerable to being lost or misplaced. 

With new technological advancements and innovations, electronic documents have become a more secure way of record keeping. We will explore why digital files are the better alternative in this post.

Are digital documents more secure than paper documents? 

Paper documents are vulnerable to being left out, misplaced, damaged, or lost. If a document is left out, this comprises employees’, contractors’, or visitors’ data protection - which would make you liable under the recent Data Protection Act 2018. 

If a document is lost, damaged, or misplaced, there is no way of retrieving it, which can cause your company a lot of stress when an emergency occurs and the relevant paperwork is nowhere to be seen. 

Digitising documents, on the other hand, will ensure traceability and security of important records. Electronic documents can now be encrypted, which means if they get into the wrong hands, i.e. the hands of an unauthorised person, the information would remain safe as they wouldn’t be able to read the document. With restricted access, only certain people can access sensitive information, which reduces the risk of data tampering. Data tampering can also be reduced by electronic documents having an in-built history and record of modifications. Plus, notifications can be sent to administrators to alert them of any changes. 

The risk of documents being lost, misplaced, or damaged is largely reduced with digitising documents as they can be stored safely in a centralised online location. 

Keeping your documents up-to-date and available for risk assessments and health and safety inspections is an important part of property compliance. After all, how will you know if you’re compliant if you can’t find the necessary paperwork?

Crysp’s platform can protect your records and streamline the retrieval of documents. Using Crysp’s software means even if you access documents from a different location, or device, you’ll be able to use and retrieve everything easily.  

Will digitising documents save you time? 

Property compliance can be time-consuming, especially with paper documents. Locating physical files can cause an extra delay. Whereas with electronic record keeping, locating and retrieving is much more efficient, and no time is spent filing and archiving documents. With a quick search, you can find the document you need. Plus, online documents are easily shareable, so you will save time scanning and posting them to fellow employees, advisors, contractors, or inspectors. Simply, send a copy of the relevant documents with a couple of clicks. If you need signatures on your documents, that can be done digitally too. 

Can you edit digital documents easily?

Yes you can. Another reason to switch to digital record-keeping is that you can edit, amend and revise documents quickly and easily. With the possibility of new health and safety legislation and property regulations, you may need to update some documents to ensure they comply with the most recent measures. 

As mentioned above, there with electronic record keeping, there is the possibility to track amendments made to the document and collaborate with colleagues on making changes. 

Who’s responsible for record-keeping? 

With paper, the responsibility of looking after and tracking important documents rests with one, or a few people. Keeping track and reviewing lots of documents is a big job for only one person or a handful of people. Digitising records means the responsibility is shared between the team. Storing documents online makes it easier for people to access the documents and to grant access to those who need it. 

Crysp’s platform will help you digitise your documents and manage your property compliance. To find out more about how it works, read more about how Crysp will help make workplaces safer.