6 Benefits of Digital Record Management in Higher Education

Digital record management is the process of converting paper documents into digital files for effective recordkeeping. When it comes to higher education, digital record management is imperative. This digital transformation initiative is applicable to student records, faculty payroll, financial aid applications, transcripts, alumni records, and applications for admission, among others.  When these documents are digitized, colleges and universities stand to benefit immensely from implementing digital record management. In this article, we’ll review 6 of the benefits of digital record management in a higher education setting.

Improve Organization

You can improve organization across departments, from admissions to financial aid to alumni relations. Never again worry about if the folder you need got put back in the wrong filing cabinet or if there are missing documents. Digital record management takes all of your paper documents and converts them into digital files that can be easily located using the user-friendly search function in your new virtual database. It offers easy access and the security of knowing you’ll never lose important information.

Save Space

Digital record management offers the opportunity to maximize office space. Bulky filing and storage cabinets, stacks of paper, and drawers full of folders can be a thing of the past. Converting physical records to a digital format frees up extensive physical space, especially for a higher education institution, as colleges and universities have so many different varieties of records to keep on large numbers of students, alumni, staff, and faculty. There’s only so much space on your campus; make the most of it with digital record management.

Faster Processing Times

Digital records management can result in up to a 70% reduction in processing times. Office staff at educational institutions that rely on paper records waste significant time every day just looking for the information they need. Digital systems will allow them to work more quickly, efficiently, and productively. They will have more time available to devote to more important aspects of their job as well as the increased wherewithal to serve students and their families effectively.

Reduce Costs

Digital transformation saves money. Higher education institutions that implement digital records management can expect to see approximately a 35% cost reduction as compared to when they used paper record management processes. The money from that 35% in cost savings can be redirected to bolster campus resources or increase faculty and staff members’ pay.

Heightened Security

Digitizing your university’s records is a preservation and security tactic just as much as it’s a method for improving operational efficiency. While digital systems are not infallible, they are significantly less vulnerable than paper systems and documents. With all of your institutions’ important information stored digitally, a threat such as a fire, theft, or natural disaster has no bearing on informational security or data preservation.

Gratify Personnel

Students, faculty, and staff alike will all be able to benefit from and appreciate your new digital document and record management systems. This easy access and heightened level of organization will boost staff productivity and student satisfaction. Higher levels of satisfaction will benefit your retention rates, both in respect to faculty departures and student transfers.

Digitize Your Records

Scan-Optics is an industry leader in the field of digital transformation with extensive experience working with institutions of higher education. Take a look at our case study on the work we’ve done for the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities or contact us today to get started.