📚 The True Cost of Storing Paper: Why Scanning Pays for Itself

In today’s competitive business landscape, many organisations still store mountains of paper documents — in filing cabinets, offsite storage units, or even spare meeting rooms. While this might feel like the “cheaper” option on the surface, the reality is very different.

The hidden costs of storing paper documents are much higher than you think. From wasted office space to non-compliance fines, it all adds up fast. In this blog, we’ll break down the true cost of paper storage and explain why document scanning is not just a cost-saving measure — it’s an investment.

💸 1. The Real Estate Drain: Wasting Expensive Office Space

Office space is expensive — especially in cities like Manchester, Leeds, or Birmingham.

If your company is using valuable square footage to store filing cabinets or archive boxes, you’re not making the most of your environment. Let’s do a quick comparison:

Multiply that by 10 or 20 cabinets, and the cost skyrockets — not to mention the opportunity cost of using that space for desks, collaboration areas, or client-facing rooms.

Going digital frees up space and improves workplace efficiency.

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⏳ 2. Time Is Money: Searching for Documents

Studies show that employees can spend up to 20% of their time searching for documents — whether in filing cabinets, folders, or shared rooms. That’s one full day per week, per person.

Let’s break it down:

• 1 employee

• £35,000/year salary

• 20% of time wasted searching = £7,000/year lost in productivity

With digitised, OCR-searchable files, documents can be retrieved instantly using keywords — saving hours and improving turnaround time across departments.

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🛡️ 3. Risk of Non-Compliance & Data Breaches

Storing paper doesn’t just cost money — it comes with serious risks, especially under regulations like GDPR, BS 10008, and sector-specific mandates in legal, NHS, and education environments.

Risks of paper-based storage include:

• Lost or misfiled records

• Unauthorised access

• Fire, flood, or accidental destruction

• Inability to meet audit or retention requirements

Digitising your documents with secure, audited scanning processes (like those provided by Data Solutions Group) dramatically improves your data governance and compliance posture.

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🧾 4. Offsite Storage Isn’t a Long-Term Fix

Many businesses use third-party storage facilities to “solve” their paper problem — but that just shifts the cost.

Ongoing storage fees, retrieval charges, and courier costs add up. Plus, you’re still facing:

• Delays in accessing records

• Limited searchability

• Duplication of physical and digital systems

Scanning is a one-time cost that removes the need for ongoing storage fees. Once digitised, your records are accessible anytime, anywhere — with zero physical handling costs.

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📊 5. Scanning = ROI in Under 12 Months

Depending on the volume of documents and current storage costs, most clients recoup the cost of scanning within 6–12 months.

Example:

• 25 filing cabinets = £15,000/year in space & productivity cost

• Scanning cost = approx. £3,500–£5,000

• ROI = Achieved in < 6 months

And from there, it’s all upside: improved compliance, faster access, and lower admin costs.

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✅ Why Choose Data Solutions Group?

At Data Solutions Group, we help organisations across the UK — from SMEs to large enterprises — eliminate paper burdens and unlock the full value of their information.

• BS 10008 compliant scanning, further information LOOK HERE

• Free collection from your site

• OCR & full indexing

• Secure cloud or on-premise access

• Optional certified shredding or storage

We’ve helped firms in sectors like healthcare, aerospace, legal, and education realise the full cost-saving potential of digitisation.

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📞 Ready to Calculate Your Savings?

Let us show you how much your paper is really costing you — and how much you could save.

📍 Call us today on 01625 400250
📩 Or get in touch online HERE