In-house scanning keeps the paper and the work under your own roof. Outsourcing moves it to a specialist bureau with production scanners, trained operators and certified processes. This page compares the two on cost, speed, quality, security and compliance, and explains when each makes sense, including the hybrid route many organisations take.
In-house and outsourced scanning at a glance
| In-house scanning | Outsourced scanning | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Scanners, capture software and space for preparation. No supplier to pay. | No equipment to buy. You pay per image, page, box or project. |
| Running cost | Staff time, maintenance, consumables and supervision, often spread across budgets and hard to see. | A quoted price for the work, plus any collection, storage, return or destruction. |
| Equipment | Usually office multifunction devices or desktop scanners. | Production scanners built for high volumes, mixed paper sizes and fragile items. |
| Staff | Existing staff, who need training and are taken away from their usual work. | Trained operators for preparation, scanning, quality checks and indexing. |
| Speed and capacity | Limited by the people and machines available. Backlogs compete with day-to-day work. | Capacity matched to the project, with an agreed timescale. |
| Quality control | You set and check your own standard, often by spot checks. | Defined checks and rescans as part of the service. Ask how images are sampled. |
| Indexing and data | File names and fields keyed by hand. | OCR, indexing and data capture to the fields you agree, delivered into your system. |
| Custody of the paper | Records never leave your premises. Security depends on your own controls. | Records leave your site. Security depends on the supplier’s chain of custody, staff vetting and certifications. |
| Data protection | You process the data yourself. | The supplier is your processor, so a written UK GDPR Article 28 contract is required. |
| Evidential weight | You design, document and evidence your own capture process. | A supplier certified to BS 10008 has an audited capture process. |
| Access during the project | Files stay to hand. | Files are away while scanned. A good supplier scans and sends urgent files on request. |
| Best suited to | Small, steady volumes, day-forward scanning and records that cannot leave the building. | Backlogs, large or mixed collections, fixed deadlines and regulated records. |
When in-house scanning makes sense
Scanning in-house works well when the volume is modest and the work fits around people’s existing roles. It is usually the right choice when:
- New paper arrives in small, steady amounts, such as post or signed forms that staff already handle.
- You need the image within minutes of the paper arriving.
- The documents are standard sizes, in good condition and need only simple indexing.
- Staff have time to prepare, scan and check the work without other tasks slipping.
- Policy or contract terms say the records must not leave your premises.
Preparation is part of the job and easy to underestimate. Before a page reaches the scanner, someone has to remove staples and clips, repair tears, unfold pages and put them in order. After scanning, someone has to check the images and refile or dispose of the paper.
When outsourcing makes sense
Outsourcing suits work that is large, difficult, time-bound or closely regulated. It is usually the better choice when:
- You have a backlog: Archive boxes, full filing cabinets or off-site storage you want to end.
- There is a fixed deadline, such as an office move, a lease ending, a merger or a move to a new system.
- The collection is mixed or difficult: Carbon copies, receipts, bound volumes, large plans or fragile paper.
- The records are sensitive or regulated, such as patient records, insurance claims or client files.
- The images need to feed a system, with indexing and data captured to agreed fields rather than keyed by hand.
- You want an agreed price and finish date rather than an open-ended internal project.
Outsourcing does not mean losing control. You set the specification: file formats, naming, indexing fields, quality standard, timescale and what happens to the paper afterwards.
What drives the cost of each option
In-house scanning often looks cheaper because most of its cost is staff time that never appears on an invoice. A fair comparison counts everything on both sides.
| In-house costs to count | Outsourced costs to count | |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment and software | Scanner purchase or lease, maintenance, replacement, capture and OCR software licences | Included in the price |
| People | Hours for preparation, scanning, checking, indexing and refiling, at full employment cost, plus supervision and training | Included in the price |
| Volume and condition | More pages and poorer condition mean more hours | Price depends on volume, document condition and how much preparation is needed |
| Indexing | Hours spent keying names and fields | Price depends on how many fields are captured and how they are checked |
| Time | Work your staff stop doing while they scan | Faster turnaround can cost more |
| Afterwards | Space to keep the paper, or the cost of destroying it | Return, storage or certified destruction, quoted separately |
To compare like for like, divide the full in-house cost by the number of pages scanned, then ask suppliers to quote per page or per box against a sample of your records.
Security, data protection and evidential weight
Both options can be secure and compliant. The difference is who designs, runs and evidences the controls.
Data protection
When you outsource scanning, the supplier processes personal data on your behalf, so UK GDPR requires a written contract between you. It must cover the subject matter, duration, nature and purpose of the processing, the types of data and data subjects, and terms on instructions, confidentiality, security, sub-processors, individuals’ rights, deletion or return at the end, and audits (ICO). You must only use a processor that gives sufficient guarantees, and you remain primarily responsible for compliance. That is why certifications, data location and a list of sub-processors matter when you choose a supplier.
Information security
Ask which certifications a supplier holds and check that their scope covers the scanning facility, not just head office. ISO 27001 covers the information security management system, Cyber Essentials covers basic technical controls and the NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit applies to anyone handling NHS patient data. Ask how records are collected, sealed, tracked and stored while they are away from you.
Evidential weight of scanned records
In England and Wales, a statement in a document can be proved in civil proceedings by a copy, whether or not the original still exists, authenticated as the court approves (Civil Evidence Act 1995, section 8). How much weight the copy carries depends on how well you can show it is complete and unaltered. BS 10008-1:2020 sets out how electronic information should be managed so that its authenticity and integrity can be demonstrated (BSI). In-house scanning can meet the same standard, but you have to design, document and evidence the process yourself.
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Check your own retention and regulatory requirements before relying on scanned copies alone.
The hybrid route: Outsource the backlog, scan new paper as it arrives
Many organisations do not choose one option for everything. A common pattern is:
- Outsource the backlog once. A bureau scans the archive to an agreed standard, delivers it into your system and returns, stores or securely destroys the paper.
- Scan new paper as it arrives. Staff scan small daily volumes in-house, or incoming post is redirected to a digital mailroom and delivered to you as images and data.
- Scan stored files only when needed. Records that are rarely used stay in secure storage and are scanned on request. See bulk back-scanning vs scan on demand.
This keeps the large, one-off job with specialists and the small, continuous job close to the people who use the documents.
Questions to ask a scanning provider
- Which certifications do you hold, what do they cover and when do they expire?
- Where will our records be scanned, and where will our data be stored and processed?
- Which sub-processors do you use, and how will you tell us about changes?
- How are records collected, tracked and kept secure in transit and on site?
- How do you check image quality, and what happens when an image fails?
- Which file formats, OCR and indexing do you provide, and how do you deliver into our system?
- How quickly can you scan and send an urgent file during the project?
- What happens to the paper afterwards: Return, storage or certified destruction?
- Can you show a case study of similar volume and sector, and give us a reference?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is outsourcing more expensive than scanning in-house?
Not necessarily. In-house scanning avoids a supplier invoice, but staff time, equipment and supervision are real costs. Work out a full cost per page for both before deciding.
Can we destroy the originals after scanning?
It depends on the record. Retention schedules, regulators and contracts can require some originals to be kept, such as signed deeds or records with legal or historical value. Many organisations keep originals for a short period after scanning to allow quality checks, then destroy them securely. Agree the approach with your records manager or legal adviser first.
Will our files be unavailable while they are being scanned?
Only for the time they are in transit. Agree a retrieval process before the project starts so that an urgent file can be scanned and sent to you. Dajon can turnaround scan-on-demand requests within 1 working day.
Can scanning take place on our premises?
Yes. Where records cannot leave your site, we can bring equipment and staff to you.
Who is responsible for data protection when we outsource?
You remain the controller and are primarily responsible for compliance. The supplier is your processor, must act only on your documented instructions and has direct obligations of its own under UK GDPR.
Talk to us about your records
Whether you scan in-house, outsource or combine the two, we can help you plan it. Dajon scans records in our own facility under ISO 27001, BS 10008 and Cyber Essentials, and NHS DSPT – see our trust centre. Tell us roughly how many boxes or pages you have, what type of records they are and when you need them finished, and we will recommend the most cost-effective approach.