A complete field digitization service

Turn your paper archive into a searchable, usable knowledge base

We visit your archive sites and repositories, inventory the documents and assess their condition and volume, then classify, prepare, scan, and quality-check them. We extract text and metadata, link every document to its original paper location, and import the content into Mstnd — turning it into an organized digital archive that is searchable, processable, and ready to use.

We don't just turn paper into images. We turn it into information your organization can reach and use.

Request an archive assessment visit Discuss your digitization project with our team

Paper archive

Scan & digitize

Inside Mstnd

Direct answer

What is the document scanning and digitization service?

Document scanning and digitization is a complete process that begins with inventorying, classifying, and preparing the paper archive, then scanning it and quality-checking the resulting files, extracting text through OCR, adding metadata and indexing, linking documents to their original paper locations, and importing them into a document management system so they become searchable, retrievable, shareable, and processable.

What's the difference between scanning and digitization?

Scanning produces a digital image of a page. Digitization goes further, turning that image into an organized document with searchable text, metadata, classification, location, permissions, and context that can be used within your operations. That's why an organization can hold thousands of PDF files and still not have a real digital archive — unless those files are indexed, accessible, and usable.

The transformation

From hard-to-reach boxes to institutional knowledge

Paper documents are valuable assets, but their value stays frozen inside the boxes until they are digitized, indexed, and made accessible.

Before organized digitizationAfter digitization inside Mstnd

Piled-up boxes and files whose exact contents are unknown

A clear record of the documents your organization holds

Manual searches that can take hours or days

Fast access by text, description, or metadata

Relying on staff memory to know where things are

The physical and digital location recorded for every document

Files scanned as images that can't be searched

Text extracted with OCR, searchable and processable

Inconsistent classifications and naming

Indexing and metadata following an approved structure

Risk of loss, damage, or uncontrolled circulation

Permissions, tracking, sharing, and central management

Information that can't be analyzed or used

A knowledge base you can search and ask questions of

The problem we solve

Keeping the paper doesn't mean you're benefiting from it

Your documents may be valuable legal, financial, operational, and historical assets, but keeping them alone isn't enough. If you need an old contract, letter, invoice, or employee file and don't know which repository, shelf, or box it's in — or you can't search within its content — the asset exists, yet its practical value is nearly inaccessible. Organized digitization preserves the asset, reveals its content, pinpoints its location, links it to its context, and makes it available to authorized people when needed.

Be ready before the document is requested

Organized digitization helps your organization know what documents it holds, where they are, who is allowed to access them, and how to retrieve them quickly when needed — so your documents stay ready to access, share, and audit at any time.

What we provide

A complete service, from the site visit to putting knowledge to work

The service isn't just about photographing paper; we cover the document's entire journey, from its paper location to becoming intelligent content inside Mstnd.

Site visit and archive assessment

We visit repositories, archive rooms, offices, and cabinets to understand the types of documents, their arrangement, condition, confidentiality levels, and readiness for scanning.

Volume inventory and scope estimation

We estimate volumes according to the nature of the archive (boxes, files, folders, pages, and sizes) and clarify the work required at each stage.

Building the classification and indexing structure

We agree with you on the organization method before full processing: departments, types, years, projects, reference numbers, and confidentiality levels.

Controlling document movement and interim storage

We manage the movement of files from their original location through preparation, scanning, and review stages in a way that preserves their sequence and reduces the chance of loss or mix-ups.

Classification, coding, and ordering

We sort and code the documents, order the pages, and handle cases of mixing, duplication, or missing items within a clear record that links every original to its digital copy.

Scanning and quality control

We produce clear digital copies according to the agreed quality and format, review completeness, clarity, and orientation, and reprocess any files that aren't up to standard.

OCR and field extraction

We extract Arabic and English text so it becomes searchable, and capture required fields such as numbers, dates, parties, and amounts.

Metadata and physical-location linking

We add data to each document that gives it context (type, number, date, owner, classification, and status), and link the digital copy to the location of the paper original.

Importing into Mstnd and putting knowledge to work

We upload the content within the agreed folders, classifications, and permissions, so the archive becomes searchable, shareable, processable, and ready to answer questions.

The document's journey

From the repository to Mstnd in ten connected stages

Survey and inventory

Knowing what exists, where it is, how large it is, what condition it's in, and how sensitive it is.

Classification and processing plan

Defining document types, their structure, the data to be captured, and the level of quality and review.

Receiving, coding, and preparation

Controlling batches and linking them to their locations, arranging materials, and preparing them for scanning without losing their sequence.

Scanning

Converting pages into clear digital files in the appropriate format and quality.

Quality control

Reviewing completeness, clarity, and ordering, and correcting or reprocessing any files that aren't up to standard.

OCR and data extraction

Converting images into searchable text and extracting the required fields and values from the documents.

Indexing and physical locations

Adding metadata and classifications and linking the digital copy to the location of its paper original.

Importing and activation inside Mstnd

Uploading the content within the structure and permissions, and making it available for search, sharing, archiving, and processing.

Activating institutional knowledge

Using the archive's content for smart search, asking questions, and preparing reports instead of going back to the boxes.

Closing the paper-asset cycle

Returning the assets to their locations, reorganizing them, or moving them to approved storage according to the organization's decision and retention periods.

Physical locations

Know where the document is, digitally and physically

Digitization doesn't sever the link between the system and the paper original. Mstnd brings together in a single record the digital copy, extracted text, metadata, classification, owner, status, and the location of the paper original.

The paper original's location sequence

City

Site

Building

Repository

Zone

Shelf

Box

File

Know where the document is, digitally and physically

Example: a contract search result inside Mstnd

Contract number: C-2024-0186
Contract date: 2024-03-12
Parties: The organization · Approved supplier
Owning department: Procurement Department
Confidentiality level: Confidential
Paper original location: Riyadh, Admin Building, Warehouse 2, Zone B, Shelf 14, Box 36, File 8

From image to knowledge

From a silent PDF to institutional knowledge

A scanned PDF preserves the shape of the page, but it doesn't guarantee access to the information inside it. The value appears when these come together:

The digital file

OCR

Metadata

Classification

Permissions

Document context

Then an authorized employee can ask their archive:

What contracts were signed with the given supplier over the past three years?

Show the letters linked to the project and transaction number.

Which documents contain a specific amount or date?

Where is the original copy of this record?

Which files are reaching the end of their retention period or need review?

Summarize the correspondence related to a specific subject.

Operational value

Why is organized digitization worth it?

Reaching the information instead of searching for the box

Users search within the content and data instead of moving between repositories and shelves.

Preserving knowledge when staff change

Knowing where documents are and what they're called no longer depends on a single employee or a team's memory that may change.

Reducing reliance on circulating the originals

The digital copy is used in daily work, while the original stays in its place and is moved only when needed and authorized.

Stronger readiness for auditing and review

Organization, indexing, and fast retrieval help you present the requested documents and know their context and location on demand.

Protecting the archive from a single point of failure

An organized digital copy reduces total reliance on a single physical place, while backup and protection remain part of managing the system.

Putting content to work in operations

Documents are used in sharing, approvals, workflows, reports, and smart search instead of sitting outside the work cycle.

Regulatory readiness

Readiness that supports document management requirements

For entities subject to the Documents & Records Law, the digitization service and Mstnd help translate the requirements for preserving, indexing, classifying, and quickly accessing documents into a more manageable archive:

Inventorying documents and knowing what the entity holds

Classifying and indexing documents according to an approved plan

Adding the metadata needed to identify them

Recording the physical and digital location of each document

Speeding up search and retrieval on demand

Controlling access and circulation according to permissions

Supporting the application of retention and review periods per the entity's policy

Keeping a clear trail of the document's movement and actions

Explore the accreditations and regulatory frameworks Mstnd applies

Sectors

Who do we serve?

Government entities

Digitizing transactions, decisions, correspondence, and records with support for classification, indexing, retention periods, and controlled access according to the entity's requirements.

Large companies and groups

Converting repositories of contracts, procurement, finance, HR, and projects into a central archive accessible across departments and permissions.

The legal sector

Organizing case files, contracts, memos, and attachments, and linking documents to parties, numbers, and dates with faster access to information.

The healthcare sector

Digitizing administrative and medical records within the confidentiality, permissions, and retention requirements approved for the organization and the sector.

Construction and projects

Indexing drawings, correspondence, contracts, payment certificates, change orders, and meeting minutes, and linking them to the project, phase, and party.

Education

Digitizing student and staff files, decisions, and academic and administrative records, and enabling organized search and retrieval.

Deliverables

What does the entity receive at the end of the project?

Depending on the agreed project scope, the deliverables may include:

An organized inventory of the documents and volumes processed

Clear, reviewed digital copies

Text extracted with OCR

An index of the documents and their key data

Metadata linked to each document

Extracted fields such as numbers, dates, parties, and amounts when agreed

A report on the files that need a decision or special handling

A link between the digital copies and the physical locations

Content imported and organized inside Mstnd

Permissions, classifications, and statuses per the approved scope

An archive that is searchable, shareable, processable, and usable

Assessment and pricing

Why does the service start with an assessment visit?

A large digitization project can't be priced accurately based on the number of boxes alone. Cost and duration are affected by factors such as:

The number of pages, files, and folders

The condition of the documents and how well they're ordered

The sizes, colors, and required quality

The level of manual preparation

The share of documents that need OCR

The number of fields and data to be extracted

The level of review and verification

The scanning location and transport or interim-storage requirements

The confidentiality level and handling requirements

The classification and import method into Mstnd

Request a visit and an initial inventory of your organization's archive

Frequently asked questions about scanning and digitization

Is the service just converting paper into PDF?

No. Converting paper into PDF is only one stage. The service includes inventory, classification, preparation, scanning, quality control, OCR, data extraction, indexing, adding metadata, and physical-location linking — then importing into Mstnd.

Can I search within the files after scanning?

Yes. When OCR is applied to suitable files, the text becomes searchable. Documents can also be reached through metadata such as number, date, type, department, and project.

Does OCR support Arabic text?

Yes. The service extracts Arabic and English text from scanned documents and turns it into content that is searchable and processable inside Mstnd.

Can numbers, amounts, and dates be extracted?

Yes. Fields such as numbers, dates, amounts, party names, and contract and invoice numbers can be defined for extraction or review within the project's scope.

What happens to the paper documents after they're digitized?

The documents can be returned to their locations, reorganized and linked to their locations inside Mstnd, moved to approved storage, or handled according to the entity's approved retention policy.

Can I find where the paper original is from within Mstnd?

Yes. Physical-location data is recorded within the repository, shelf, box, and file sequence, so the digital copy is linked to the location of the paper original.

Are the files uploaded into Mstnd?

Yes. Files are imported within the agreed structure, classifications, metadata, and permissions, so they become part of the document management system instead of sitting in a separate folder.

Can I query the archive and search it by meaning?

Yes. After text is extracted and the documents are organized inside Mstnd, you can benefit from search by keyword, description, and meaning, and ask questions of the content available to the user according to their permissions.

Does the service support your organization's readiness for document management requirements?

Yes. The service helps entities with inventory, classification, indexing, fast retrieval, controlled circulation, linking retention periods to documents, applying permissions and tracking, and managing physical and digital locations in an organized way that supports the requirements of the National Center for Archives & Records (NCAR).

How long does digitization take, and how is the cost calculated?

Duration and cost depend on the volumes, the condition of the files, the level of preparation, the scanning and OCR quality, the fields to be extracted and reviewed, the execution location, and the storage and import requirements. That's why large projects begin with an assessment visit and an initial inventory.

Your organization's archive isn't just old paper

Inside it are contracts, decisions, correspondence, rights, expertise, and knowledge accumulated over the years. We help you inventory, digitize, and index it, turning it into organized content you can access, search, and put to use inside Mstnd.

Request an assessment of your archive Book a demo of the digitization service and Mstnd

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