Electronic archive

An electronic archive (EA, corporate content management system, ECM — Enterprise Content Management) is a specialized information system designed for centralized long-term storage, accounting, systematization, classification, search and provision of access to electronic documents (created electronically and signed with an electronic signature), as well as to electronic images (scanned copies) of paper documents of an organization. Unlike an electronic document flow system (EDF), which manages documents during their active life cycle (creation, approval, execution), an electronic archive performs the function of long-term (permanent or prolonged) storage of completed documents, ensuring their safety, protection from unauthorized access, modification or destruction, and the possibility of prompt search and issuance of copies in accordance with the requirements of archival legislation. For Russian organizations, maintaining a document archive is a mandatory legal requirement (Federal Law No. 125-FZ "On Archival Affairs in the Russian Federation"), and for certain types of documents (personnel, accounting, tax) specific storage periods from 1 year to 75 years and more (permanent storage) are established.

Functions and capabilities of an electronic archive

A modern electronic archive performs a wide range of functions. Receipt and registration of documents: import of electronic documents from external systems (EDF, ERP, CRM, accounting), scanning and recognition (OCR — optical character recognition) of paper documents, automatic extraction of attributes from the document (date, number, type, correspondent, amount, etc.) using machine learning technologies. Classification and systematization: distribution of documents by thematic sections, subsections, files in accordance with the approved case nomenclature of the organization, setting case indices and storage periods. Ensuring safety and legal significance: application of the "3-2-1" backup strategy (3 copies on 2 different types of media, 1 offsite), regular verification of digital fingerprints (SHA-256 hashes, checksums) to detect damage, checking the status of electronic signature certificates, use of the scaling technology to scale the archive storage as data volumes grow. Search and access provision: full-text search (by document content taking into account the morphology of the Russian language), attribute search (by card details), hierarchical file search, flexible differentiation of access rights (role model), issuance of electronic copies with watermark overlay, maintaining a journal of issuance and return of files (electronic issuance). Destruction of documents with expired storage periods: automatic formation of destruction acts, confirmation of destruction by the committee, fixation in the journal. The electronic archive system can be integrated with the Sintezm platform to automate processes related to archival documents, including preparation of requests, deadline control and report formation.

Types of electronic archives and architecture

There are several types of electronic archives depending on the type of stored documents and usage scenarios. Archive of electronic documents (ED) — a repository for documents created electronically (PDF/A, XML, signed with UKEP), with full preservation of legal significance. Archive of electronic images — a repository of scanned copies of paper documents (PDF, PDF/A, TIFF, JPEG 2000 formats) with a recognized text layer (OCR) to enable full-text search. Hybrid archive — a repository that combines both approaches and supports a unified accounting system for both electronic and paper documents (with an indication of the physical location of paper originals — shelf, box, file, volume). Consolidated (corporate) archive — a unified repository that combines data from all information systems of the organization (EDF, accounting, personnel, CRM, ERP) to provide a single point of access and search across all company documents regardless of their origin. Data archiving — unloading outdated data from operational databases (Postgres Pro, Oracle, MS SQL) into an archive repository to unload production systems and optimize their performance. The architecture of an electronic archive can be local (servers and storage systems in its own data center), cloud (SaaS solution in a secure cloud) or hybrid (the most sensitive data is stored locally, the rest in the cloud).

Legal basis and regulatory requirements

The organization of archival storage of documents in the Russian Federation is regulated by Federal Law No. 125-FZ "On Archival Affairs in the Russian Federation", orders of Rosarkhiv (including the "Rules for organizing storage, acquisition, accounting and use of documents of the Archival Fund of the Russian Federation"), methodological recommendations of VNIIDAD, as well as industry lists of documents with storage periods (for typical management documents, for organizations — sources of acquisition of state and municipal archives). Key requirements: documents must be stored in conditions that exclude their loss, damage, forgery and unauthorized access; for each category of documents, mandatory storage periods are established; when transferring documents to state or municipal storage, they must comply with format requirements (PDF/A for electronic documents) and metadata. An important aspect is the transition to 100% electronic personnel document flow (EPDF), which is regulatorily supported and stimulated by the state — this makes the implementation of an electronic archive not just a convenience, but a necessity for a modern organization. When implementing an electronic archive, the Fintech company ensures full compliance of the solution with legal requirements, including requirements for the protection of personal data (152-FZ), commercial secrets, CII security (187-FZ) and industry regulators (Bank of Russia, Ministry of Digital Development, Ministry of Health and others).

Implementation of an electronic archive: stages and result

The project of implementing an electronic archive includes the following stages. Audit of the archive fund: inventory of documents, assessment of volumes (number of storage units, running meters of shelves, terabytes of data), determination of the case nomenclature of the organization, storage periods for each type of document, identification of documents with expired periods. Choice of technology and equipment: determination of the architecture (local, cloud or hybrid), selection of server equipment, data storage systems, scanners (flow, planetary, book), archive software. Scanning and attributing: mass scanning of the paper archive (hundreds of thousands and millions of pages), text recognition (OCR), verification (quality control), attributing (filling in document cards with automatic extraction of details). System configuration: differentiation of access rights (permissions for viewing, editing, deletion, issuance), configuration of the case nomenclature, creation of reports (by periods, volumes, issued files), configuration of integration with EDF, accounting and personnel systems. Staff training: training of archivists (working with the system, issuance of files, deadline control), training of users (search and viewing of documents). Commissioning: launching the system, parallel operation (electronic + paper archive), phased shutdown of the paper archive. The experience of the Fintech company shows that a competently organized electronic archive pays off within 1-2 years by reducing document search time (from hours to seconds), eliminating document losses, reducing costs for renting premises for the paper archive and increasing the productivity of employees working with archival documents.