Case study · DNotaries
Turning 1.25 million legal records into searchable information.
A notarial firm’s archive of contracts, deeds, research and KYC records — digitised, indexed and organised in a secure document management system supplied by Archives International.
Completed
- Client
- DNotaries, a legal and notarial firm in Malta
- Sector
- Legal · Notarial records
- Scale
- 1.25 million documents
- Project
- January – July 2024 · ancillary services ongoing
The situation
A large legal archive, kept on paper.
DNotaries is a legal and notarial firm in Malta. Its archive held client files of every kind: contracts, deeds, research and KYC records, in documents up to A3.
In an initial meeting, the firm told Archives International that it needed document management software to organise its large volume of contract files. It had begun a modernisation programme to digitise its legacy paper archives as part of its digital transformation strategy.
The problem
Records that had to be found, protected and kept safe.
Humid storage
Files were kept in humid storage spaces, so an immediate solution was needed.
Search and retrieval
Contract files needed to be organised and searchable, in view of the increasing government forms usually shared between notaries.
Confidentiality
Client records called for confidentiality, controlled access and data protection.
Paper at scale
A large physical archive meant long-term paper storage, and the firm wanted a disaster-resilient alternative.
The scale
1.25 million documents, January to July.
- documents
- 1.25M
- maximum document size
- A3
- main project
- Jan – Jul 2024
- ancillary services
- Ongoing
What we were asked to do
Digitise the archive — and give the firm a system to run it in.
The objective was to digitise the archived contracts and deeds in a legally compliant way, converting physical records into indexed, searchable digital assets.
Those assets were to live in a document management system supplied by Archives International — with confidentiality and data protection for client records, a disaster-resilient storage environment, and less long-term paper storage.
Our approach
From sorted files to a secure, searchable system.
Prepare
Sorting and indexing
All physical contracts were sorted and indexed. Onsite scanning was not possible, so the files were transported securely.
Physical preparation
Staples, tags and damaged covers were removed before capture.
Capture and read
A3 and A4 scanning
Sheet-feed scanners captured colour images at 300–600 dpi, with TIFF masters and searchable PDF/A outputs.
OCR and indexing
Optical character recognition made the text searchable. Contracts were indexed by client name, contract number, date or property reference.
Secure and deliver
Document management
Files were stored on encrypted, access-controlled servers, with secure access per authorised user, role-based permissions and search filters.
Validation and transfer
Quality assurance validation preceded secure transfer and integration by SFTP, then client validation and sign-off.
The originals
Originals were archived or destroyed by a certified subcontracted shredding provider, under an approved retention and destruction policy.
Continue
Continuous scanning
The scope includes continuous scanning of newly filed contracts.
The transformation
From paper files to a searchable legal archive.
Physical
- Legal files
- Contracts, deeds, research and KYC records up to A3.
Digital
- Digital records
- Colour capture at 300–600 dpi; TIFF masters and PDF/A.
Searchable
- Full text
- Optical character recognition across the archive.
Indexed
- Indexed contracts
- Client name, contract number, date or property reference.
Useful
- In the DMS
- Role-based permissions and search filters, with new contracts continuing to arrive.
The result
The archive, organised and working.
The main project ran from January to July 2024. Ancillary services are ongoing.
Documented outcomes
- All records digitised and indexed
- Repository accessible through the document management system
- Audit trail completed
- Physical storage requirements drastically reduced
Project proof
The evidence behind the project.
Timeline
January to July 2024; ancillary services ongoing
Delivery
Secure transport to Archives International — onsite scanning was not possible
Capture
A3/A4 sheet-feed scanners, 300–600 dpi colour, TIFF masters and searchable PDF/A
Indexing
Client name, contract number, date or property reference
System
Document management system supplied by Archives International, with role-based permissions and search filters
Security
Role-based access control, encryption in transit and at rest, and maintained audit logs. Files held on encrypted, access-controlled servers
Originals
Archived or destroyed by a certified subcontracted shredding provider, under an approved retention and destruction policy
Team
Project manager, scanning team and German engineers
Beyond the scan
Not just scanned. Organised, secured — and still growing.
The firm’s first request was for document management software to organise its contract files. So the document management system was part of the solution from the start — supplied by Archives International.
And the archive did not stop when the backlog was done: the scope includes continuous scanning of newly filed contracts, so new records join the same indexed, searchable system as the old ones.
What could your information become?
Start with a specification or with a problem. Either way, the conversation starts with your information.