The two migration strategies
Every paper-to-Laserfiche project picks one of two strategies: 'big bang' backfile conversion (scan everything up front), or 'day-forward + on-demand' (scan today's mail starting day one, retrieve older files only when requested).
Tip
For most mid-market organizations, day-forward + on-demand cuts project cost by 60–80% with negligible productivity impact. Reserve big-bang for regulated records with discovery exposure.
Phase 1: discovery and inventory
- Cabinet-by-cabinet inventory with rough page counts
- Document-class taxonomy (top 10 classes drive 90% of volume)
- Retention schedule cross-reference — never digitize records eligible for destruction
- Identify exception documents: oversize, bound, fragile, multi-part forms
Phase 2: prep and pilot
- Pilot one department for 30 days end-to-end
- Refine taxonomy based on pilot exceptions
- Lock metadata templates before scaling
Phase 3: production scanning
- On-site or off-site? On-site if records cannot leave the building (HIPAA, legal hold).
- Two-pass QC on every batch
- OCR + classification routing into Laserfiche
Phase 4: workflow and decommission
- Build first workflow before old paper systems are retired
- Parallel-run for 2–4 weeks before cutover
- Certified destruction with full chain of custody
Warning
Never destroy source paper before final QC sign-off and Laserfiche backup verification. The single most expensive migration mistake.
Resources
Downloads referenced in this guide.
- TemplatePaper-to-Laserfiche Migration Plan Template12-week project plan with milestones, owners, and risk gates.