Comparison
Dematerialise documents or keep the paper originals
Dematerialising means turning a paper document into a file, in order to manage and preserve it digitally. In a condominium this covers invoices, contracts, minutes, receipts and correspondence. The practical question is: after scanning, do you throw away the originals or keep them? The answer depends on the type of document, its evidential value and the preservation rules. This guide compares dematerialisation and keeping originals criterion by criterion, to build a clear archive policy instead of piling up two copies of everything.
Compared
| Criterion | Digital dematerialisation | Keeping paper originals |
|---|---|---|
| Space used | No physical space | Folders, shelves, dedicated rooms |
| Search and duplication | Immediate and at no cost | Slow, copying needs photocopies |
| Evidential value | Full if the preservation process is compliant | The original has value by definition |
| Resistance to events | Backups and redundant copies | Vulnerable to fire and flooding |
| Documents needing the original | To be assessed case by case | Required for specific deeds |
| Cost over time | Digital storage service | Space, handling and physical wear |
What it means to dematerialise properly
Scanning a document is not enough to give it value. For a digital copy to truly replace the original you need an orderly preservation process that guarantees the integrity and availability of the file over time. Compliant preservation, governed by the Italian Digital Administration Code and the guidelines of the Agency for Digital Italy, defines how to do this for electronic documents.
In practice, a natively digital document such as an electronic invoice is already dematerialised and must be preserved under those rules. A scanned paper document becomes a digital copy: its value depends on the correctness of the process by which it was produced and preserved.
When the paper original stays necessary
Some documents keep particular weight as originals, for example deeds with a handwritten signature that were not created in a natively digital form, or documents a counterparty might demand as originals. In these cases the scan sits alongside the paper, it does not replace it.
That is why the choice is not ideological: you distinguish between documents that can be kept only in digital form and documents for which it is worth keeping the original too. A written archive policy avoids improvised decisions and messy duplicate archives.
- Electronic invoices: natively digital, preserved digitally
- Minutes signed electronically: digital
- Contracts with a handwritten signature: assess whether to keep the original
- Documents required as originals by bodies or counterparties: paper
The benefits of dematerialisation
The clearest benefit is space: a digital archive takes up no shelves or rooms. Add immediate search, zero cost duplication and resistance to physical events thanks to backups. For a firm managing many condominiums, the cumulative difference is significant.
There is also a continuity benefit. On termination of the mandate or handover to another manager, an orderly digital archive is delivered in full and searchable, whereas moving boxes of paper is costly and prone to loss.
How to set up the transition
It pays to proceed by priority: first the new documents, which are already digital or scanned right away, then the backlog, starting from the most active condominiums. Every document should be classified with clear metadata, so dematerialisation produces an orderly archive and not a heap of files.
AmministraPro gathers dematerialised and natively digital documents into a single archive, linking them to the condominium and the financial year, with metadata search and permissions for sharing. That way paper becomes the exception, not the rule. The features are described on the /funzioni page and the plans on the /prezzi page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I throw away the originals after scanning?
It depends on the document. Natively digital documents, such as electronic invoices, are preserved digitally in a compliant way. For a paper original with a handwritten signature, destruction should be assessed cautiously, because the evidential value of the digital copy depends on the correctness of the preservation process. When in doubt it is better to keep the original.
Does a scan carry the same value as the original?
Not automatically. A plain photograph or scan is a copy. For a digital copy to have full evidential value you need a process compliant with the rules on preserving electronic documents. The value does not lie in the act of scanning, but in how the copy is produced and preserved.
How long must condominium documents be kept?
Accounting and tax documents follow the retention periods set by civil and tax law, generally several years. The mandatory registers must be kept for the whole life of the condominium. Dematerialisation does not change these terms, it only changes the medium on which they are preserved.
Must an electronic invoice also be printed and archived on paper?
No. An electronic invoice is a natively digital document and must be preserved digitally under the applicable rules. Printing it and filing it on paper is a duplicate that adds no legal value. It is better to focus preservation on the correct digital format.
Where do I start to dematerialise an existing archive?
Start from new documents, so the archive stops growing on paper, then tackle the backlog by priority, beginning with the most active condominiums. First define an archive policy with the metadata to assign and the documents for which to keep the original, so you avoid a disorderly digital pile.
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