From paper to digital: why the next ten years will be more about "how" than "if"

From paper to digital: why the next ten years will be more about "how" than "if"

The shift from paper to digital solutions is nothing new – but the next decade will be less about whether organisations go paperless and more about how they do so: with data protection-oriented architecture, regulatory clarity, reliable long-term access and measurable sustainability benefits. For companies that manage sensitive financial, legal or personnel documents, the requirements are increasing: paperless workflows must be secure, auditable, interoperable and resilient. This article explains the development of paperless document management, highlights the trends for the coming years and sheds light on the specific decisions that organisations face – including practical links to standards and real-world examples, such as how DSwiss supports companies in their transformation with secure digital safes, password management and solutions for digital inheritance.

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From filing cabinets to encrypted safes – a brief overview

Paperless initiatives began as measures to save costs and space: scanning invoices, sending contracts by email, storing PDFs instead of physical folders. Over time, the focus shifted to process automation (e.g. electronic signatures, automated approvals), compliance (audit trails and retention periods) and security (access controls, encryption). Recently, the discussion has shifted again: towards identity, interoperability and long-term storage. Digital identity frameworks and cross-border regulations enable legally robust digital transactions – at the same time, organisations are asking how they can guarantee future access to digital documents as reliably as a physical safe for paper files.

This trend is reflected in market research: many organisations report increasing investment in digital document technologies, with eSignatures and digital mailboxes being key components of this modernisation.

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Three driving forces behind today's adaptation

1.) Compliance and Regulation
Regulatory authorities are increasingly treating digital documents as fully valid legal evidence, but are imposing stricter requirements on identity, origin and storage. In Europe, eIDAS/EUDI frameworks standardise how identity and signatures must be handled across borders – a practical enabler for paperless transactions in finance, insurance and administration. Organisations need systems that integrate trusted identities and provide tamper-proof audit trails.

2.) Data Security and Data Protection
Digital storage reduces physical risks (lost documents, insecure courier services), but brings with it new technical and legal requirements. Data protection authorities emphasise the principle of storage limitation: personal data should only be stored for as long as necessary and adequately protected. This requires encryption, access control and well-documented retention policies. Secure solutions use end-to-end encryption and zero-knowledge architectures so that providers cannot view customer data.

3.) Sustainability and Cost Savings
Paperless workflows reduce printing, shipping and storage costs and lower CO₂ and resource consumption. Studies show that digital processes significantly reduce paper consumption and deliver operational savings – a concrete business value that often motivates the move to paperless transformation and continues to grow through optimised digital workflows.

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Key trends for the near future

A. Identity-First Document Workflows
As digital identity frameworks (eID wallets, federated identities) mature, organisations will increasingly issue, sign and verify documents using trusted digital identities. This reduces friction for customers and increases the legal certainty of fully digital transactions.

B. Zero-Knowledge and End-to-End Encrypted Safes
Security requirements are shifting from ‘trusted provider’ to ‘unreadable by the provider’. Zero-knowledge architectures, where only the user can decrypt their data, are becoming the standard for passwords, wills, contracts and other sensitive documents. This model minimises risks from insiders or third parties while still enabling secure sharing via cryptographic access controls.

C. Integration into Pperational Systems
Paperless document management is most effective when embedded in core processes: lending, claims processing or customer onboarding. APIs, secure digital mailboxes and SSO integrations enable banks, insurers and administrations to transfer documents directly to customers' secure safes, reducing friction and increasing auditability. DSwiss's digital postbox and e-banking mailbox integrations are examples of this approach.

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Challenges for Organisations

1.) Complex and Changing Regulations
Different jurisdictions have different retention rules, evidence requirements and data protection standards. Internationally active organisations must apply region-specific rules (e.g. NIS2, GDPR principles, local trust service requirements) while ensuring consistent controls across their digital vaults. Regulatory roadmaps (e.g. eIDAS/EUDI) help, but implementation still requires careful legal and technical coordination.

2.) Long-Term Access / Technological Obsolescence
Digital formats change; what is readable today may be inaccessible in 20 years. Trusted storage adopts active preservation – format migration, checksums, redundant copies – to keep documents accessible and authentic for decades. Companies that want to go paperless must take the same approach for business-critical documents.

3.) Human and Process Factors
Technology alone does not make a workflow paperless. Implementation requires training, process adjustments and governance: Who approves documents digitally? How are signatures verified? Who manages access in the event of staff changes or death? These human factors are often the biggest hurdles and require clear responsibilities and supporting tools.

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Opportunities for Organisations

Faster Decisions & Better Customer Experience
Automated checks, integrated digital delivery and secure approvals shorten decision-making times (e.g. credit approvals, claims processing) and reduce friction for customers. Studies show that eSignatures and optimised digital workflows accelerate sales cycles and reduce costs per transaction.

Stronger Security Profile
Consolidating sensitive documents in a zero-knowledge vault with role-based access replaces scattered, insecure storage solutions (Excel, chat histories, email attachments) and offers traceability and recoverability. DSwiss SecureSafe and SecureSafe Pass combine encrypted file vaults with password management, closing common security gaps.

New Product and Service Models
Banks, asset managers and portals can offer branded digital safes (white label) as added value, deepen customer loyalty and create services that customers remain loyal to. Examples such as VZ Safe show how financial portals integrate encrypted document safes for wills, contracts and account statements – increasing trust and digital interaction.

Better Sustainability Metrics
Less paper, fewer courier trips, less physical storage: measurable sustainability gains. Combined with reduced manual rework and automated processes, organisations can incorporate paperless transformations into ESG reports.

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Operational Checklist for Implementation

• Privacy-oriented encryption: Prefer zero-knowledge and end-to-end encryption for sensitive customer data.
• Identity integration: Implement trustworthy digital identity/eID workflows where legal certainty is required.‍
• Apply retention policies: Map legal retention periods, automatic deletion/archiving in accordance with ‘storage limits’.‍
• Plan migration & backups: Multiple copies in trusted jurisdictions, regular integrity checks.‍
• Train people & adapt processes: Adapt SOPs, approvals, onboarding/offboarding processes to the paperless reality.

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Why DSwiss is the Right Partner

DSwiss develops solutions that meet the three pillars of data protection, compliance and operational integration. SecureSafe and SecureSafe Pass are examples of data protection-oriented architecture (AES-256 encryption, Swiss hosting, no access by DSwiss or third parties), combined with integration options (white label, APIs, SSO) to integrate secure document safes and mailbox services directly into customer processes. The products are used by banks, administrations and other organisations that require both legal security and operational scalability.

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Conclusion – A Pragmatic Outlook

Paperless document management is not just about replacing paper with PDFs – it is about rethinking the identity, security and lifecycle of documents so that organisations can operate in a compliant, resilient and customer-oriented manner. The future belongs to those who combine robust technical architecture (encryption, archive formats) with integrated identity and well-thought-out governance.

Organisations looking for a partner who understands the legal, technical and operational dimensions of paperless processes – from password management to digital safes and mailbox integration – will find the right solution in DSwiss SecureSafe: data protection-oriented, standards-compliant and seamlessly integrable into workflows. Explore product pages and case studies to see how other companies have modernised securely and compliantly.