Electronic archiving generally refers to the audit-proof storage of information in electronic form. When you archive documents, this means that you store them securely for a longer period, unchanged and adequately protected against unauthorized access and destruction. It includes the structure, guidelines, procedures and processes required to manage all documents/information stored in an organization.
Audit-proof archiving therefore essentially means that the archiving software fulfils the following four aspects in connection with documents/data over their life cycle:
- Immutability
- Traceability
- Completeness
- Availability


Modern DMS/ECM systems already have integrated archiving functions. Depending on the document type, legal archiving may already be required at the beginning (at creation) of the life cycle (e.g. an invoice). At the same time, a document such as a quotation in the DMS can be subject to various editing processes (versions) until it is officially sent to a customer as a quotation and therefore only needs to be archived unalterably at this point.

Different factors therefore play a role in the archiving of documents.
- Data formats used for long-term archiving (e.g. PDF/A)
- Start time of archiving based on document version "Final" (e.g. only when delivered to third parties)
- Start time of archiving based on process statuses (e.g. closing of the account connection)
- Consideration of different legal retention periods based on the document type
These archiving rules are recorded in a file plan in the DMS/ECM, or in the integrated records management system. A records management system can not only legally manage electronic documents (Mosaic recordsCockpit), but also allows physical documents to be included in the file plan. This ensures audit-proof storage and destruction of all documents (electronic and physical) in your company.
Integration of existing archive systems
Many companies already have archive systems in use (e.g. IBM, OpenText/Documentum, EASY, etc.). How can information (archived documents and data) from these legacy systems still be accessed and integrated into new processes? The worthwhile alternative is to integrate these systems into the new DMS/ECM system. With Mosaic eanna, various customer projects have already integrated many existing legacy archive systems into a new Mosaic eDossier. This means that the documents from these historical systems remain available to users in the process context as required.
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Jan Steuerwald
Senior Project Manager
Introducing Jan Steuerwald, our Senior Project Manager for Mosaic IIM Solutions