What you get with MDSS Scan on Demand:
Request any stored document and receive a digital copy within hours
Available for all documents held in MDSS physical storage
High-resolution, colour-accurate scans delivered by secure email or portal
Original documents remain securely stored – no physical movement required
Available seven days a week for urgent access requirements
Full audit log of all scan requests maintained on your account
Named recipient delivery – send directly to the team member who needs it
GDPR-compliant with encrypted delivery and access-controlled portal
No minimum volume – request a single document or an entire box
Included as standard with MDSS storage contracts; also available standalone
Scan-on-Demand from MDSS
Off-site document storage is the right choice for most business records – it frees up office space, improves security, and removes the administrative burden of in-house filing. But the traditional trade-off has always been access: physical retrieval takes time, and waiting a day or more for a document you need immediately is frustrating and, in some situations, commercially damaging.
Scan-on-demand removes that trade-off. Any document held in your MDSS storage account can be requested at any time. Our team locates the document in your stored archive, scans it to your specification, and delivers a high-resolution digital copy to the named recipient – typically within a few hours of the request being received.
Your physical original stays exactly where it is, securely stored in our facility. Nothing is moved. Nothing is risked. And you get the digital access you need, fast.
How Scan-on-Demand Works
- Request – Contact your MDSS account manager or submit a request via your online account, specifying the document reference, file, or box you need.
- Retrieval – Our team locates the document in your stored archive using your QR Code inventory. For requests received during normal working hours, we aim to begin scanning within the hour.
- Scanning – The document is scanned at high resolution. Standard output is searchable PDF. TIFF or other formats are available on request.
- Delivery – The scanned file is delivered to the named recipient via MaltVault, our secure cloud based platform.
- Return to Storage – The original document is returned to it’s storage location immediately after scanning. Your inventory record is updated to reflect the access event.
When Scan-on-Demand Is Used
Data wiping — overwriting storage media with new data to make the original unreadable — is widely used but has limitations. It requires every sector of a drive to be overwritten correctly, which is not guaranteed on failing or partially damaged hardware. It produces no physical evidence of destruction. And for SSDs and flash storage, the architecture of the device means wiping cannot always guarantee complete data removal.
Physical destruction removes these uncertainties entirely. A destroyed drive cannot be read, recovered, or reassembled. Combined with a certificate of destruction documenting the disposal, it provides the strongest possible evidence of compliant data handling — and the strongest possible protection against data breach liability.
Standard Scan-on-Demand
Request individual documents or specific files from your MDSS storage account and receive high-resolution digital copies the same day.
- Original document returned to storage immediately after scanning
- Request by document reference, file title, or box barcode
- Searchable PDF delivered by secure email to named recipient
- Same-day delivery for requests received before midday
- Full audit log entry created for every scan request
Bulk Scan Requests
Where a compliance event, audit, or disclosure requires access to a large volume of stored documents simultaneously, MDSS manages bulk scan requests as a managed project.
- Chain-of-custody documentation provided for every document scanned
- Suitable for subject access requests, regulatory investigations, or legal disclosure
- Project manager assigned to coordinate volume scanning against a deadline
- Structured delivery of completed files in batches with confirmation reporting
- Indexing and file naming maintained consistently across the full request
Secure storage, scanning, and shredding — all in one place
Request a QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
For requests received during standard working hours, we aim to deliver scanned documents within a few hours. Contact your account manager to discuss timescales for time-critical situations.
Standard delivery is searchable PDF. TIFF and PDF/A are available on request. If you require a specific format for your document management system or workflow, confirm this when submitting your request and we will accommodate it.
No. Your original document is scanned and then returned to exactly the same location in your stored archive. Nothing is moved permanently. The physical original remains in secure storage throughout and your inventory record is updated to log the access event.
Scan-on-demand is included as standard with all MDSS document storage contracts. It is also available as a standalone service for organisations that store documents with MDSS on a Flex or project basis. Contact us to discuss the option that best fits your arrangement.
Yes. Scanned documents are delivered via MaltVault, our secure cloud based DMS which requires authenticated login. Delivery is made to the named recipient only. All delivery activity is logged to your account audit trail for GDPR and compliance purposes.
Additional Document Scanning Solutions
Bulk Document Scanning
High-volume document scanning, handled from collection to delivery. Secure, GDPR-compliant, and tailored to your indexing requirements — whatever the scale.
Microfilm Scanning
Professional microfilm scanning that converts 16mm and 35mm rolls into high-resolution digital files — fully searchable, indexed, and accessible without specialist equipment.
Microfiche Scanning
Professional microfiche scanning that converts flat fiche sheets into high-resolution, fully searchable digital files — accessible without readers or specialist equipment.
Large Format Scanning
Large format scanning for engineering drawings, architectural plans, and oversized documents — high-resolution digital output with expert handling and custom indexing.
Aperture Card Scanning
Professional aperture card scanning that converts legacy engineering drawings into high-resolution digital files — accurate, searchable, and ready for modern document systems.
MDSS Flex
Document storage and scanning without long-term contracts or minimum commitments – MDSS Flex gives you professional records management on a fully flexible basis.
Scanning Knowledge Hub
Scanning Knowledge Hub Everything you need to know about document scanning and digitisation — from large-format drawings and bulk archive conversion, to scan-on-demand access and integrating digital files with your existing systems
MDSS Insights
Practical guides and expert insights on managing, protecting, and disposing of business information. Helping organisations stay compliant while improving document management processes.
We can also help with…
Document Storage
Professional off-site document storage for businesses. Secure, GDPR-compliant, and fully managed with fast retrieval, confidential shredding, and scan-on-demand built in.
Document Shredding
GDPR-compliant confidential shredding for businesses. Secure destruction of sensitive documents with a certificate of destruction issued as standard — one-off or ongoing.
Talk to our team
Whether you need to store a single archive room or manage records across multiple sites, we will give you a straight answer and a clear quote — no obligation, no jargon.
You’re in safe hands
