What you get with MDSS Hybrid Storage Solutions service:
Combined physical storage and digital access under a single managed service
Secure off-site storage for physical records with full barcode inventory
Scan-on-demand: any stored document scanned and emailed within hours
Selective digitisation – scan what you need, store what you must retain physically
GDPR-compliant throughout with Data Processing Agreement provided as standard
Retention schedule management – MDSS can provide a full inventory to the client at any time for them to review any records for potential destruction. Once identified and written authorisation is provided by the client, MDSS will securely destroy via the fully certified destruction process with complete audit trail.
Single account manager, single contract, single audit trail across both services
Compatible with your existing document management system or cloud platform
Flexible contracts scaling with your volume and retrieval requirements
ISO-accredited service from a specialist document management provider
Hybrid Storage Solutions from MDSS
Very few organisations operate at either extreme of the physical-to-digital spectrum. Complete digitisation is the long-term goal for many, but it takes time, resource, and careful planning. In the meantime, new documents continue to arrive in paper form, legacy archives need to be maintained, and compliance obligations require that certain originals are retained physically for defined periods.
A hybrid approach – combining secure physical storage with structured digital access – is the practical solution for organisations managing this transition. MDSS provides a hybrid storage service that gives you the best of both: the compliance and security of purpose-built physical storage for documents that need to be retained in original form, and fast digital access to the records your team uses day to day.
Everything is managed under a single service. One account manager. One contract. One audit trail across physical and digital activity. We remove the operational burden of managing documents in two places and give you a coherent, compliant records management framework that works with your organisation as it actually operates – not how you would like it to operate in an ideal world.
How Hybrid Storage Works
Your documents are collected from your site and catalogued on arrival at our facility. Each box and file is barcoded and added to your inventory – you can see everything that is stored, when it was last accessed, and request any document at any time.
For documents you need to access regularly, we offer scan-on-demand: request a file and we will scan it and send it to you within hours via our secure platform, MaltVault, with no physical movement required. For projects where you want to digitise a whole category of records, we can run a structured scanning programme alongside ongoing physical storage, converting archived files in batches according to your priorities and budget.
When documents reach the end of their retention period, we manage secure destruction with a certificate of destruction – removing the administrative burden of tracking and executing scheduled disposal.
Who Benefits from Hybrid Storage?
- Professional services firms managing active client files alongside long-term retention obligations
- Healthcare organisations with patient records requiring physical retention and digital access
- Financial institutions with regulatory retention requirements across document categories
- Local authorities managing large mixed archives with ongoing access requirements
- HR departments managing personnel files across current and former employees
- Any organisation in the process of digital transformation that needs to manage both formats in parallel
Physical Storage with Digital Index
- Off-site physical storage with a fully digital inventory – so you always know exactly what you have and where it is.
- Retention schedule management – automated alerts when destruction dates approach
- QR Coded boxes and files logged to your account on arrival
- Online inventory access showing all stored items, references, and last-accessed dates
- Retrieval of physical files by next-working-day delivery to your office
- Full audit trail of all collection, retrieval, and destruction activity
Scan-on-Demand Access
- Request any document from your physical storage and receive a scanned digital copy within hours – without waiting for physical retrieval.
- Full audit log of all scan requests maintained on your account
- Request documents by reference number, box label, or file description
- Scanned and sent electronically to named recipients within hours of your request
- No physical movement required – originals remain securely stored
Structured Digitisation Programme
- Planned conversion of your physical archive into digital files – in batches, by priority, working to a timeline that suits your budget and operational requirements.
- Integration support for uploading completed files into your chosen system
- Pre-scan assessment to categorise records and define digitisation priorities
- Phased scanning programme with regular delivery of completed digital batches
- Physical storage of originals maintained throughout the digitisation programme
- Retention and destruction managed on completion of each batch
Secure storage, scanning, and shredding — all in one place
Request a QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
A hybrid storage solution combines secure physical storage of original documents with digital access to those same records. MDSS manages the physical storage of your documents in our purpose-built facility, and provides scan-on-demand access – so you can retrieve a digital copy of any stored document within hours without waiting for physical delivery.
No. Hybrid storage is designed for organisations that need both. Physical originals are retained in secure storage for as long as required – whether that is a defined retention period or indefinitely – while digital access is available for any document on request. The two services operate in parallel under a single service agreement.
For digital access via scan-on-demand, we aim to scan and email requested documents within a few hours of your request during standard working hours. For physical retrieval – where you need the original document delivered to your office – standard delivery is next working day.
Yes. Many clients start with a hybrid model and move progressively toward full digitisation as resource and priorities allow. MDSS can manage a phased scanning programme running alongside your physical storage – converting archived files in batches until the physical archive is fully digitised and can be destroyed or returned.
Yes. MDSS operates as a data processor under UK GDPR across both physical and digital elements of the service. We provide a single Data Processing Agreement covering all activity, maintain a full audit trail, and can help manage retention and destruction in line with your schedule.
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 Shredding
GDPR-compliant confidential shredding for businesses. Secure destruction of sensitive documents with a certificate of destruction issued as standard — one-off or ongoing.
Document Scanning
Professional document scanning for businesses. Transform physical archives into secure, searchable digital files — reducing storage costs and improving access across your organisation.
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
