How long does the initial scoping take?

In the vast majority of cases, scoping fits into one hour by video call. Complex cases — multi-entity structures, post-mortem transmissions, court liquidations under time pressure — may require a second session. There is no billing at this stage: it is an investment of shared time that produces a memo and a quote.

Should you prepare documents before scoping?

Not strictly. If you have them at hand, a recent registry extract, the bylaws and a rough inventory of digital tools (SaaS accounts, NAS, hosting, providers) speed up the conversation. Otherwise, we rebuild the inventory together during the session.

What does the scoping memo contain?

The legal status of the entity, the stage of the procedure, the perimeter of identified assets (with rough volume), the list of present and future decision-makers, specific constraints noted, possible archiving scenarios, a realistic calendar, and an indicative price range. The memo is not binding — it serves to validate a shared understanding of the case.

Is the scoping session paid?

No. The first scoping hour and the production of the memo are free of charge. You only pay from the contract signature onwards. The free nature of scoping also lets Archivum assess the feasibility of the case before committing to a convention.

Step 1 · Prepare

Scoping the case

The very first step, and arguably the most decisive. Before any data leaves your systems and before any document is signed, we take an hour to understand your case as a whole. Without jargon, without preconception, and with no commitment from your side.

Why this step matters

A post-cessation archiving case stands or falls on the precision of the contract that frames it, and a precise contract requires precise initial scoping. Many digital providers work from an online form: they infer a volume, they infer a duration, they return a price. That mechanic works for generic storage. It does not work for legally structured archiving, where the nature of the records, the status of the entity, the list of decision-makers and the end-of-period voting mechanics matter as much as the terabytes.

Scoping is also where we filter out cases that are not for us. If you are looking for a regulated evidential vault, pure software escrow, a prior-art proof platform or a daily backup service, we say so plainly and we point you to the right operators. Our trade is narrow on purpose; it does not cover everything that looks like digital archiving.

What actually happens

The scoping session is held by video call. It runs for an hour, sometimes ninety minutes for rich cases. On Archivum's side, you have a single counterpart who will remain your point of reference for the whole convention — no handover between sales and operations.

Legal status. SAS, SARL, SCI, 1901-Act non-profit, sole trader, civil partnership, joint estate — each form triggers a different grid of obligations and precautions. We confirm your status, and the procedure you are in: voluntary cessation, amicable liquidation or court-ordered liquidation.
Perimeter of assets. Volumes (GB, TB), types (office files, databases, media, email, logs), sources (internal NAS, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, GitHub, Dropbox, AWS, Stripe, Notion…). If you do not know everything, that is normal — we work from approximations validated in session.
Present and future decision-makers. Who signs today? Who will decide five or ten years from now? Do you need to designate a digital successor? Several successors with collegial voting? An agent to neutralise potential conflict?
Specific constraints. Open client cases, residual disputes, sector-specific obligations (health, finance, regulated data), contractual engagements with current IT providers, calendar urgency tied to the procedure.
Possible scenarios. With these inputs, we sketch the archiving options that make sense — duration, per-stratum granularity, end-of-period arbitration mechanics. Not a single fixed scenario: two or three priceable alternatives.

What you walk away with

Within two to five working days after the session, you receive a written scoping memo. It restates what we understood of your case, formulates two or three archiving scenarios, gives an indicative price range and a migration calendar estimate for each. The memo is your internal working document: you can share it with your accountant, your lawyer, your liquidator, your partners or your successors to decide internally.

The memo binds nobody. If you choose not to proceed, the memo is yours, and we keep no data about you beyond contact details. If you decide to proceed, we move on to the contract drafting based on the scenario you select.

Specific cases

For court liquidations under time pressure, scoping is held directly with the court-appointed administrator. We can compress to a forty-five minute exchange and a memo within twenty-four hours. See the Takeover by a liquidator case.

For multi-party transmissions (former partners, surviving spouses, heirs), we recommend that all successors attend the session, or are at least represented. Governance choices made at this stage — majority rule, quorum, veto — structure the convention for years.

For entities without an available decision-maker (death, long illness, open conflict), scoping is conducted with the notary handling the estate or with the ad-hoc agent appointed. See our glossary on GDPR after cessation.

Book your scoping

One hour is enough to start. We understand your situation, we validate a perimeter, you walk away with a written memo and two or three priced scenarios to discuss internally.

Book a scoping call See all steps