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Digital documents save time, reduce risks, and create measurable impact for organizations. But how do you actually put a number on that value? At TRUE, we’ve developed a model that quantifies the benefits of digitalization in four key areas: time savings, risk protection, verification cost, and brand exposure.
Here’s how it works.
When documents are shared and opened, they also create value in the form of brand visibility. We measure this using standard marketing metrics: CPC (Cost per Click) and CPM (Cost per Mille, i.e. cost per thousand impressions). These are the two most widely used metrics in digital advertising across Google Ads, LinkedIn, Facebook/Meta, and nearly every other ad network. They are the currency of digital marketing. When companies buy ads, they don’t pay for vague “exposure” — they pay per click (CPC) or per thousand impressions (CPM), and TRUE Documents generate these clicks and impressions, organically.
We track the number of attributed clicks from all issued Documents. We know that CPC prices vary significantly by source — for example, Facebook clicks are generally cheaper than LinkedIn clicks — so we apply source-specific average benchmarks rather than one flat number.
As an example for one specific client within education, the data showed:
389 attributed clicks in one month → €550 (CPC value).
👉 Some may object: “Not all clicks are worth the same.” And that’s true. That’s why we don’t generalize. Instead, we differentiate by source and use conservative, globally recognized CPC benchmarks.
We also measure impressions generated from the same Document activity, using CTR values to estimate total views, and applying CPM benchmarks per source. Again, LinkedIn impressions typically cost more than Facebook impressions, so we weight the calculation accordingly.
For the same client (with CPC of €550):
The CPM value was €360. In other words, the documents which had created €550 in click value, also created €360 in impressions. The total cost of generating this traffic via ads, would have been 550+360 = €910.
👉 Of course, not every impression converts. But CPM is the global standard for valuing brand visibility, and in our calculations we exclude unattributed impressions, to keep the figure conservative.
Bringing these together, the total marketing value for this client’s shared documents amounted to:
€910.
👉 Important note: this is not meant as a precise “cash value” for every click or impression. Rather, it frames the real exposure already generated in terms that marketers and decision-makers recognize — visibility with the right audience, without having to spend money on ads. All our clients can see these numbers in our dashboard – and the more documents they issue, the more value they generate.
Every digital document saves on average 20 minutes compared to manual handling. In many organizations, the actual savings are even higher, especially where manual processes are still common. On the other hand, if you have an automated pdf-system, these saving are of course not applicable.
With an average hourly rate of 40 EUR, the formula becomes:
Documents × 20 minutes × 40 EUR/hour
Breakdown:
Why 15 minutes (creation)
When issuing a traditional document (diploma, certificate, proof of employment, transcript), manual work typically includes:
Based on interviews and industry reports,, these tasks average 10-20 min. We've used 15 min to keep it at average.
Why 5 minutes (post-creation)
Based on interviews and industry reports, these tasks average quite a long time when they occur, but they occur on a smaller number of documents. Broken down, we've used 5 minutes per doc to keep it conservative.
We conservatively assume that around 15% of digital documents help prevent fraud or material errors.
Some might think: “15% feels high — our applicants would never misrepresent themselves that often.” And that’s fair. Rates do vary across sectors. That’s exactly why we base our assumption on international studies showing a 10–20% range. For example, Cifas (2024) found that 18% of job applicants misrepresented information in their CVs. Our 15% sits right in the middle.
You might also wonder whether each incident really costs as much as 125 EUR. In reality, the impact varies: some cases are minor errors, others much more expensive (e.g. a compliance failure, brand risk, or the cost of a bad hire — estimated by EY (2023) at over 10,000 EUR). So our number is deliberately conservative, reflecting a blended average across big and small incidents.
Our calculation:
Protected documents × 125 EUR per risk event
Each protected document increases trust and reduces costly risks — while giving both organizations and individuals greater peace of mind.
Traditionally, verifying documents means sending emails or calling the issuing organization. That takes time. Our benchmark is 15 minutes per manual verification, which at 40 EUR/hour equals about 10 EUR per document.
Some may say: “But we hardly verify at all, so we don’t really spend that.” And that’s true in many organizations — manual verification is so painful that it gets skipped. The hidden cost is then the risk of letting errors or fraud slip through. Automation flips the equation: suddenly you can verify everything, instantly, without adding workload.
Others might point out that “our staff doesn’t cost 40 EUR/hour.” Absolutely — costs differ. Even if you cut that number in half, to 20 EUR/hour, the savings add up quickly at scale. Plus, it’s not just about labor costs: automated verification also shortens onboarding times and improves the applicant experience.
Formula:
Verified documents × 10 EUR
When you remove friction while raising trust, the value compounds across your entire process.
This model gives organizations a concrete way to understand the economic impact of digital documents. It’s not just about efficiency — it’s also about security, cost reduction, and brand growth.
By making these values visible, we enable better decision-making around digital transformation and help organizations clearly communicate the return on investment.
Digital documents represent measurable value — in time saved, risks reduced, costs avoided, and brand visibility gained. By treating documents not only as administrative tools but also as economic assets, organizations unlock both efficiency and growth.
Our assumptions are based on leading studies and official reports, including:
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