Records and information are the backbone of any business, but they are also difficult to organize, protect, track and store.
Paper documents take up expensive office space and require in-house staff to manage files. When documents are disorganized, employees waste valuable time searching for information. Privacy law violations can also arise when retention schedules and government record-keeping requirements are not followed. Serious security concerns occur, as well, when critical records are not kept in a secure location.
A better solution is working with a records storage facility. Your company will not only free up commercial real estate, but your paper documents, electronic records, media, tapes and other data will stay organized, tracked and closely managed. When employees need access to physical files in storage, your critical records will be a few clicks away.
What is a Records Storage Facility?
A records storage facility is designed for the sole purpose of providing long-term storage to protect and preserve business documents, papers and important information. Access is limited to screened records management professionals who undergo extensive background checks and training to ensure that information security and data protection protocols remain in place. Digital surveillance, proper climate controls and fire prevention and suppression systems also ensure the safety and security of information.
Benefits of Using Records Storage Facility
There are many reasons why your business should keep your files in a secure offsite records storage facility:
Productivity
While it may seem that storing records onsite increases accessibility and productivity, the opposite is often true. According to PRISM International, a professional records and information management consultancy firm, between 3-5% of an organization’s papers are misplaced at any given time. Workers also waste up to two hours a day looking for misfiled paperwork.
Records storage facilities promote employee productivity by ensuring that all staff have fast and easy access to information, regardless of their work location. Instead of wasting time searching for data, staff can contact the file storage service and request to view digital copies of physical records in storage or have them delivered to their workplace.
Space and Cost Savings
Storing records onsite ties up costly office real estate that could otherwise be used for revenue-generating activities. Companies must also invest in storage supplies, such as filing cabinets, file boxes and document storage racks, to contain vital records. As more documents are acquired, space and storage supply requirements increase, as well as the costs.
By outsourcing document storage to a records storage facility, employees have more room to work and carry out their job functions. As operations increase, your business can easily scale without having to worry about securing and paying for additional records storage space.
Privacy Law Compliance
Improper records storage solutions make it difficult to know which documents must be kept and destroyed, which can lead to privacy law compliance violations.
Working with a records storage facility ensures that your files are cared for throughout their entire life cycle. Every document is assigned a specific retention timeframe and is removed from your records inventory when it reaches expiration. From there, it is securely destroyed with your approval. This keeps your business compliant with privacy laws as it pertains to the management and accessibility of data.
Security
There are numerous security risks when files are improperly managed and stored. Storing information at your office location or in an offsite self-storage unit increases your business’ risk of theft, corporate espionage, a security breach or physical damage. Unsecure records are also in danger of getting lost or misplaced, making it more difficult for employees to retrieve data, especially if it is not properly backed up.
To keep documents secure, records storage facilities use security systems, 24/7 video surveillance and security personnel to protect against unauthorized access.
Fire Protection and Climate Control
Storing records in the workplace or an offsite self-storage unit increases the risk of damage from water, fire and other natural disasters.
Records storage facilities have proper climate control to minimize mould, mildew and moisture, which can deteriorate records and impact quality. Proper temperature and humidity levels are also controlled to ensure file integrity. Records storage facilities have flood alarms and fire protection systems, as well, to keep information secure while in storage.
Keep Your Business Information Secure in a Records Storage Facility
Don’t put your documents at risk of theft, fire or privacy law violations by storing them at your site. Make the right choice by storing them at a records storage facility. At Blue-Pencil, we provide long-term records storage services for vital documents to protect important data throughout its entire lifecycle. Documents are managed by authorized and trained professionals and housed in our climate-controlled facility with 24/7 surveillance and strict security protocols.
With our storage solutions, documents and boxes are indexed and scanned every step of the way, so you always have a secure chain of custody. Our records management service can also create and implement a document storage policy to keep your business compliant with privacy laws. When retention periods expire, we can remove unwanted files from your document inventory and destroy information using our secure shredding service.
Retrieval is one click away when you need access to important data. Paper documents can be physically delivered or scanned and sent via email within hours to keep your confidential information accessible. You can also centrally manage your account online to order documents, access your inventory, get file storage reports and so much more. And since Blue-Pencil charges only a few dollars per box each year, our records storage services are a safe, scalable and affordable long-term solution for businesses of all sizes.
From storing and indexing to scanning and accessing your vital files, we can optimize your business operations. To learn more about Blue-Pencil’s record storage facility, contact our customer service team to request a free quote.