Wed, Mar 15, 2017
By: Steve Clopton
Spring, what a wonderful time of year. The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming and the sun’s shining just a little bit brighter. But the season isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. It’s also the time of year when many successful businesses start cleaning up the office.
“Spring cleaning” for businesses takes many forms. From hiring a service to give the office a deep clean and disposing of excess office clutter (like that growing pile of paper on your desk), to meeting about how to improve internal processes, businesses across the country use spring to help set themselves up for success during the remainder of the year.
Yet, one crucial part of business spring cleaning often gets overlooked: examining the status of records management. If your paper records are piling up, in-house shredding is taking up valuable time and resources, or staff can't find valuable information, your records management system might need a refresh. Here’s a few ways you can use the spring season to enhance your records management process.
Convert Paper Files to Digital
If your staff spends valuable working hours searching for frequently needed paper files, it’s probably a good time to think about your systems and how to better approach your document storage.
Your business could likely benefit from transferring some records to a digital format. Digital file storage increases efficiency and let’s your customers know you’re adopting environmentally conscious business practices.
Before transitioning, keep in mind that some federal and state regulations require companies to maintain paper copies of certain records. Work with a reputable records management service to discuss the best options for a paperless transition and records retention.
Move Required Paper Files Off Site
Does it feel like records are infiltrating every area of the office? If your business has documents spread throughout various filing cabinets and storage lockers without any means of tracking what’s where, moving those documents to an off-site, professionally managed storage facility is probably a good idea.
Reputable document storage services provide safe, environmentally controlled, secure storage and transportation in GPS-monitored vehicles, so you can have peace of mind about the safe transport of your documents to the storage location. You won’t need to worry about any valuable files going missing and they’ll be available if and when you need them.
Stop Shredding Paper In House
The costs of in-house shredding quickly add up. From labor costs of employees tasked with shredding documents to the maintenance costs of keeping your in-house shredder operational, you’re not saving as much money as you think.
What’s more, it’s a security risk. When you handle document destruction in-house, untrained employees are left responsible for deciding what needs destroying and what doesn’t, creating the potential for costly errors.
Consider cost-effective and convenient professional document shredding as an alternative. Partnering with a professional service ensures compliance with regulatory guidelines for document disposal, enhances security, and maximizes resources so you and your employees can focus on customers.
If these steps sound like they’d add value to your business, Gilmore Services is eager to help you with your business records spring cleaning. We understand critical records management and will strive to help your business protect its most valuable assets. Our document management and records storage facilities are secured by 24-hour surveillance and run by highly trained and vetted staff.
Contact us to discuss the best business records management solutions and take the first step toward ensuring the complete safety, longevity and usability of your company’s information.