Toss, Scan or Store?
Your office space is shrinking. Finding files is a chore. You’ve finally reached the point where it’s time to address the elephant in the room: your expanding records inventory. The problem is figuring out where to begin and the steps that follow. Here are a few tips for deciding what to toss, scan or store.
Tackle the backlog of information
You’re permitted to destroy any records that have reached or exceeded federal, state and local retention periods, so purging the backlog of information taking up space in your office should be your first priority. A one time shred service offers a quick, cost-effective, secure and environmentally friendly way to get rid of old, outdated, or duplicate paperwork.
When you use a professional shredding service, a uniformed, screened scanning technician comes to your business, collects your documents, and either transports them to a shredding plant for destruction or shreds them on-site while you watch. You choose from two options:
- Individual boxes of documents can be collected
- Collection containers can be dropped off at your business before your purge project
Either option offers easy and secure employee disposal of your confidential records, and you receive a Certificate of Destruction for your records.
Prevent overcrowding
Systematic, daily disposal of records that no longer have legal or operational value prevents them from cluttering your office space. Take advantage of a scheduled shred service for efficient and secure daily disposal of excess documents. Rather than having to remove staples and paperclips and hand-feeding documents into a paper shredder, files can be quickly deposited into a locked shredding console. Then, on a scheduled basis, the contents of each console are emptied and all material is securely shredded.
Archive the right way
Once you’ve destroyed the records you don’t need, it’s time to organize the documents you have to keep, some of which may need to be kept permanently. Your office isn’t the most practical or secure place to archive these records. Consider an off-site records storage service, complete with a commercial records center, to ensure that your archival records inventory is properly managed and protected.
Commercial records centers are climate-controlled facilities equipped with specialized systems to keep your business documents safe from disaster and unauthorized access. These purpose-built facilities offer:
- Fire protection technology
- Digital surveillance
- Access control and monitoring
All records are barcoded and tracked using an inventory management system, enabling items to be quickly located, retrieved and delivered anytime.
Go paperless
After destroying expired documents and archiving the rest of your retention inventory offsite, you’re left with your essential, active business files. Converting these to digital images frees up even more office space and streamlines your file retrieval and distribution processes for enhanced productivity. A document scanning service offers a quick and convenient method for going paperless, following a regimented process:
- Your files are professionally organized
- All binders, folders, sticky notes, paper clips and staples are removed
- High speed scanners convert your hard copies to digital files
- Indexing software is used to make your documents searchable
- Your digital files are transferred to your preferred document management database or physical media format
A strong records management program constantly assesses which documents to keep and the most efficient way to access them. Incorporate the toss, scan or store strategy into your records management strategy today!
Pacific Records Management provides records and information management services for businesses throughout Fresno, Stockton, Sacramento, Modesto, and Napa and Solano Counties. To learn more please contact us by phone or complete the form on this page.