Document storage is often a costly investment. While you need to keep comprehensive and detailed records, over the years it is inevitable that they will begin to take up more and more space. This is a common problem that usually starts out with a dedicated cupboard, which eventually evolves into a secure archive room. Quickly, you run out of space within your own premises and the documents are then stored off site. Storage buildings and even company owned inventory warehouses are constantly used by businesses for storing documents. The end result is that you have a poorly designed document storage strategy and still struggle to find information when you need it. Add to this the problem of gaining access at any time day or night and your current storage options do not seem as fail-safe as you once thought.
When you take the step of storing documents off site, you are acting wisely. Storing your records on site means you run the risk of losing all your information should something happen to your facility. It is also hard to monitor which employees are accessing what information. On the flip side of the coin, while off site storage is a good idea, the location must also be secure; you need full control over how to access your records when necessary. In addition, typical storage requires that you manually locate your documents there.
There is another option, however, document storage services have facilities that are dedicated to storing company records. The environment is always perfectly designed to ensure valuable documents are not damaged due to temperature and humidity issues. If you are storing photos, this is especially important, but that is not all, because fire is an ever-present risk. These storage facilities use fire detection and suppression systems to prevent your data from being destroyed in the event of a conflagration.
To prevent intrusion, state of the art alarm systems are also installed. Staff are on hand 24/7 to monitor the facilities via closed circuit television and respond to any alarms. Your document security is a top priority and standard storage facilities frequently provide very little. In order to actually enter a facility, you must have a physical key card, ensuring that data is kept even more secure.
While your data may be kept secure, this does not help with the problem of access. Using professional document storage services ensures you always have access to the files you need. You control access through a central web portal. Whenever you need a file, fill out the detailed form and you can either have it sent to you physically or scanned electronically. Whether you need a single file or multiple records, you can have them back in as little as a half a day.
With the web portal, you are able to label and describe your records. This makes it easy to retrieve data later. You even have the option of having your archived data scanned into a dedicated system. Only your company can access the information. This provides yet another way to quickly access your information when it is not stored in the same physical location as you.
Deciding you need all your records returned is not a problem, documents are only stored for as long as you need them to be. There is never any hassle or long-term contracts; you really do have full control over your document storage.
Storing files off site frees up valuable space, which can be converted into offices, project workspaces or anything else relevant to your company. You also save money on storage sites, which cannot offer the same level of security and access. With all your data stored in a single location, you always know where it is. Since you can access it at any time, you also have the peace of mind of knowing you can retrieve anything you need, whether it relates to a current project or employee records dating back ten years.
Security and document safety should always be the two main concerns when choosing where to store your documents. If the facility is no more secure than on your own company premises, then there is no reason to move your files off site. Intrusion detection and fire prevention are essential to keeping physical records safe and monitoring is also important. Unless someone is on hand 24/7, it can be hard to know for certain whether your data is safe.
Organisations dedicated to document storage understand the risks fully and take all measures possible to prevent loss or damage. Doing this yourself can completely destroy your annual budget and the likelihood of having the same level of security is practically zero.
Deleting Documents
If you find you no longer need some of your archived data, you can have it deleted rather than having it returned. You identify exactly which files to remove and they will be destroyed completely. Document destruction services take your documents and prevent any possibility of them ever being read again and the remains are recycled. If you have any electronic media stored, you can also have it destroyed. There is no reason to store data you no longer need, but throwing it away is not sufficient, neither is simply shredding it. Complete destruction is the only way to be fully compliant with current data security regulations.
Performing this type of data removal in house is extremely time consuming and time, as we all know, is money. When you already have the data stored elsewhere, take advantage of the opportunity and have any unwanted documents destroyed. This prevents any mistakes on your part and keeps your data as secure as possible. Remember, if you are having documents scanned in, you may choose to delete the physical copies at the same time.
While storing documents securely is important, securely deleting them is just a crucial. You should not have to take the time to implement a safe and secure document storage process only to have a carelessly discarded document create a major data breach. Services providing storage facilities also offer document deletion. This includes archived files and even those you deal with on site. Since security is a top priority, you have the reassurance of knowing that even your discarded information is completely safe.