Connecting with your documents

The reason we must keep our files around isn't because companies like to pay for storage.  Files are kept around because regulatory laws exist.  These laws exist to ensure that information can be provided when it's needed.  For example, documents are requested when litigation comes into play or a company audit, or even for historical data such as a medical patients history for quicker care or to avoid duplicate procedures.  This, in the end, can lower costs and make life much easier.  How easy is it to find files that you need for issues that arise in your company?  Do you find yourself having to duplicate work and re-create files?

Most companies have experienced some sort of headache when dealing with their files, so we make it easy for you.  With advancements in technology, there are countless software solutions that can help manage files and minimize the headaches.  But this software is pricey to purchase, to implement and then to train personnel on its proper use.  Document management companies take this step out of the process.  It is generally offered for client use at no charge (at least Docu-Trust doesn't charge) and makes managing files very simple.

It is easy to connect with your documents, track data such as sensitive client information and destruction dates, and view/print reports.  Best of all, your information is secure through a fully integrated Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) infrastructure that is accessed via our website.  Only those authorized to view data are given access and it can even be restricted depending on what they should and shouldn't see.  It is easy to pull up reports to assist in keeping a lean and current inventory, which will keep costs and liability down.  No more pads of paper nor Word documents that keep lists of files and sensitive information.  Click on boxes/files that are needed and they get delivered.  When done, request to have them picked back up through the same web interface. 

Connect with your documents and cut costs by partnering with us - a document management company that makes your job easier, more enjoyable and helps keep your organization's information flowing smoothly for years to come. 
      

Dos and Don'ts of File Storage

Every business has to deal with files, whether they like it or not.  It's part of running a company so here are some dos and don'ts of records management to help you out.  

1. Don’t be a pack rat; do identify vital records.  Some companies cling desperately to every scrap of information—at the cost of making the more valuable data that much harder to find. Instead, securely destroy unnecessary, dead or least-used files according to your retention schedule. Move nonessential information from the “active” list. Flag mission-critical information and give it top indexing, storage and access priority.

2. Don’t pay for valuable office space to maintain records; do outsource records storage.  Unless you have an exceptional lease on storage space and don’t mind hiring an in-house records staff, consider teaming up with a trusted off site storage partner. In this case, you box the files, affix them with bar codes and call the vendor for pick-up. They’re out of your way until the next audit or legal discovery calls for them.

3. Don’t put unneeded records in cold storage; do destroy them.  Go ahead, hit the delete button—but only after creating a sensible retention schedule that conforms to any and all applicable auditing or regulatory rules.

4. Don’t scan everything; do develop a hybrid records management strategy—aka scan with a plan. Though scanning it all is tempting, it’s about as senseless as saving every sheet of paper, and it still costs time and money. Begin by digitizing only your most-used files—typically those germane to compliance or operational processes. Know that paper will remain a storage medium for some time to come, despite business’s best efforts to convert expediently.

5. Don’t complicate access; do use a simplifying desktop upload tool. Scanning is only one piece, albeit a very significant one, of a records management strategy. Easy access to records is critical. A smart, simple interface lets authorized users store converted digital documents in a single location, which fosters a sense of control and responsibility. And allow simultaneous access by multiple users—avoid queues as much as possible.

6. Don’t put an administrative assistant in charge of stored records; do hire a records manager. As alluring as it might be from a budget standpoint, you need more expertise to manage the records room archives. Searches go faster with someone in charge and accountable. A records manager coordinates and oversees the Chain-of-Custody of audit information and legal discovery as well as other requests, and assesses your strategy to recommend future upgrades.

7. Don’t allow everyone equal privileges; do set a policy for storage and access. Not every employee has the same need for—or right to—every bit of information in your archives. Develop a policy that’s both user-friendly and takes into consideration the way your company operates and uses information.

8. Don’t forget to include storage in your disaster recovery plan; do provide for records protection. How many companies went out of business or struggled to get going again after Hurricane Katrina? How quickly you can access and activate stored records will make a tremendous difference in whether your business gets up and running after a disaster, be it natural or man made, major or minor.

9. Don’t ignore advances in imaging, storage and information management; do solicit the aid of a trusted partner. Changes in technology and information management processes will continue to shape the way companies do business. To simply toss records into storage is to ignore efficiencies and cost savings in the future. Select a partner who will keep on top of technology, compliance and all other best practices so you don’t have to.

Self Storage vs. Records Center

So many organizations use self storage facilities for their file storage.  In fact, most small businesses use them and think that it's the only option.  FYI - it's not the only option!  It's actually the worst possible option for securely storing your business documents.  It is virtually impossible to stay clean after entering a self storage unit.  Dust accumulates and spiders thrive.  A storage unit doesn’t allow for improvising because you have to plan ahead to wear jeans and a t-shirt in order to retrieve a document.  A records center can help you stay clean.  Our records center is clean and equipped with professionals that retrieve files for you.  When you need a box or file, pick it up or have it delivered to your office.  

Storing in a storage unit limits you when accessing your documents.  Boxes are usually stacked on the floor, which means you must remove the upper boxes to get to the bottom ones.  If there is shelving, your boxes might be two deep increasing the amount of effort required to pull a file or too high to reach.  This takes time and effort, both unnecessary elements when searching for your documents.  Many times different individuals will visit the unit.  Because of this, the likelihood that documents are misfiled increases and with time, nothing is accessible.

At a records center your files are always easily accessible.  Each box has a unique bar code and is tracked at all times.  As files leave a records center, it is tracked so that it never loses its location.  Our web interface allows you to search for inventory by box or by file.  On the website, your boxes and files are always found and it provides a consistency in how your company handles its documents.

Documents are kept around for a reason.  If companies didn't have regulations specifying that they had to keep their files around for a certain number of years, I don't think that they would spent to store them.  So, they must be preserved in an environment that is safe and secure.  Water damage, security and compliance are only a few of the reasons that self storage facilities aren’t suitable for your boxes.  Our records center is kept under a watchful eye with 24/7 surveillance.  All boxes are stored off the ground and in a building that follows the regulations set forth by PRISM (Professional Records & Information Services Management).  

And the best difference between a records center and self storage facilities is that records center are less costly!

Employee Turnover

Docu-Trust has delivered records and data storage solutions to all types of customers; from small legal, physician and accounting firms to City and State entities.  In any of these mentioned organizations, there is employee turnover.  For some, it's more often than others, but rarely do employees work at the same company forever.  


For most businesses, records management is not at the top of the priority list.  So, what happens when one employee leaves and another one comes in to replace his/her responsibilities?  The new employee is excited to have a job and looks forward to learning and succeeding at the newly acquired position.  Management spends hours training the new employee so that the company doesn't skip a beat in its daily operations and money-making activities.  They learn how the company runs, who they report to, what they report, the does and dont's of their position, how to greet clients, where to clock in and out each day, etc.  What is not on this list is how to manage the files they deal with, how to protect confidential information or any type of system that keeps files organized and accessible when needed.

Employee turnover is costly due to lost knowledge, human resources efforts, possible lost customers or contacts, lost productivity, etc.  To find the right person to hire costs as well.  Advertising the position and then screening for the right person are just some examples.  I want to add to all of this, the costs incurred having to search for needed files, the labor to do so, and then the indirect cost of not having a system for the future.  When we don't want to deal with something, we tend to put it at the bottom of the pile for a later date.  When that later date comes around, the issue at the bottom of the pile is no fun to deal with, and it can be very costly.  

This is one of the benefits of outsourcing, the fact that there are companies that are experts at dealing with what you put at the bottom of the pile.  Start now and implement a document system with the help of document management experts.  It will save you time, money and lots of headaches.  When employees come and go, your systems will already be established for a smooth running operation that will allow you to do what you do best.  

Docu-Trust was founded to provide a solution for the challenges many businesses face regarding record retention and management.  We are an extension of your filing/storage rooms and provide a cost-effective partnership for operational growth and success.

    

Consult With an Expert Before Digging In

When you make business decisions, it's always a good idea to consult with an expert.  An expert could be anyone from a seasoned attorney, a medical expert or even a wise parent.  A 10 minute conversation can change your entire outlook on a subject matter, so much that you possibly change your decision.  Even if this isn't the case, there is always something to learn from an expert.  Just so you know, there are experts in managing and storing files as well!

Case and point - I began to work with a small legal practice a few months back that was interested in using Docu-Trust services (file storage, shredding, etc.).  It turns out that I received a call from the legal assistant who I had been communicating with all along, to tell me that she appreciated our most recent marketing campaign offer, but that they had taken a different route to manage their files.  As I asked questions and she gave answers, I was blown back at what I heard.  Let me share three quick things before continuing that will help you understand my perspective. 

• 90% of files that are put into storage are never retrieved again
• This particular legal firm has a file retention of 7 years, meaning they can legally shred their files after 7 years
• The firms current storage location is a self storage facility

Now, to continue with the answers I heard from the legal assistant.  She told me that they had decided to start scanning their files.  I thought to myself, "That's great.  This means less hassle with paper, easier and quicker access when they need files."  I proceeded to inquire about how they were going about it.  She said that they were going to the storage units every couple of weeks to pick up 3 boxes, loading them up in their personal vehicles and taking them back to the office to scan.  After finishing with the 3 boxes, they would load them back up in the car, return them to storage and pick up another 3 boxes.  This process would continue until all boxes had been scanned.  She then told me that the boxes would stay in the storage units until the 7 year retention period was up.  Then, the boxes would be destroyed.

In other words, files were being scanned, returned to storage and not destroyed/shredded.  They never referred to these files, so why take the time, effort and money to digitize them?  The files were not being shredded after being scanned, so why scan them if you already have a copy that you plan to keep...especially if you never refer to them?

I gave her some suggestions that would be less costly, more effective and more logical.  Whether this firm used Docu-Trust or not, doesn't matter.  What matters is that smart decisions are made with expertise and experience.  So, when you make business decisions, look for that expertise and experience, even when dealing with your documents. 

Reasons to Outsource Document Management

Countless companies have told me, and continue to tell me, that they handle their document management and storage internally. For some it works, for some it doesn't. It's important to consider what goes into managing documents when done both internally and when outsourced.

Files are recalled from storage for a number of reasons. Some of these reasons may include an audit, a medical record needed for litigation, or a closed court case being re-opened. There are costs involved in retrieving a file. The only difference is, when done internally, these costs aren't seen on a monthly bill from an outside vendor. Managers tend to be turned off by the idea of seeing a few dollars on a bill for a file retrieval. When an office employee is sent to the off-site storage site to retrieve a file, most of the time it costs more than a couple of dollars.

The point is that there are expenses incurred when managing and storing business documents. Whether they are line items on an invoice from a vendor or costs paid in wages, insurance and gas to your own employees. It appears to be less expensive for a manager when his/her employees do the work because he/she's not paying anything extra. What is being paid for is the hourly wage or salary, the liability involved, insurance, and lost production.

Here are some of the reasons to outsource your document management:

1)      You only pay for what you want

 You don’t pay for services you don’t use and we don’t provide services you don’t tell us to.

2)      Document management demands a specialist solution

 It’s hard to manage, track and accurately access thousands of files.  Docu-Trust is dedicated solely to managing business documents and therefore has in place the appropriate and necessary tools to make it easy for you and your staff.

3)      We work with you to meet your challenges

 Every business is unique and operates differently.  We understand that and work on solutions that are just as unique as you are.

4)      Chain of custody is vital

 It’s important to know where your documents have been and who is accessing them.  When they changes hands, you should know and understand the flow.  With any change of custody, we insure that your vital documents get into the right hands at the right time with a work order tracking system. 

5)      Hybrid solutions drive efficient document management

 We keep up with industry standards and their changes.  This allows us to manage your documents efficiently and easily.  The pressure isn’t on you anymore to make sure that things run smoothly.

6)      Give your workers control and hold them accountable

 Only authorized users within your organization have access to your files.  You can limit that access as much as you want.  This keeps information in the right hands, helps keep control and holds them accountable.  Authorized users’ names are linked with all transactions that they participate in, facilitating control and accountability.

  

What is Records Management?

Records management means the planning, controlling, directing, organizing, training, promoting and any other managerial activities involved with records creation, maintenance, use, and disposition. All of this is to achieve proper documentation in order for your business to run efficiently and compliant.

Objectives of Records Management

1. Accurately and completely document company policies and operations
2. Control the quantity and quality of records produced
   
3. Establish and maintain control with respect to records creation in order to prevent the creation of unnecessary records
   
4. Simplify the activities, systems, and processes of records creation and of records maintenance/use
   
5. Preserve and dispose of records in accordance with industry regulations
   
6. Direct continuing attention to records from their initial creation to their final disposition
7. Creates a chain of custody for handling confidential documents, assuring records are in the right hands at all times
8. Builds accountability throughout any organization by specifying record-handlers and the flow of records by those handlers
9. Systematic approach helps keep current with governing regulatory laws
10. Systematic approach allows for timely and accurate destruction of documents, which reduces time and storage costs

Without a records management program, these are some of the outcomes:
 
“Organizations without retention programs can often remove from higher-cost offices areas as much as 55% of records being kept there--as either obsolete (to be destroyed immediately) or inactive (must be retained but may be transferred to a low-cost records center ” (Robert Allerding, CRM, FAI, records management consultant).

“Because they have taken no inventory, most organizations have no way of knowing what all their information assets are and where those assets are located” (Information Management Associates, Inc. hereafter “IMA”).


“Keeping some records but not others beyond their scheduled retention can increase exposure to negative inference in audit or litigation" (TN).


“U.S. managers spend an average of 4 weeks a year searching for or waiting on misfiled, mislabeled, untracked, or ‘lost’ papers” (Cuadra Associates).

Records are not ignored when a records management policy is in place.  This attention to your business records allows for peace of mind and increased operational success.

The Digital Office

Every client I consult with tells me the following: "We are in the process of scanning everything.  We're a digital office."  For those that feel the same way, consider the following:

 "Fully automated data entry, like the paperless office, remains a chimera. Business still lives by ink on paper.” Steven Manes, Forbes.

To become a fully functional digital office, it costs money.  Let's consider some of the expenses incurred for any company to achieve the digital office.  Some of the expenses that accompany scanning are software and hardware needs, expertise and digital storage space, only to name a few.

For most small to mid-size organizations, money is not allocated in a normal budget to cover the above expenses.  By no means am I discouraging scanning - we're a scanning company for crying out loud!  There are more than just the two extremes though - going completely digital or not going digital at all.  There exist solutions that meet half way and make the digital office possible while staying within a budget.

Better decisions are made when there is a complete understanding of the facts, so let's look some.  “90% of records filed after the completion of a transaction are never referred to again” (Records Management, General Services, State of Tennessee; hereafter: “TN”).  The first question to ask is, "what is the retention of our organizations business documents?"  Is it 3 years, 5 years, 7 years or 10 years?  Or is it longer?


In a standard banker's box, there are roughly 1,000-1,500 sheets of paper.  Most scan companies will charge about $0.05/page to scan.  To scan one entire box would cost between $50-$75.  On top of the per page scan cost, there are preparation fees (staple removal, etc.).  In the end, to scan a standard banker's box will cost between $100-$150.  If these same documents have a retention period of 5 years, it will cost you anywhere from $20-$30 to physically store that box plus $5 or so to shred at the end of its retention.  

The 90% of stored files that are never referred to again, well, leave them alone.  It is less costly to let them sit their retention period out in their physical form.  Where scanning becomes beneficial is for that 10% that is referred to again.  These documents are considered active files and are needed more frequently than the rest.  

The half way point mentioned above is this:

Scan on an as needed basis. In other words, scan only what you need when you need it.  This approach will save any organization money and headaches.  Don't do one or the other-scan or not scan, meet in the middle by scanning some and physically store the rest.    



 

Lost Information

A few years ago I dealt with a client that stored its business documents in various self storage units within a small self storage facility.  While assessing their situation, I was able to visit the self storage units to better understand their storage issues and get an idea on how we would approach the project.  Most self storage units have roll-up doors and as I attempted to open the first unit, the door would only roll up so far (maybe 2 or 3 feet).  I bent down to figure out what the problem was and discovered that stacks of boxes had fallen into the door, impeding it from opening further.  We had to push a box back to raise the door another foot or so, then another box to raise it even more until we were finally able to roll up the door entirely.  Stacks of boxes had fallen over and loose files were spread all over the storage unit floor.  The employee that accompanied me to access the storage units and I had a brief conversation that went something like this,

Me: "How do you find files in this mess?"  
Employee: "Many times we don't find the files that we need."
Me: "What do you tell your supervisor or the individual requesting the file?"
Employee: "I just say the I couldn't find the file."
Me: "So, what do you do next. The file was requested because it was needed, right?"
Employee: "Yes, we either deal with it being lost or re-create it if possible."


The above experience is a prime example of the two following statistics.


“67% of data loss is directly related to user blunders, making them 30 times more menacing than viruses and the leading cause of data loss” (Tandberry Data, 1998). 

“Office workers can waste up to two hours a day looking for misplaced paperwork--at total of 500 hours (62.5 days) per year” (TN).

When there is no system in place, information gets lost.  When information gets lost, expenses are incurred.  My client had no system in place and as different employees returned files to storage, they eventually got lost due to misplacement.  This spurred the need to look for hours at a time for any one file that was needed.  A systematic approach to managing your business files will help to avoid losing information and losing time to hours spent searching.  Many times, we don't realize problems until an issue arises that unearths it (e.g. an audit).  This is when it hurts and the expenses begin to pile up.  

Assess your document management system and implement best practices within your organization to avoid losing the information that makes your company profitable.    

Accountability

Welcome to the Docu-Trust blog!  The goal of this blog is to educate and hopefully help you implement best business practices to better protect the life blood of your company-information.

So, the other day my 6 year old son got into some trouble at school.  He's in kindergarten and he absolutely loves basketball.  At recess, that's all he does-play ball with his fellow classmates.  His passion and intensity got the best of him and he shoved another boy.  A warning came from one of the teachers on the playground, but minutes later he did it again!  His teacher was notified, but she didn't do much about it.  At his school these kinds of actions result in being sent to the principals office.  This particular day, the principal wasn't there so he remained in his classroom.

He thought that he was off the hook, but the very next day he was sent to the principals office (he was back).  Recess was lost for a week and each day, instead of playing with his classmates, he had to sit in the principals office.  Yesterday was his last day sitting out of recess time, but on the way to school earlier this week, my son told me that he didn't like school at all.  I asked him why and he said, "Well, I like school, but I don't like recess time because I have to sit in the principals office."  I followed with, "Do you understand why you have to sit in the principals office?"  He knew right away why and after my brief explanation that there are natural consequences for our decisions (both good and bad), he perked up and decided he liked school again.  His school teacher held him accountable for his actions.  The goal is that he learns and makes changes.

The point of this story is that in business, it is vital that we account for the information over which we have custody.  Think about all of the information that you deal with on a daily basis.  It's a lot!  Docu-Trust helps companies be accountable for their most confidential business information.  From change-of-custody to data creation, we assist in making sure your business stays accountable for the information you deal with every day.