If your business endeavours to give a top class service to customers why should you not be treated the same by your document storage company? A storage company is put in a position of trust and will be looking after your most important records. This is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly and a competitive document storage company will be well aware of this.
4 Key Document Storage Company Requirements
Picking a document storage company is probably more complex than one might at first assume. With the rising figure of 800 storage companies in the UK it is a difficult task picking the company best suited to your storage requirements. There are well publicised anomalies that might put you off transferring your files offsite to begin with. For example, the recent fire at the National Archives which holds 11 million documents of historical importance.
There are four qualities that you should expect from any competitive archive storage company:
1. Security & risk management
Security is paramount when it comes to records management and it is likely to be one of the reasons a company will use offsite storage. A storage facility that has poor security measures in place is probably no better than storing files in the office. From the moment your files are collected to the time of their destruction, security should be a priority for a competitive storage company.
Document storage companies should go to great lengths to make sure that throughout a file’s life cycle appropriate security measures are in place:
- Collection: A file should be collected, preferably in an internally locked vehicle which is driven by the document storage company’s own drivers. A GPS tracking system will make sure the company knows where its vehicles are at all times.
- Storage: Files should be stored in a secure and remote location. Secure Data Management’s files are stored in ex- Military of Defence warehouses with 36 CCTV cameras in operation. Manned 24 hour security and CCTV should be expected. All staff working at the company, especially those that will have contact with files, should have been fully vetted.
- Destruction: Files should be destroyed in line with their retention cycles and should be shredded to avoid confidential information being leaked.
2. Quality customer service
Your company is likely to pride itself on its customer service and you should expect the same treatment in return. It is a competitive market out there and therefore storage facilities should provide first class consultancy to get ahead. Many companies worry about losing track of their records when they are stored offsite. However, a competitive storage facility should keep in regular contact with clients about the current status of their files.
An experienced storage company will have a long list of happy clients and testimonials to its name as evidence of its dedication to exceptional customer service. A company might wish to confer with a business located in the same area to determine what standard the storage facility provides services such as collection and delivery.
3. Workflow benefits
The prime objective of a storage facility should be effective records management on behalf of its clients. A facility should be able to manage records in a variety of different formats and should be able to handle digital files as well as hard copies. Competitive record management facilities often provide companies with online portals which allow them to access digital files on the go or at the office.
When it comes to records management a facility should offer a diverse range of services such as:
- Document scanning
- Document shredding
- Document tracking
- Document auditing and indexing
A storage facility should use state-of-the-art technology for the effective organisation of documents. At Secure Data Management, the O’Neil barcoding system is employed – which makes the tracking and retrieval of files quicker than more outdated modes.
4. Value for money
A storage company should help you achieve the best price for your storage needs. A company should not expect to be faced with excessive termination and file destruction fees. Moving documents offsite should be cost effective as you free up more office space and are no longer at risk to legal penalties for file mismanagement.
A competitive storage company should not have any of the following hidden costs waiting for its clients:
- Fuel surcharges
- Administration charges
- Collection fees if the company is already delivering.
An industrious document storage company will be looking to decrease its own expenditures, as well as yours. It should be looking to tighten its budget with innovative and cost effective ideas.
