Your business’s records are vital to your operations—and managing them effectively is even more important. Poorly organized records can cost your staff significant time and expose you to liability if these records find their way into the wrong hands. Additionally, misplaced records can also erode trust with your clients, who depend on you to keep their information both handy and safe. 

When it comes to records management, some organizations choose to handle the entire operation in-house. In other words, internal staff members organize, store, access, and appropriately destroy business records, according to your policies.  

However, outsourcing even part of your records management operations can save your business time and money, while adding an extra layer of security. Some organizations even go so far as to employ an off-site records storage and management program, which has a number of benefits. 

If you’re interested in making the most of your employees’ time, reducing your office footprint, tightening security by limiting access to your records, and ensuring greater compliance with best practices, an off-site records management and storage program might be a good fit.  

We’ll walk you through the full benefits—and show you exactly how it all works. 

The Benefits of Off-Site Records Management & Storage 

When it comes to off-site records management and storage solutions, the benefits stack up in three areas: time, money, and security. Since time and money are often intertwined in business, we’ll talk about them together. 

Save Time & Money

Outsourcing your records management and storage—and moving some of your records off-site—will offer you both increased efficiencies and cost savings. Specifically:

You’ll be able to optimize how your staff uses their time. Many businesses don’t realize how much in-house document management costs. How much time do your employees spend on organizing, storing, and retrieving documents and records?  

And is this truly the best use of their time? Could they, instead, be fostering client relationships to improve customer retention? Or could they be making sales calls to directly impact revenue?  

Outsourcing your records management allows you to return your staff to the tasks that represent the highest and best use of their daily hours. Additionally, you might also discover that outsourcing your records management is a more cost-effective solution than leaving it to internal staff.  

You’ll also be able to make better use of your office space. Rent is expensive. How much space are your records taking up in your office? Could that space be more effectively utilized? Or could you even let go of some of your office space by moving your records off-site?  

In some cases, moving records storage and management off-site can allow a business to reduce its footprints and save on rent. At the very least, many businesses are able to reallocate that space for better uses. 

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Increased Security & Compliance

Given the regulations surrounding documents and records—especially for health care organizations subject to HIPAA—assistance with increasing security and compliance can be a relief to many organizations. 

Off-site records storage immediately reduces the possibility for unauthorized access to your records. By removing older records from your workplace, you’ll quickly put yourself at lower risk of visitors, guests, or employees seeing confidential or protected information, either by accident or otherwise. This immediately minimizes one source of potential risk. 

Additionally, outsourcing records management can assist with document destruction compliance. Every record comes with its own timetable for retention and then destruction. An outsourced records management provider can help you track these timelines, and often even take care of the destruction—all of which can happen off-site. 

Finally, off-site records storage can mean greater physical protection for your records. Records management providers house files in buildings that are built to withstand natural disasters like typhoons and fires. Additionally, they often include security measures that may go over and above what you have at your office, such as CCTV and alarm systems. In the case of a natural disaster or an attempted break-in, your records will be better protected than they would be at your office. 

If these benefits sound appealing, next we’ll take you through how an off-site records management and storage program might work—and what to look for in a provider. 

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How Does an Off-Site Records Management & Storage Program Work?

If you’ve never worked with an off-site records management company before, you might feel nervous about turning over your sensitive records to outside contractors. However, many records management providers use bonded personnel to handle records. That includes the people who pick up and deliver records, as well as those handling your records at the off-site location.

If you have questions about the security protocols that your records management company employs, just ask. They can offer you a tour of the facility and their security systems, as well as their access control measures. This should give you that added layer of comfort for greater peace of mind.

Decide on a Storage System

Together, you and your records management provider will decide on a format and a system that works for you, including:

  • What kind of boxes will your records be stored in? Letter-sized and legal-sized boxes are most common, but some providers can also work with specialty boxes.
  • What about additional formats? If your organization stores X-rays or oversized blueprints, can your provider accommodate these (and handle their destruction)? Make sure to ask.
  • What kind of labeling will you use? What kind of software will track and manage all your files? Many providers use a barcode system, powered by record management software to track and organize records. This makes it easy for them to find, retrieve, and deliver any records you need—while always keeping precise track of that record’s location. Ask for a demo so you can get a sense of how your provider’s system works.
Ask About Indexing

Some organizations already have a sorting and categorizing system in place for their records. However, if you want some help, many records management providers will offer assistance in this arena. They can either work with you to create a plan—or simply do it for you. 

Once you have an indexing plan in place, your provider will apply their labeling and tracking system, as mentioned above, to make it easy to locate, track, and manage the records according to the system you choose. 

Understand Your Retrieval Options

Here’s where the rubber really meets the road: What do you do when you need a document that’s stored off-site? Ask your provider about their process. Specifically:

  • What’s the process for making requests? Can they be done online or do you need to make a phone call?
  • What does a standard request look like? For example, if you order by Monday morning at 9:00 am, when would you receive delivery?
  • What about an urgent request? Could you get same-day delivery? Would it come at an extra cost?
  • How about an emergency delivery—ASAP? What’s possible in that arena? And is there an extra charge?
  • What about after-hours deliveries, such as late nights or on weekends?

You might also ask about on-site access to your records. Is it possible to drive to the facility to pick up a file? What about reviewing them at the facility? Is there a secure area set up for this purpose? Different providers will have different answers, and you can use these to figure out the right one for you.

Decide on Retention and Destruction Policies

Earlier, we mentioned the potential liability associated with either destroying records too soon or retaining them too long. Many records management providers can manage this process for you.  

When you send a box of files to storage, many providers will allow you to assign a destruction date. Once they reach that date, your provider will reach out to confirm destruction. Once you agree, they can handle it all, and even provide a Certificate of Destruction, which companies need to prove compliance. 

This a simple way to take this item off your employees’ plates—and ensure compliance with any relevant regulations that apply to your organization. 

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The Bottom Line: Time, Money, and Security 

At the end of the day, outsourcing your records management activities and storing your records off-site offer your organization benefits in three crucial areas—time, money, and security. Additionally, the right records management provider can make it simple for you to locate, track, and properly destroy records to keep your business moving forward—and in compliance. Ultimately, getting your program up and running will require a little research and a little setup. However, for many organizations, the benefits make it well worth it in the end. 

Looking to outsource your records management and storage? We would be happy to help! With over 10 years of experience managing records on Guam, we can create a comprehensive records management solution—including off-site storage—that fits your company’s needs and budget. Just get in touch to arrange a complimentary consultation. 

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