How many boxes do you really have? It’s probably more than you think!
When we are in the discovery phase with so many of our clients, one of the first questions we ask is “how many boxes do you have?” More often than not, the real number of boxes is much higher than the estimation given.
While sometimes the reasons are just not knowing how to estimate, other times, clients fail to mention entire rooms, floors or even storage units that are full of documents needing to be dealt with.
It can be overwhelming – embarrassing even – to deal with such large volumes of documents. Sometimes, the records have been there for so long, office employees just assume that they have taken up permanent residence!
Though it may seem easier to let the status quo continue, the reality is that those documents are not paying rent, so in essence they are costing you money! Whether it’s a storage rental unit you’re paying for monthly or an office that is unused, there are costs to not dealing with your paper problem.
A one-time purge will handle the immediate issue of paper, but it typically fails to address the root of the problem. One of my favorite sayings is that offices don’t have a paper problem – they have a management problem! This isn’t meant to be harsh or offend anyone, but it is meant to drive home the point that unless the problem is dealt with, it will resurface again and again.
Some companies think the answer is “scan everything,” but after realizing the time and cost, that solution is often not feasible. And “shred everything” could be equally detrimental if there are any records that have not yet met their retention.
To get to the best answer, let’s go back to the original question: how many boxes do you really have? If you partner with Secure Records Solutions on a full-scale document management program, not only will we tell you how many boxes you have – we’ll do you one better and actually tell you what’s in them!
What does a Document Management Engagement with SRS Look Like?
At the beginning of an engagement with us, one of our experienced team members will come out to your site and put together an actual estimate of records. We’ll then schedule a pick-up to move all the records to our NAID AAA and Prism Privacy + Certified facility. After that, the hard part for you is done, but for us, the next part of the job is just beginning!
Our indexing and client service teams will go through every single box at the file level in a process we call indexing. Once this process has been completed, our Client Service Manager, Roy, will typically walk through your records with you, helping you make informed choices about what to keep, what to scan, what can be stored, and what files are eligible for immediate destruction.
Even when files are stored with us, they are only ever a few clicks away! Our scan on demand service makes electronic retrieval fast and efficient so that you have access to your records whenever you need them.
During typical business hours, we get files to you within the hour using an encrypted system. Your office staff will appreciate that much more than wading through boxes and boxes of poorly organized files.
Storage with Secure Records Solutions is not a “set it and forget it” service
We take an active approach. On a regular basis, you’ll get a list of files that are eligible for destruction. Over time, storage costs will decrease as more records are destroyed.
If you are wondering how many boxes you have, reach out to Secure Records Solutions. Not only will we tell you how many boxes you have, we’ll tell you what’s in them and what to do with them! Address your paper problem head on in 2021 and give Secure Records Solutions a call today.
