As election season draws closer, governments and municipalities likely will become extremely busy – and their paper production will increase as a result. This is on top of the regular obligations related to documents, including responding to its constituents’ public information requests, preserving public records, complying with record storing regulations, and maintaining archives of maps and drawings. And if paper production is a problem before election season, it will only get worse as the year goes on. Government agencies from the county level all the way up to the federal level are often overburdened with managing and filing paperwork on top of myriad other responsibilities. Employees have had to deal with disorganized files, unnecessarily slow sharing of files between departments, and a general backlog of documents needing to be filed, scanned, or destroyed.
Oftentimes, in the aftermath of an election, municipalities or other government agencies call up Secure Records Solutions looking for a one-time shredding service to get rid of excess paper. While a one-time purge can treat the symptoms, it often fails to cure the disease long term.
Instead, Secure Records Solutions likes to truly listen to the issues facing the government agency. And chances are, it’s more than some extra boxes of paper lying around. We seek to engage with a government or municipality in a partnership. As we build this relationship, we can recommend a program in order to alleviate the overall paper problem.
For years, government agencies have trusted Secure Records Solutions to help them solve their paper problems. We have worked with government agencies at all levels, and while each engagement is tailored to solve the unique problems of that particular client, typically our comprehensive engagements include the following services: a regular shredding program, one-time purges following extremely busy seasons, offsite indexing and storage, scan on demand access when files are needed, and secure destruction after retention is met. In this case, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts in solving the paper problem for government agencies.
Things get even more complex when an electronic records system has been put into place, but it has not resolved the issue of current paper production or how to handle historic records.
Oftentimes when we evaluate the situation, we find that inventory in its current system will never go away, even with the implementation of an electronic records management tool. Without proper training, staff typically continues to rely on the old paper systems. As it relates to historic records, staff lacksdetail to make decisions or the time to go through each individual file within a box in order to properly organize. For government workers who are already overly busy, it’s a truly Sisyphean task that will breed resentment and dissatisfaction at work.
Secure Records Solutions has a team that is experts at organizing and indexing records to save time and money and keep government workers focused on serving their constituents – not their records! Typically, we find that government agencies are able to destroy between 30-40% of their records immediately. On an ongoing basis, our process automates the destruction as it meets retention. Creating a regular shred program keeps offices clear of clutter and ensures that confidential information related to the government are securely stored in our shred containers then properly destroyed using a NAID AAA certified method. And any records that require ongoing storage will be housed in our Prism Privacy + certified facility. If at any time staff needs access to one of those records, our scan on demand will deliver it within 30 minutes during regular business hours. Finally, if a large project or busy time of year fills up your regular bins faster than normal, give us a call, and we’ll schedule a special “purge” to get rid of those records fast and secure.
If a customized, comprehensive document management program sounds appealing, please contact Secure Records Solutions today. One of our team members will discuss your current situation and, if necessary, review your facility to get an accurate count of boxes in order to create a proposal. Our aim is to create a solution that cures your current problem while setting your office up for maximum success in the future.
In a time when the economy is uncertain and government budgets at all levels are being squeezed for every available dollar, an outsourced document management solution will create efficiencies with tangible results. The combination of space, time, and security will, ultimately, positively impact your bottom line.
