The Use of Technology in Document Storage

Even in this digital age we are still highly reliant on paper documents. 

There is a huge requirement for document storage and there’s no denying this. However, over the past 30 years the offsite storage industry has advanced dramatically in terms of better technology and the development of modern digital solutions, which offer new ways of increasing offsite storage efficiency.

Here are 4 key ways that technology has improved offsite document storage:

          Barcoding

Some document storage providers now choose to barcode their clients’ boxes or files. Gone are the days of “deep storage” and waiting up to two weeks to receive your documents. This barcode technology allows professional storage companies to continually monitor your records on a per file basis, using a unique identifier database. Finding a single document in a warehouse containing hundreds of millions has now been made as simple as finding it on your own desk.

Bespoke software

Many professional archiving companies have developed their own bespoke software to help perform file audits and monitoring. Nowadays clients are also given access to this rather than having to fill out postal retrieval forms. The process has certainly sped up a great deal! These unique software packages, alongside the help of an offsite storage company, can reduce your own workload substantially. Such software also reduces the probability of clerical errors and data loss.

Online tracking

As outlined in point 1, the unique reference barcodes now assigned to each file or box offer advanced ways of monitoring files. When used in tandem with the Internet this really paves a revolutionary new way of tracking and manoeuvring documents between various sites. Some of the better offsite storage providers will give their clients access to online web archival management platforms. These web-based systems allow individuals to monitor, order and reassign archives containing millions of files, based 200 miles away, with just a few clicks of the mouse button.

Digitisation

With the rapid development in scanning technology more and more document storage providers are opting to create these services as part of their overall package. It makes sense when their clients are already storing vast archives with them. More often than not, having the digitisation projects performed in house can be much cheaper than outsourcing them to another company many miles away. It is now common practice to digitise legacy records following their review date by minimum retention period. Many businesses, financial institutions being one example, find the thought of disposing with these documents too risky. Now, rather than leaving them indefinitely to bloat in warehouses, they can instead keep a digital back up for peace o mind.

How viable is the paperless office?

Since the early 70s skeptics and advocates alike have been engaged in heated debate about the possibility of a working environment independent of paper files. To this day it remains a controversial topic. But how likely is the eradication of paper-based documents in this decade, or even our lifetime?

You would think, with over 40 years of advancement in technology, our dependence on a thin, disposable method of storing data that dates back to the 2^nd century CE would by now be ousted. Yet it remains an irrefutable truth that many of these hi-tech alternatives to managing information simply do not circumvent our global dependence on paper documents.

A big issue is highlighted when you take—for one example—the difference in cost: the average tablet is priced between £200-£400; server hosting of files almost indefinitely incurs a monthly charge, requires yet more expensive technology, professional knowledge and is liable to annoyances as trivial as power cuts. In the current economy, are organisations or government officials likely to supply every employee, civic servant and school child with a personal tablet? Is it realistic to think that these devices will seamlessly link and share all documents without bespoke, costly software packages?

By comparison paper excels at being the cheapest, most universally recognised document management medium. Paper is independently tangible without the need of a supporting device; its lifespan greatly surpasses that of a computer hard drive, and its very “existence” isn’t reliant on a fleeting battery life and a supporting piece of equipment. Equally—unless physically obtained—confidential paper archives are not privy to ‘hackers’ or accidental exposure online, as are their digital counterparts.

Most of our important official documents gathered over the years have been carefully archived - and will need to be for years to come. Within many industries hard copies of files are a necessity to show regulatory compliance. As such, throughout London many high-profile firms in the legal, medical, media and financial sectors generate so much paper-based information that they require professional archiving companies to help them negotiate this colossal workload. 

For companies who specialise in offsite document storage, efficient systems have been put in place to maximise resourceful paper archival and retrieval, whilst recycling wherever possible to reduce this impact on the environment. Although decreasing with time, the cost to convert these files into digital archives far outweighs storing the original paper alone. Calculations indicate a cost increase of approximately 80 times for digital copies when compared to that of standard off site document storage.

Clearly, as a society we are not quite ready for this shift, and may not be for some time to come. Nevertheless, it is worth taking comfort in the fact that technology doesn’t always replace longstanding methods, but more often serves to augment them.

UK Document Storage Company,Secure Data Management, provide Document Storage services with a focus on customer service and up to 30% cost savings.

Document Storage & Archive Storage in the Legal Industry

Despite many attempts to go to a paperless office, many law firms will tell you that it simply isn't possible to just move away from paper based records, and its not long before client files and documentation starts to build up - and you've got to store this information somewhere.

No matter where you are in the country, office space is at a premium and businesses don't want valuable office space taken up with archived documents.  You may have seen storage facilities around the country whilst you have been driving.  On the outside they just look like warehouses, but the planning and technology that goes into making these storage facilities safe ands secure can be a real eye opener.

Its an urban myth that off-site document storage is expensive.  If you put all the costs together, along with the security and peace of mind that you are getting that your documents are going to be safe and sound, then relocating your documents to a purpose built storage facility is a no brainer.

One of the concerns with document storage, probably even more so for the legal sector is that the documents are of a confidential nature.  Therefore, its important that the law firm is comfortable with the terms and conditions of the storage agreement and that they are happy that they can trust the company and its employees with their sensitive data.  

Another key feature of off-site document storage is what precautions and procedures are in place with regards to fire and flood damage.  A modern facility will install systems that constantly monitor the air and climate in the storage bays and will be able to a) detect if abnormal changes happen and b) keep the warehouse at a climate that will ensure the documents are kept in tip-top condition.  Too warm, or too cold and the documents could age and become fragile very quickly.

Access to off-site documents is probably also very important when it comes to the Legal sector.  If an historic case needs referring to then quick access to the information is vital as it could impact a case or judgement.  In some cases off-site document storage facilities will now give you access to scanned copies of your documents through a secure online facility, which is extremely handy for when you need to make a quick reference.

To sum it up, law firms are going to be looking for a document storage company to provide a reliable, secure, confidential service which promises to keep their documents intact for a number of years to come.  Document Storage is more than just putting boxes on shelfs.  Its about safe-guarding the customers records and ensuring safe, quick and reliable access at all times.

The Evolution of Document Storage

Document Storage, in different shapes and forms has been around for as long as we care to remember.  For those that don't know what Document Storage is, it's basically a means of retaining historic paper based information that might be critical to the running of a business over a set period of time.  

Whilst the roots of document storage may have been simply placing your documents into a box and storing it in a room or cupboard for safe keeping, todays methods of storage and retrieval can embrace technology, making it even easier and safer to store your documents than ever before.

Looking back over the years Document Storage may have originally been a simple box or filing cabinet in which a company would store their documents, for future reference if required.  These filing cabinets and boxes would, in time, start to take up a lot of space and eventually a whole small (or large) room might be used.

For some companies, especially those in areas where office space rental is at a premium it would make more sense to move these documents to a remote location.  However, the problem with remote locations, especially remote office space, is that the company management might not feel so secure or be as easy to access should the need arise.  This is where purpose built document storage facilities came in.

The purpose built document storage facility is run by a company dedicated to provided a safe, secure and accessible document storage service to its customers.  This is done by a formal method of storage (so you can find your documents efficiently) in an environment that is secured by both technology and security personnel.  It is not uncommon for these storage locations to be temperature controlled, to prevent premature ageing of your documents and in some circumstances your documents may even be scanned to the 'internet cloud' where you can then easily access digital copies from your own computer and desk in your office.

So as you can see, document storage has come a long way.  From a basic box in the corner of a room to a purpose built document storage facility.  Of course, the basic box storage is still an option, and may work for you if you only have a small number of non-essential documents to store.  However, if your documents require more critical or sensitive information and are required by your business for the long term, then a professional document storage facility is probably the answer for you.  Not only will it keep your documents in tip-top condition but will also give you peace of mind and allow you to get on with the running of your business.

How to get value for money on your off-site document storage.

Off-site document storage can be a bit of an unknown quantity at times.  For some people, its just a place to store paperwork away from their office.  For other people the mindset is totally different, and its a secure location where important documents can be safely stored for a number of years.

In many industries it is a legal requirement that paper records are kept for a certain period of time, so having a reliable document storage company is a weight of the mind of the business owners or directors if they know that the documents will be a) stored safely and b) easily retrievable.

There are many different document storage server providers out there all after your business, and the British mindset over the last few years has been to automatically go with the cheapest price, however, common sense would tell you that this isnt always the right way to go.  It's not the cheapest price that should win your business, but the best value for money.

So what does value for money mean?  Well, putting it simply, it means you are getting the best service for the money you are spending.  Is it better to pay a little bit more to get extra security of your documents, or are you prepared to risk the cheapest option and lose everything?

Value for money document storage would offer you a number of services which should really be considered a base standard.  For example, retrieval of your documents at any given time is a must.  It is not uncommon for a document storage service provider to ask you to book in a time slot to retrieve your documents, but how fast can they fit you in?  Ideally it should be same day / next day rather than next week, as sometimes you just don't know when you might need access to your archives.  Also, is the storage facility easy to get to via vehicle?

The next most important factor is security of your documents.  And I don't just mean security from theft, but also from fire, flood and humidity damage.

Is your proposed document storage facility equipped with the latest technology in CCTV and secured by actual personnel?  Do they provide fire and flood protection whilst keeping the humidity of the storage area at the right levels to prevent premature aging of your documents?

What additional extras does the archive facility provide?  Do they offer to scan and email documents to you? Or can you access your archives over the internet?  These are all things to think about when deciding which Document Storage provider is going to offer you the best value for money.

Is off-site document storage part of your disaster recovery plan?

For lots of businesses, storing archives of paper records can be a pain.  There are many different legal reasons that documents might need to be kept, and some industries are very particular about how long the information is stored for.

Many businesses tend to keep their paper records on site, locked away in a room or cupboard.  But what if they outgrow their current storage space?  What if the unthinkable happens and the building is damaged or destroyed by fire or flood?

Off-Site Document Storage can take alot of weight of your mind.  By utilising an off-site document storage service provider you can rest assured that your documents are being kept in safe, secure conditions and whats more you can access the information at any time you want.

But isnt it expensive?  Not at all.  By carefully selecting your document storage provider you could actually save yourself alot of money.  For example, by relocating your documents off-site, from an office in central London you might actually find that the rent for the room you have been using costs much, much more than the cost of the service provider.  Sometimes its easy to overlook simple cost savings like this.

More importantly though, the preservation and safety of your documents is paramount.  If your documents might be required for auditing purposes it is vitally important that they are kept safe and as far away from risk as possible.

Off Site Document Storage providers have technology in place to ensure that the building is protected from / quickly alert to fire damage, smoke damage and flooding.  The climate of the storage facility is kept at an optimal level to ensure that the documents to not suffer the effects of premature ageing, and should you need to access your documents then that is no problem at all.   Some document storage service providers even provide access to your documents via a web site (to do this they will need to have a scanning facility that scans your documents into a computer system)

So in summary, if you think that off-site document storage is expensive then I strongly advise you to think again.  Not only could it work out cheaper than storing your documents in your office, it can also form an efficient and reliable part of your disaster recovery plans.

Saving money, whilst choosing the right Document Storage Company

For businesses that accumulate masses of paper records (yes, even in this digital age it still happens), the storage of these archives can present a bit of a headache.  Many different types of historic documentation need to be kept for a certain period of time, and this can lead to archive boxes taking up valuable office space.  If your office space costs you a premium then you might find that you are paying a considerable amount of money just to store your boxes.

An answer to try and help reduce your costs might be to consider an off-site document storage facility.

These purpose built document storage facilities ensure safe storage of your archives with high security buildings that are designed to care for your documents.

Naturally, the first impression of off-site storage is that it is going to cost the earth.  However this is not true.  If you have had a shop around you will see that there are many different types of storage businesses out there all of whom will want you as a client.  They will try to entice you in with special deals to get your business.  

Even if you currently use off-site document storage, have you considered that you might be able to get a much better deal if you switch to another provider.  Some companies might even offer to pay off your current contract, just to get your business, and even be able to reduce your document storage costs in the long term aswell.

Document retrieval is also an important factor when it comes to choosing the right service provider.  As the owner of the documents you need to be able to ensure that they are accessible at all times with the minimum of fuss.  Keep an eye out for small print that may cost you in premiums if you need immediate access to your information!

Another concern for businesses is that their documents are out of site, are they secure?  By researching a number of companies you should be able to tell what security guarantees the company provides - not just for the safety of your documents in terms of theft, but also the risks against fire and flood damage.  A credible document storage facility will have systems in place that can detect fire or flood risk at a very early stage and eliminate the problem.

Of course, one of the most important factors in any decision is going to be the cost of the service, but you should also carefully consider that the cheapest price might also provide the lowest quality service or come with extra hidden service charges.