Eva-lasting peace of mind

Never before has there been such need for businesses and organisations to have secure, effective and efficient document retention, and document management policies and processes in place. This is for reasons not only of compliance, confidentiality and data protection, but also and increasingly for reasons of business efficiency and sustainability.

By BRYN MONK

WITH DATA AND RECORDS OFTEN REPRESENTING THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSETS OF ANY BUSINESS, those relying on outdated, inefficient and questionably-secure filing and storage on their own premises are simply storing up potentially very serious and expensive problems for the future.

Keeping documents organised, safe and secure, but also easily and readily accessible for those with approval, is vitally important for any business or organisation. As companies grow, they accumulate an often-unmanageable mountain of both space and timeconsuming records, files and documents. This inevitably includes some with confidential and sensitive records and important information, and it can be hard to keep track of every one. This is particularly important with GDPR now in force and overreliance on traditional methods of onsite storage, whether paper or digitally based, is neither efficient nor costeffective.

Most worryingly, it can leave businesses and organisations extremely vulnerable with potential liabilities on many fronts, with consequences of possible criminal, civil or financial penalties.

Importantly, it does not provide the unrivalled security and peace of mind that comes from knowing that your important data and records are in the safe and capable hands of an experienced and trusted off-site document management specialist –ideally one with purpose-built premises and state of the art facilities, complete with features such as 360-degree CCTV, secure monitoring, access control systems, fire-suppression measures and temperature and humidity controlled storage capabilities.

Benefits of an integrated versus ‘piecemeal’ approach

Every instance of movement of – or access to – any document, record, data or information represents a potential point of security vulnerability and risk –especially when these are housed in different locations and require to be physically moved. There is also risk when scanning, shredding or recycling is conducted on different sites, or by different departments or providers, without a centralised document management system to ensure the security of sensitive documents, data and records. Additionally, COVID-19 has served to highlight that without a secure and fully-integrated document management system in place, secure remote/home working by staff or employees is a very remote, if not totally unachievable, possibility.

Employing the services of an experienced ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 accredited professional document management provider with security vetted staff can help by delivering a comprehensive portfolio of integrated document management solutions in one secure off-site facility. Using stateof-the-art warehousing and industryleading software and hardware solutions, they can minimise the risk of exposure to potential liabilities very cost-effectively, while simultaneously delivering improved business efficiency and productivity, in addition to peace of mind.

Such an integrated portfolio of secure document management, retention and disposal solutions that could be tailored to meet the specific needs of any business or organisation would ideally include:

Storage: Managed document storage, including records management, document archiving, secure vault storage, data tape and media storage, and deed and will storage, with archive cataloguing and audit trails held in secure facilities and readily available on request.

Scanning: Tailored scanning solutions, including bulk scanning, scan on demand and indexing, to meet the specific requirements of each client.

Shredding: Secure scheduled or one-off collection and shredding of confidential waste, either on-site or offsite by vetted staff, in accordance with BS 15713 and BS 7858 respectively, with the relevant certificates of destruction.

Recycling: A GDPR compliant 100% paper waste recycling policy, recycling through UK mills to the highest environmental standards.

Sustainability matters

– in more than one way

For reasons other than security and efficiency, scanning and storing documents, data and records digitally is most certainly the way forward – not just for businesses and organisations to boost their green credentials, reduce their carbon footprint and support CSR declarations, but for the planet. The fact is that both time and space are running out. It is estimated that landfill – of which 25% is paper waste and produces copious amounts of CO2, methane and other greenhouse gases and leaks toxic leachates into the ground and our waterways – is estimated to have reached full capacity within 10 years.

However, sustainability as it relates to the planet is only one side of the sustainability issue with regards to document management – because there is another important side to sustainability for businesses and organisations. The fact is that without a secure and properly-managed integrated document management system, the sustainability of a business or organisation is potentially at stake, due to the risk of data breaches, loss or theft of key business or personnel information etc, and the potential reputational risk and loss of trust which could threaten their survival.

Avoid storing up potentially serious and expensive problems

In conclusion, outsourcing the risk and responsibility of the document management process to an experienced, professional and trusted ISO-accredited document management specialist with integrated capabilities, can be exceptionally cost-effective and deliver peace-of-mind with regards to compliance and data protection issues. It can also potentially deliver improved levels of efficiency and productivity, to help businesses and organisations thrive rather than simply survive.

Bryn Monk Sales Manager EvaStore Ltd 01691 650355 evastore.co.uk