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Managing Paper and Offsite Storage Costs
According to the law, business are required to retain records and important paper files for a minimum of five years. With the ever increasing volume of paper records to keep, managing important document files can be overwhelming without a records management plan or a proper document management system.
Most businesses don’t have the knowledge, time, or space to properly manage inactive paper files, so they use the “out of sight, out of mind” strategy and send their file boxes to an offsite record storage facility giving the impression that the problem has been solved. Storing records offsite might have many benefits and works well for freeing up office space and easing your mind, until you get your monthly charges of about two hundred dollars just for a secure document storage service, pick up, and delivery. You can reduce these offsite document storage costs and better manage paper documents by implementing Records Retention Schedules, using a back file document scanning service, and document management software.
1. Reduce Offsite Storage Costs With Records Retention Schedules
Developing Records Retention Schedules for your documents will help reduce the amount of paper you store in two ways. First, Records Retention Schedules will establish guidelines for which documents need to be saved and which ones don’t need to be kept. This will help reduce the number of documents (cost) sent to offsite storage since we typically tend to keep everything. Secondly, Records Retention Schedules will help your business take a proactive approach to establishing a policy for purging records on a regular basis. Purging records not only will reduce offsite storage costs, but will also reduce the legal risk associated with keeping records past their destruction schedule. (read more about records retention schedules)
2. Reduce Offsite Storage Costs With Backfile Document Scanning
Our studies show a typical business pays over $19 a year to store a box of records offsite (including archive storage, pick up and delivery charges). We estimate scanning a typically box of records costs $13 to $15 depending on the condition of the documents and how the documents need to be indexed. Backfile document scanning service provides several other benefits besides reducing storage costs, like providing quicker response times to your customers, and electronic records backups of in case of a disaster. (read more about onsite and offsite backfile document scanning)
3. Reduce Offsite Storage Costs With Document Management Software
Along with records retention schedules and backfile document scanning, you can reduce offsite storage costs with document management software. Document management software is designed to automate business processes and improve productivity by managing the workflow of active documents. Document management software also involves scanning documents and retention scheduling. (read more about document management software)
Taking the Next Step To Reduce Offsite Storage Costs
Three ways to take the next step to reduce offsite storage costs.
- Call us at 1-800-803-1083 to speak with one of our information management specialists to discuss your requirements.
- Send us a message to request more information on ways to reduce your offsite storage costs.
- Take advantage of our FREE document scanning offer.
Southwest Solutions Group® has been providing records management solutions for all types of businesses since 1969. We look forward to working with you.
