The Benefits Of Off-Site Records Management

A staggering 90% of the world’s data has been created in the last two years alone, but not all of it is digital. Paper-based data is still being generated in mammoth proportions and the challenge of managing it grows bigger at the same time. This only acts to weigh down those organisations who steadfastly stick to paper records and, just as stubbornly, continue to manage them in-house. 

And then there are organisations that free themselves of that weight by engaging the services of information management specialists. Companies like these offer off-site records management, and it’s one service offering many benefits to their clients. Here are the benefits of off-site storage.

• Increase the Use of Space Within Your Office: Relocating physical documents to an off-site storage facility often saves a ton of space. Moving boxes of paper files out of your building creates more floor space for extra staff or simply a cleaner, tidier working environment.

• Efficiency Retrieving Crucial Documents: Keeping boxes of records onsite inevitably leads to disorganization and confusion. Wasting time looking for documents in filing cabinets could be better spent on productive tasks. Transferring records to an off-site storage means each box is indexed, categorized, and marked with a scannable barcode. Meaning you can find it quickly and efficiently whenever you need it.

• Protection from Theft or Accidental Destruction: In-house storage puts secure information at risk of theft because it’s difficult to keep track and protect every document when it’s stored in an office. Off-site storage use security cameras and guarded premises to ensure maximum safety from unauthorised persons. Of course, theft isn’t the only worry. Accidental damage such as accidents, fires or natural disasters pose a real threat also. Almost all record storage facilities use climate controls to regulate temperature and humidity, as well as fire-suppressant storage for heat in order to keep your documents protected.

• Cost-Effectiveness: Time is money. Rather than paying employees to index or retrieve your documents, an off-site storage provider handles records management for a fraction of the cost, leaving you to focus on your business.

An organisation that manages its own business information will always face a number of challenges. As the volume of physical data multiplies, those challenges reach a breaking point and records management spirals out of control. The alternative is to contact a third party information management specialist and restore some much-needed order to the process.