Submitted by: Michael Thomas

File storage of your important papers is a necessity for every business. Once you are done with files and as they age you need to consider your options for records management. The first step is to determine where you will keep the older files. Storing files at your office takes up space and requires constant upkeep. Organizing and storing files is time-consuming and needs to be done on an ongoing basis. This takes manpower and commitment. It also requires training your employees on how to manage files. You’ll also need to have someone from the management staff in charge of document records. All this can be overwhelming.

The best alternative is to use a professional records management company to take care of filing and storage of all your documents. The first thought may be to simply put your old files in a rented mini storage unit. While this may solve the initial problem of space constraints in your office it does little else. In fact it can actually cause problems later on. To begin with someone needs to properly organize your document boxes so that files can be found later when needed. This is almost impossible to do in a self-storage unit because every time you add a box you will need to shuffle and re-sort all the boxes to make the files accessible.

Another problem with using mini storage is a lack of temperature and weather control. When files are kept in heat, cold and humid conditions they can deteriorate and you may find that the condition of some of the files renders them unusable. It’s also inconvenient to use a mini storage space. When you need to either file or retrieve a file you will need to send employees to the location and have them hunt for the items. This can be next to impossible when the weather is extreme. It is a time-waster to send your employees to the storage facility to hunt for the proper files. When filing boxes are disorganized it can take all day or longer to locate the proper box let alone file.

While you may think that using a mini storage facility for file storage is inexpensive it actually ends up costing more than you think in the long run. Controlling the organization of files is a necessary ongoing function that will require staff whether you store at your own premise or at a mini storage location. It also takes time and effort to locate files when needed. Of course there is also an ongoing monthly rental expense that doesn’t include manpower. All these costs add up and can actually end up costing you the same as hiring a records management company to do the entire job for you.

When you use a records storage company all the work is done for you. Your files are organized and stored properly and efficiently. You can locate when you need when you need it and the boxes are in a controlled and accessible environment. Outsourcing just makes sense from a business perspective; it allows you to have your records when you need them yet have no need to supply additional manpower to the function or lose precious time waiting for the files to be retrieved.

Perhaps most importantly, the cost of using an Outsourced Records Management Facility is typically much less than the cost of using a Self-Storage Facility. This may surprise many people, but when you use a mini-storage unit, you re usually paying for space you re not using to it s full capacity. With an outsourced Records Management Company, you re able to pay per-box, so you can contain costs by paying for exactly what you need.

About the Author: Michael R. Thomas is Vice President of Client Services for Shoreline Records Management, Inc, and Author of the Upcoming book Practical Records Management for the Busy Professional. Learn more about

Shoreline Records Management and to pre-order your free e-Book.

Source:

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