If the rampant occurrence of identity theft, data hacks, fraud and cybercrime is anything to go by, it is vital to manage your business information with the utmost care. This is true for the entire life cycle of the data, from the time you acquire it, till the time you discard it. While you may think that investing in a few high-end shredders is sufficient to destroy your confidential documents, it may not be as simple as it appears. More often than not, in-house paper shredding programs turn out to be unsafe, inefficient and costly. 

Know More About the Hidden Costs and Risks

At Crown Information Management, we specialize in records management, as well as destruction services, and are well aware of the perils of in-house shredding. Many of our clients have used that approach in the past, only to realize that secure and cost-effective disposal of records is best left in the hands of professionals. Read on to know more about the disadvantages of in-house shredding. 

Hidden Costs and Potential Risks of In-House Shredding

Hidden Costs: Office shredders may seem like an inexpensive investment, until you start discovering the cleaning, maintenance, and replacement costs associated with operating the shredders. In addition to the equipment cost, you may also want to consider the time, effort and cost of the resources that shred your physical records. There are a number of activities that go into in-house shredding:

• Safe keeping of records prior to shredding.
• Removing paper clips and staples (most office shredders do not accept any non-paper items).
• Stacking papers into reasonable portions for shredding (especially for high-volume record disposal).
• Manually feeding documents into the shredder.
• Clearing the machine and getting rid of the shredded materials.

Potential Risks: Any missteps before, during, or after the shredding process could present several risks for your business:

• Human errors while operating the machines could result in equipment malfunction and costly repairs.
• Shredders produce a fair amount of fine dust that can be detrimental to the health of your employees. It can cause allergic reactions or aggravate chronic respiratory conditions, such as asthma.
• A minor lapse in security measures while handling the records could result in huge risks and losses for your business. Sensitive data or confidential information related to your business, employees or customers could fall into the hands of petty thefts or hackers. 
• Ineffective shredding machines (most office shredders offer strip-style shredding) make it easy for dumpster divers to reconstruct documents, if they manage to access your shredded material.
• Non-compliance with applicable laws (HIPAA, FACTA, FERPA etc.) or industry-based, record destruction specifications could result in the loss of business reputation, as well as heavy fines and penalties. 

Outsource Your Records Destruction to a Professional Shredding Company

Given the various risks and issues, is it really worth opting for in-house shredding? Moreover, the cost of equipment, labor and lost productivity (time spent by employees on shredding, instead of focusing on their core jobs) will far outweigh the cost of outsourcing your record destruction process. 

As a SOC1 Level 2 Report, NAID AAA and PCI Certified company, Crown Information Management has the expertise and experience in the safe disposal of confidential or sensitive business records. In addition to paper documents, we also provide destruction of hard drives, digital media and office equipment. 

Here are some of the advantages of hiring our record destruction services:

• Streamline your Processes: Simply discard your documents in the secure bins that we provide. Only our screened security professionals can access the contents for on-site and off-site shredding.
• Offer on-site Services: We come to your premises with mobile trucks fitted with industrial-grade equipment. You can personally supervise the entire shredding process, if required.
• Save your Prep Time and Effort: You do not need to remove the pins, binder clips or staples.  Our high-powered shredders accept everything!
• Efficient Destruction:  Our equipment cross-cuts your documents into confetti-sized particles, which makes it impossible to reconstruct or retrieve the shredded data or information.
• End-to-End Security: We have an established chain of custody, sophisticated surveillance equipment and stringent security protocols at every step of the way. Your information is safe with us at all times. 
• Compliance with Industry Norms: We are well-versed with various industry-specific document destruction requirements, and help you remain compliant with all applicable laws. 

For systematic and safe disposal of your physical or digital records, call Crown Information Management at 800-979-9545. You can also contact us online and request a free estimate for your requirements.