Avoid the Mistakes that Lead to Bad Recordkeeping 

It is the season of the scare-a-fest, and most of us may remember at least one funny or spooky Halloween story from the years gone by. In fact, walking into your recordkeeping room or a self-storage facility could evoke some of those memories or remind you of scenes from the horror movies you have watched. Long echoing corridors, flickering tube lights, stacks of storage boxes, hissing sounds of a stray rodent that has made your space its home, and a monster lurking behind the boxes, patiently waiting for you! 

In reality your records storage facility may be clean, tidy, and free of any imaginary monsters. However, the thought of finding relevant files or organizing your business records can be still be quite scary due to the time and effort involved. This is where a trusted and reputable records management company, such as Crown Information Management comes in. Our Records and Information Management (RIM) specialists share the many benefits of leaving your business records in the hands of the professionals. 

Top Advantages of Hiring a Records Management Company

Whether physical or digital, records management is one of the most critical administrative aspects of any business. From personnel data, customer records, and financial and accounting information, to legal documents, proprietary information, and business related documents, there are numerous records that you may have to preserve at any given time to meet the applicable regulations. It is not just about finding a storage space to save the files or folders pertaining to your business. There are a number of other aspects that can be better addressed by a professional records management company: 

• Proper Classification, Indexing, and Filing: Records management requires a high degree of organizing skills. RIM professionals have the necessary skills and experience in indexing records, and classifying them suitably. They also use specialized methods for organizing and storing the files and folders in a safe and highly secure environment. Without adequate training or skills, your storage methods may lack strategy and standardization, which means:
  • Confusion and loss of productive time during retrieval of required documents 
  • Accidental loss of records during the process of safekeeping
• Safe Storage: If you store your files in a rental storage unit, you will know that most facilities do not offer protection from fire, flood, burglary, or pest infestation. Most public storage units are not ideal as they are not humidity controlled, or cost significantly more if they offer climate-control options. If you store your records onsite, they are occupying valuable real estate which you could better utilize for expansion plans and other business purposes. Whether you store your records onsite or offsite, without proper infrastructure and security measures, you could lose irreplaceable business information or documents. 
• Timely Retrieval: In the course of business, you may need to retrieve certain documents or folders for the purpose of audits or legal queries. Without proper indexing, classification, filing, and storage, the retrieval of critical information may not only be time consuming or difficult, but it will also eat into your valuable man-hours. Your staff is compelled to engage in non-value adding activities instead of focusing on their core job responsibilities.
• Enhanced Security: Leaving your records management activities in the hands of the professionals allows enhanced security of your physical files, folders, and cartons. With an established chain of custody and proven processes for tracking and logging records movements, you get a complete trail of who accessed, obtained copies, or removed the documents in storage. 

At Crown Information Management, we are a SOC1, NAID AAA and PCI Certified company, specializing in secure storage and safe destruction of physical and digital records. Our wide range of records management and storage solutions serve the diverse needs of multi-industry clients across Florida. With a state-of the-art records storage facility in Winter Haven, FL, we offer secure, fire and intrusion protection for your vital and valuable information. For additional protection from unauthorized access or accidental damage, we randomly assign your records throughout our facility and practice effective methods of access control. While our qualified and experienced RIM professionals specialize in sorting, indexing, storage, and quick retrieval of paper files, folders, and documents, we also offer personalized records management solutions, in keeping with your company’s coding or filing methods.  

Let the experts at Crown Information Management help you with your records management needs. Call 800-979-9545 or contact us online to learn more about our full range of services.