Records Management in a High Tech Era
At Applied Records Management, we know that all too often, a business will realize the importance of good records management only when something has gone wrong.
Has this ever happened in your company? A customer relationship is damaged because of slow service or incomplete information...your company is being sued and cannot locate documents requested by the other side...a governmental agency announces an audit and you discover that your business has been inconsistent in retaining and destroying records...your last available conference room has been converted into a makeshift storage unit for paper files.
These events may be attention-getters, but poor records management also takes a daily, less visible toll in the areas of productivity, risk, and customer service. Consider:
- What is the cost to a company when valuable organizational know-how is kept in emails that are organized only by the date they were sent?
- What is the new ROI (Risk of Incarceration) for not treating voicemail, instant messaging, and backup tapes of email as business records subject to retention schedules?
- How long does it take you to actually locate a document, especially if it is archived?
Don't wait until something goes wrong...ARM helps you create a proactive policy
Most companies are drowning in all types of records--both paper and electronic. The reason? Technology that is supposed to save time has actually multiplied many times over the volume, number of sources, and strategic importance of business records. At the same time, businesses face new legal danger areas relating to records management, retention, and destruction. Finally, disaster recovery planning and business continuity depend on access to vital business documents. Now more than ever, every records - intensive business needs a comprehensive, individualized, consistently applied records management approach. Not every small business owner has the time to become an expert on records policy. This is where Applied Records Management can help.
ARM's business records consulting services start with a thorough assessment of your business records needs, including all of the major factors that impact the volume and type of records your business generates and how records are handled at each stage of their life cycle. Then, we develop an inventory of your active and archived records. Once we have a clear picture of your needs, we provide you with an analysis and a custom set of policies, procedures, and recommendations, including a retention policy for every type of record.
Depending on your situation, we can also offer you document scanning and referrals to our strategic partners FileTrail for semi-automated file tracking and Adelante Document Destruction Services for secure, reliable, ISO-certified document destruction. You can also opt for an annual audit to fine-tune your records management system and make even greater gains in money, time, and office space.