Choosing a reliable and trustworthy records management company is essential for the secure and efficient storage of your documents and choosing a reputable and reliable company to store your paper records and documents is crucial to ensure compliance with document management policies and regulations, and security of your organization’s records. You must perform adequate due diligence to ensure the vendor you select is both qualified and capable of meeting your organization’s needs. Here are some factors to consider when selecting a company for offsite document and records storage:
- Compliance and Certifications: Ensure that the company follows industry standards and holds relevant certifications. Look for certifications such the NAID AAA certification for information destruction, or alignment with standards for storage by governing bodies like NARA, or ANSI/AIIM. For more secure storage needs, you may want to look for more specific requirements for facilities and equipment. For instance, Advantage’s FireLock vault certified and rated by Omega Point Laboratories to meet the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) and NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) standards for the storage of magnetic and electronic media. Depending on your industry, your documents may be subject to specific legal or regulatory requirements. Ensure that the records management company understands and complies with these requirements to avoid any compliance issues.
- Security Measures: Evaluate the security measures implemented by the company to protect your documents. This may include physical security features like access controls, surveillance systems, and secure storage facilities. Additionally, inquire about data security measures, such as encryption and restricted access to digital records. Advantage Document Scanning and Storage Solutions has maintained comprehensive documentation of our policies, procedures, and practices, and would be happy to share them with you to help you establish your own evaluation criteria. The documentation outlines steps Advantage has taken to ensure all employees are insured and bonded, having completed a background check at the time of employment. It spells out specific policies like all our personnel are randomly drug tested and must assent to a confidentiality agreement as a condition of employment. It also discusses day-to-day operational procedures, like employees being required to wear an Advantage logo on their ID badge, shirt, or jacket, and all visitors at all facilities are required to sign in, issued a visitors pass, and escorted throughout the premises. The records management centers you are evaluating should have similar detailed documentation and provide it to you upon request.
- Storage Facilities: Visit the company’s storage facilities if possible or request detailed information about their storage infrastructure. Assess factors such as climate control, fire protection systems, pest control measures, and disaster recovery plans. Locally owned and operated records management companies like Advantage Archives are more than happy to come to your office to discuss your needs, but we highly recommend that you tour the facilities of the records storage companies you are evaluating first hand to ensure that it meets your expectations, and are given the opportunity on the tour to ask specific questions about what you are seeing, and how they relate to your needs and requirements.
- Document Handling and Organization: Inquire about the company’s processes for document handling, tracking, and organization. They should have well-defined procedures for indexing, cataloging, and retrieval to ensure efficient access to your records when needed. Make note of additional steps taken to offer additional protection to your records by the record management companies you are evaluating. For instance, at Advantage, we require that only authorized employees of Advantage handle pickups and deliveries, we do not allow or employ 3rd party couriers or contractors. The actual loading and unloading of vehicles for daily pickups and deliveries are performed inside of our facility. Only vehicles owned and insured by Advantage are used for picking up and delivery of our client’s records and are driven inside our facility for security as well as protection from the various elements of the weather. Each records management company offers their own processes and procedures, so compare what is offered, and decide if they meet or exceed your organization’s needs. Consider the ease and speed of document retrieval when required. The company should provide efficient retrieval services, whether it involves physical delivery or digital access, and have protocols in place to meet your specific retrieval needs.
- Document Destruction and Disposal: If document disposal is part of your records management requirements, evaluate the company’s document destruction processes. They should follow secure and compliant procedures to ensure proper disposal of sensitive information and maintain a NAID AAA Certification that verifies secure data destruction compliance with all known data protection laws through scheduled and surprise audits by trained, accredited security professionals, fulfilling customers’ regulatory due diligence obligations.
- Insurance and Liability: Inquire about the company’s insurance coverage and liability policies. They should have appropriate insurance to cover any potential loss or damage to your records while in their custody. Verify that they, like Advantage, are insured and bonded by several agencies that perform their own audits and reviews of their facility. Request documentation that their employees are insured and bonded, and that disaster and recovery plan carries language that references their role and responsibility in the case of loss and or damage.
- Scalability and Flexibility: Consider your future needs and growth potential. Ensure that the records management company can accommodate your changing requirements, whether it’s additional storage space, document digitization, or customized services. Some records centers, like Advantage’s, offer a wide range of additional document related solutions that go above and beyond the standard storage services. Look for a vendor that can manage the complete lifecycle of your document, and any foreseeable use cases related to them. This may include active file management, long term-off site storage, digital transformation, data archiving, secure document destruction, archival microfilming, or secure vault storage.
- Pricing and Contracts: Obtain detailed pricing information and review the contract terms carefully. Ensure that the pricing structure is transparent, and there are no hidden costs. Understand the terms of the contract, including termination or “permanent out” clauses and potential additional penalties that might be incurred during the contract period. It is important to note that pricing structures and packages may differ between records management companies. Some companies offer pricing based on a fee per square or cubic foot as their “per unit” price, while others like Advantage charge per box so there is no “surprise” when the invoice comes. A standard records box is generally 1.2 cubic feet, so when comparing pricing, make sure you are comparing “apples-to-apples”. Also look closely at the cost per each service. There is usually a charge each time the box is handled, on top of the service fee. These are often referred to as a Retrieval and Refile fees (taking a box off of the shelf, and putting the box back on the shelf), and can add up if priced to aggressively. Also make sure you understand the cost of setup or onboarding, and any indexing or cataloging fees, To obtain accurate pricing information, it is recommended to reach out to several records management centers, provide details about your needs, and request a comprehensive quote. This will allow you to compare costs and services to make an informed decision based on your budget and requirements.
- Client Support and Customer Service: Assess the level of customer support and responsiveness provided by the company. Prompt and effective communication, as well as a dedicated account manager or customer service representative, can greatly enhance your experience.
- Experience and Reputation: Look for a company with a solid track record and extensive experience in records management. Consider their reputation, years in operation, and client testimonials or references. Make note of the vendor’s relationships with respected businesses, organizations, and agencies that are like your own. If you are in the healthcare industry, references from the University of Iowa Health or UnityPoint might be of particular interest. Those in the agricultural sector may benefit from speaking with a major manufacturer like John Deere, or even a local co-op. Utility companies like Alliant Energy can also provide valuable insights. Corporations like ACT or Pearson’s that are focused on providing services to education sector make fantastic references for colleges, K-12 schools, and educators, as they themselves have strict selection criteria and process requirements and have likely done significant due diligence of their own. Also pay attention which vendors are trusted by locally respected community institutions like newspaper publishers, funeral homes, public libraries, museums, historical societies, or non-profits. A good offsite storage company should be able to provide you with a long list of recognizable names. 12. Confidentiality: Confidentiality is crucial for document storage. Ensure that the company has strict policies and procedures in place to protect the privacy of your information, including confidentiality agreements with their employees. Many records management companies have taken steps to minimize any risk through internal policies that address project security, however some like Advantage Document Scanning and Storage Solutions take additional steps to thoroughly screen candidates before they are employed. A reputable records management company will take steps to ensure a standard for their employees with access to your records. Requiring a completed a background check at the time of employment and an assent to a confidentiality agreement prior to hiring an employee are the bare minimum requirements you should find acceptable.
By considering these factors and conducting thorough research, you can select a records management company that aligns with your specific needs, provides reliable and secure document storage, and offers excellent customer support. We are confident that you will discover that Advantage Document Scanning and Storage Solutions is the most qualified records management center in Eastern Iowa for offsite records management and storage.
