IT’S COMPLICATED We humans have had an incredibly long relationship with paper. Apparently, being creatures of habit, this isn’t something we can easily throw away (even if it is paper we’re talking about). After all, we can touch, hold and feel close to it, which are qualities digital information clearly lacks. And it’s this physical nature that actually makes the information paper holds seem all the more substantive and tangible. That may partly explain why many organizations have, so far, been reluctant to digitize their paper documents. Of course, the additional cost of making such a transition is also a big factor.
What’s more, while paper can burn, yellow, fade and disintegrate, the digital universe brings its own set of vulnerabilities. Think data corruption, viruses, misfilings, accidental deletions, software/hardware failures. Still, there is no denying that digitizing information provides significant advantages, especially in areas such as distribution and information sharing, storage space, quick access, editing and overall flexibility of use.
TAKING A BLENDED, HYBRID APPROACH The truth is, there are environments where paper and electronic records can capably co- exist and support each other. Even in a transitional state, both paper and electronic records are needed at least until the transition is complete. In moving records from paper to digital form, striking a balance (even if temporary) between paper and digitized records, and trying to reduce information volume, a company like GRM can really help.
Drawing upon its knowledgeable experts and extensive resources, GRM works in partnership with each client to devise a custom, optimal solution. What is recommended, and what more and more organizations are adopting, is a blended paper/electronic hybrid approach along with an ongoing program to eliminate unnecessary information in both formats. This response delivers a number of advantages that include quicker and easier accessibility, secure backup and the gaining/maintaining of better overall information control. Having vital documents both on paper and digitized also provides added backup insurance over the vulnerabilities inherent in one format or the other, i.e. paper deterioration or data corruption.
PAPER/DIGITAL SUPPORT SERVICES An information management specialist like GRM takes a holistic approach, supporting the entire lifecycle of paper and electronic records. It enhances a client’s operations and ability to thrive and expand by providing a range of best practice services that include:
- Hard Copy Records Management — stored in secure, offsite facilities, tracked by barcode; destruction of hard copies occurs in accordance with client Retention Schedules
- Electronic Document Management Platform — featuring a wide range of cost- effective SaaS (Software As A Service) benefits. Delivered as an outsourced, web-based, on-demand service, this type of hosted document management system yields substantial savings for clients by elminating upfront capital expenditures, the need to purchase additional hardware/software, ongoing maintenance costs, internal IT-support issues and future hardware upgrades.
- Business Processing Automation – Through the intelligent combining of content with single sign-in, back-end applications and other automated services this technology can significantly improve internal collaboration and external customer service. It gives departments, divisions and entire organizations the ability to plan and implement a wide range of manageable process-driven solutions.
- Scan-On-Request — this type of service enables fast, on-request electronic delivery of hardcopy records and allows immediate access to documents and records stored offsite.
- Timely Pick Ups/Deliveries — including rapid response in the case of emergencies On or Offsite Scanning—quickly converts paper documents to digital; streamlines and facilitates the storing and retrieval of important paper-originating information.
- Compliance Consulting — keeping clients current with all relevant regulations, which are constantly changing on local, state, federal and international levels; it’s critical that services and systems are able to track chain-of-custody from the moment a record is received.
- Litigation Support — maintaining a state-of-the-art system for locating and delivering files quickly and efficiently; scanning paper documents and electronically delivering their content when needed.
- Security — Physical documents are barcoded, indexed and then randomly stored offsite in boxes and in secure multiple locations These procedures prevent the loss or misplacement of hard copy records while minimizing the risk of corporate sabotage and disaster-related loss or damage. Web hosting such as that provided by GRM is SAS 70 Type II and ISO 9000:2001 certified and provide a number of 24/7 security measures. Username/password sign-ins allow access only to authorized users. Documents are firewall-protected and electronically archived in a mirrored repository. And every piece of information is continually tracked through an ongoing chain-of-custody audit trail.
- Built- in Retention, Destruction Dates and Proof of Destruction — with retention schedules prepared to an organization’s specific needs; designed to maintain control over information, eliminate unnecessary information and minimize legal, financial, security and privacy risks. Final client authorization is required for actual destruction to proceed.
COST-EFFECTIVE IN EVERY WAY
The notion that internal storage/preservation is more efficient and less expensive than contracting with an outside provider is faulty in every regard.
In 2006, The Boston Globe newspaper reported on a study by The Delphi Group, a Boston consultancy. Key findings showed that approximately 15% of all papers handled in businesses became lost and that 30% of an organization’s time, on average, was spent trying to find lost documents. In a separate study, Coopers & Lybrand determined that U.S. companies spend approximately $120.00 in labor to find a misfiled document and $220.00 to reproduce a lost document. These studies show that organizations are paying a steep price, in lost and misplaced documents alone, by choosing to manage information themselves. And it’s an unnecessary cost given that the use of a reliable outside provider like GRM virtually eliminates misplaced and lost documents.
Even with information storage, enlisting an outside provider costs far less than what is spent when organizations do it themselves. The State of Michigan, in a study comparing onsite and offsite records storage made the following determinations:
- Estimated costs of onsite records storage — $32.50 per cubic foot per year, including space and filing cabinets.
- Estimated costs of using an offsite records storage vendor — between $1.50 and $3.00 per cubic foot per year.
That’s not even close. And the benefits don’t stop there. A provider such as GRM, with its web-based inventory system, ensures quick, easy access, comprehensive tracking, exceptional security and reliable backup throughout the information lifecycle. The bottom line is better information management at a significant reduction in cost, not just in terms of money, but also in relief from worry and stress.
MORE ABOUT GRM
GRM Document Management is a leading provider of lifecycle records and information management solutions. The company brings proprietary innovation, blended integration and new levels of cost efficiency to document storage, data protection, digital/electronic document management and certified destruction. With over 25 years of experience, GRM has earned the trust and continued business of more than 5,000 customers—large and small, domestic and multinational—representing a wide range of industries. Clients are served from state-of-the-art, climate-controlled facilities in major U.S. markets and internationally throughout China.
