Traditional Offsite Storage vs Digital Archive Storage
Traditional offsite storage practices can lead to substantial costs. For many businesses, the cost of housing thousands of boxes in an offsite storage facility can accumulate over years or even decades. Reviewing the records will reveal that the expenses associated with storage, retrieval, and transportation of these documents are significant.
Document scanning services, on the other hand, are transforming the way businesses manage their archives. Once digitised, a document's lifespan is virtually unlimited, and the costs associated with storage and retrieval are significantly reduced. Furthermore, digital documents are accessible from anywhere, at any time, boosting the efficiency of business operations.
Digitising documents also offers additional security. In a world where data breaches are increasingly common, maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of business records is paramount. Digital files can be encrypted, access-controlled, and backed up to multiple locations, mitigating the risk of loss due to natural disasters or theft.
One significant advantage of document scanning over physical storage is the ability to effortlessly manage and retrieve documents. Time spent searching through boxes for a specific document can be better used for more critical tasks. With a digital archiving system, employees can instantly locate the information they need with a simple keyword search.
The benefits extend beyond cost savings. Document scanning enables businesses to adapt to the evolving digital landscape. It enhances customer service by ensuring quick response times and fosters a more flexible, mobile workforce. Employees can access documents remotely, making telecommuting a viable option, which is particularly beneficial in today's post-pandemic work environment.
The Real Expense of Offsite Document Storage
From a financial perspective, document scanning services may seem like a significant upfront investment. However, when considering long-term savings and efficiencies, the investment proves worthwhile. Businesses storing boxes offsite for over five years will start to see the financial advantages of document scanning. This strategy will not only save money over time but will also streamline operations, improve security, and foster better customer service.
The Drawbacks of Physical Document Retrieval
Traditional offsite storage methods often come with their own set of time constraints. Recalling a specific box or file from a storage warehouse is not an instantaneous process - it may take anywhere from a few hours to several days. This delay can significantly impact customer service levels, particularly when quick access to information is necessary. Every minute that your employees are waiting for a document to arrive is a minute that they are not serving your customers to the best of their ability. In addition to the impact on customer service, each recall carries its own cost. This is an expenditure that businesses must bear every time a box is retrieved, further increasing the long-term cost of physical document storage. Document scanning services eliminate these issues by ensuring instant access to all your documents at a click of a button, leading to significant time savings and improved customer service efficiency.
Complying with GDPR
Complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) can be a significant challenge for businesses storing a large volume of historical documents in offsite warehouses. When dealing with thousands of boxes and potentially millions of individual records, ensuring that data is managed correctly and confidentially can feel near impossible. Mismanagement or loss of data could lead to serious violations of GDPR, resulting in hefty fines and damage to the company's reputation.
On the other hand, digital document storage provides a much more robust and manageable solution for GDPR compliance. With digitally scanned documents, businesses can employ advanced data management systems that include encryption, access controls, and automated data retention policies. This ensures that personal data is kept secure, easily accessible to those with the correct authorisation, and can be deleted when no longer required - all key elements of GDPR compliance.
The contrast is clear: digital document management not only simplifies GDPR compliance but actively supports it.
The Hassle of Offsite Document Storage
Over the years, an offsite storage warehouse can turn into a labyrinth of mystery boxes, with the contents of each becoming less clear as time goes on. In many instances, documents have been shifted around, the box inventory is outdated, and the person who originally managed the records is no longer associated with the business.
This lack of clear information can create an overwhelming problem, leaving businesses unable to make decisions about the disposal or shredding of certain documents. The fear of accidentally disposing of essential documents often leads to businesses choosing to maintain their storage indefinitely, accepting the ongoing costs as a necessary evil.
This is a predicament where a professional document imaging service can step in to help. By digitising the documents, these services can help businesses unravel their past and provide a clear understanding of the content of each box. This can help in eliminating the confusion surrounding the archives, and consequently, reduce the ongoing costs associated with physical document storage.
The decision to utilise a document scanning service is not just about saving money, it's also about regaining control over your business's document archives, making information more accessible, and ensuring its safe, compliant storage.
Pearl Scan Group
London, United Kingdom
Date: 09/06/2023
Share This Article
