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For organizations using multiple offsite records storage vendors, consolidating records under one vendor can create economies of scale and improve operations - if they are properly prepared to make the move.
Although the world has report- edly "gone digital," organiza- tions continue to struggle with managing large volumes of paper records. Using separate offsite storage solutions by ge- ographically dispersed locations is quite common. Often, though, these lo- cations have few controls to enable compliance with records management requirements.
Following the steps below for con- solidating records from multiple loca- tions under one vendor can enhance records management processes, pro- viding a good solution for this chal- lenge.
Editor's note: Because selecting a new vendor is too complex to cover in this space, this article points readers looking for guidance on that step to Guideline for Evaluating Offsite Records Storage Facilities, available at www.arma, org/bookstore.
Step 1: Gather Information
The first step in organizing a ven- dor consolidation project - before se- lecting a new vendor - is to create a database or spreadsheet to track the locations, volumes, and types of the or- ganization's records, as well as the ac- count numbers and contact information for each storage location. This information will be critical to de- veloping a request for proposal (RFP) for vendor selection.
Identifying Storage Locations
Frequently, the accounting de- partment can generate a list of ven- dors to whom storage fees are being paid to provide a starting point for a database.
However, it is possible that records are also being stored in internal onsite storage rooms, employee homes, and self-storage facilities. Payments to these locations may not have been coded as "records storage" in the ac- counting system, so identifying them will likely require additional investi- gation.
Determining Transition Requirements
Each business unit will have unique requirements for transitioning its records to a new vendor, so begin by surveying each one to gather the fol- lowing basic information:
* Name of business unit
* Address
* Authorized users and contact infor- mation
* Names of users requiring destruc- tion authority
* A list of services needed (e.g., stor- age, shredding, on-demand imaging)
* Whether box-level or individual file listings are needed
* Whether online box submission will be...