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AT THE CORE
IN THIS ARTICLE YOU WILL LEARN
* How to determine whether to use in-house records centers or commercial records storage companies
* What three conditions should be considered when outsourcing a records center
* How to prepare a request for proposal for commercial records centers
In his book Business @ The Speed of Thought, Bill Gates states, " An important reengineering principle is that companies should focus on their core competencies and outsource everything else." The important word here is competencies. If a company has a fully implemented records management program and each of its elements provide more cost savings and efficiencies than can be provided elsewhere, those elements should remain internal. Gates also cites several such examples of this condition in his book. This article addresses the value of outsourcing addresses center value of tions, the use of commercial records centers, and the factors to consider in deciding whether to use such an approach.
Commercial records centers have been in operation in the United States for almost 50 years. They have always represented an alternative solution for housing and managing an organization's inactive and semi-active records. Evidence of the commercial records center growth was the formation of a trade association for commercial records centers called PRISM International. This organization supports the outsourcing concept through its conferences, publications, and Web site promotion (www.prismintl.org). The continuing growth of the records storage industry suggests the health of this sector. The commercial records center, long a staple of the comprehensive information management programs, is probably the field's most publicized and most accepted form of outsourcing.
A Critical Program Element
Records centers have always been the most visible showcase for records management effectiveness. Those not yet convinced about the value of records management have been shown an orderly collection of the organization's records, neatly maintained and promptly retrieved when needed. Here is tangible evidence to management and staff that the organization's valuable store of information was receiving proper attention and management. The records center gives life and meaning to the values of retention schedules. It supports investigations and litigation. It covers the needs of general, vital, archival, and classified records. It is one of the most effective internal controls for records.
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