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3 Steps to Prepping for Next Year

3 Steps to Prepping for Next Year

It’s time to wrap up this year’s business activities, and often it can seem like a mountain of paper has collected while you were tending to your organization’s core mission. To get a fresh start in the new year, you’ll have to deal with all those documents. Conquer the paper mountain by sorting documents into three categories: Scan, File, or Shred.

Scan It – Transform your paper documents into digital assets through a well-designed digitization program. Much more than a simple PDF document, imaged documents offer the advantages of secure information access, speedy information searches, and extraordinary space savings. The National Association of Productivity & Organizing estimates that a four-drawer file cabinet holds 18,000 documents. A single desktop hard drive can store the contents of 100 file cabinets. What could you do with all that extra office space?

File It – Certain original documents simply have to be retained in paper form. However, they don’t have to take up an excess of storage space. Offices can reduce their document storage footprint by 50% with a high-density shelving system that eliminates all but one of the center aisles between file cabinets. Add security features like biometric locks, and your one-of-a-kind documents won’t fall into the wrong hands.

Shred It – Is a document outdated? Or if it’s still relevant, has it been imaged? Or do you have multiple redundant copies of a document? If you answer “Yes” to any of these questions, you may not need to hold on to the original documents any longer. Shredding unneeded documents, like digitization, reduces your physical storage footprint. Take care, however, that your documents are shredded securely, so intellectual property, private information, and trade secrets aren’t exposed.

SmallBusinessTrends.com offers a number of ideas for office organization, including document management tips. Make your New Year’s resolution now to talk to a document management consultant in January, and next year you’ll avoid the end-of-year paper mountain. And if you’ve already implemented a well-organized document management system, you can enjoy the holidays without paper anxiety

 

Photo © Elnur / AdobeStock

Troubled by Porch Pirates?

Troubled by Porch Pirates?

Those bold, shameless porch pirates are out in force, appropriating delivered goods and selling them for whatever they can get. But there could be a different kind of “porch pirate” targeting your business – data thieves who trade in the business of stolen information.

Whether it’s package theft or data theft, it affects your bottom line. In cases of HIPAA violations, identity theft, or other unauthorized information releases, you can face costly fines and lawsuits. And your profits take a hit when you have to replace shipments that the customer never received.

When clients don’t trust your security, they take their business elsewhere. Fortunately, there are some smart storage technologies that boost security and reduce your liability.

  1. Digitization – Paper is often called an “ephemeral medium.” It’s easy to lose, easy to damage or destroy, and easy to steal. Document digitization shields your business from the liability of missing documents and information theft. The electronic versions of your documents are accessible only to authorized users. With the originals shredded or in secure archives, your imaged documents are safe in their virtual file cabinet. Those who shouldn’t touch your documents will not be able to lay their hands on them, quite literally.
  2. Smart lockers – Amazon was one of the earliest adopters of smart-locker technology. A customer’s package is delivered to a numbered locker with an electronic lock automatically set to a one-time combination. The combination is emailed or texted to the customer, who can then retrieve the package at a convenient time. Smart lockers are now cropping up in apartment complexes, in college campuses, and in business settings, eliminating highly insecure door delivery. It’s a win for the package recipients and a win for the business or the property management.
  3. Secure high-density storageHigh-density storage systems are known for their space-saving attributes, reducing storage footprints by as much as 50%. Sliding on floor-mounted rails, these systems eliminate all but one aisle between shelving units. Their electronic locks eliminate something else: unauthorized access to sensitive material such as patient health records, legal documents, or intellectual property. Locks can be programmed to track access based on security codes. Biometric locks add an even greater level of security.

People are wising up to the ways smart technology can defeat porch pirates around their homes. Talk to a storage consultant who can help you assemble the right security solutions to keep the porch pirates and data thieves out of your business.

Photo © MStock / AdobeStock