When striking a new working relationship, it is natural for you to have a number of questions before you make any commitments. Different businesses will have different questions, tailoring what they want to know to their individual circumstances and anything that could individually apply to them.
Having said this, we have created some non-specific questions that every business should look to put to their potential new document storage providers
Blog Contents:
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- What are the benefits of your offsite document storage?
- Can I save money by using a document storage service?
- What process do you have for the storage and retrieval of documents?
- How secure are your businesses premises and operations?
- Are all of my business requirements met?
- Are your services environmentally friendly?
- What to look for in a document storage provider
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What are the benefits of your offsite document storage?
Remote document storage offers a wide variety of benefits to businesses, and so before embarking on the partnership, you should be sure of exactly what they can do to help your business, as well as offsite document storage as a whole. A business can expect to receive the following benefits of remote document storage and many more:
- Business data security
- Increased productivity amongst employees
- Easier access to data
- Great satisfaction of services provided
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Can I save money by using a document storage service?
Almost all document storage companies will suggest that you are able to save money by using the document storage service that they provide. This is because businesses are able to make savings in a number of areas, including reducing office space, less need for administration and any tools needed to destroy unwanted and outdated documents. To ensure that these costs can be saved, an agreement needs to be set out that identifies the costs of the storage, allowing you to make decisions on how you are going to be able to make savings.
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What process do you have for the storage and retrieval of documents?
Something that is very important to understand is how your documents are going to be stored and what impact this has upon retrieval of your documents, if any at all. Most providers will have their own system in place that manages individual boxes of documents, tracking the current and past locations of the box, as well as any other relevant information about the box that is on file.
Having such a system will also provide easy retrieval of individual boxes of documents, allowing the company to easily locate where it is, so that it can be accessed instantly. The provider also then has the opportunity to outline how your documents will be stored, which is typically in specially designed boxes that are located within securely protected premises.
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How secure are your businesses premises and operations?
Within the document storage industry, security and protection is a vital part of choosing which company to trust. Finding a business with all of the correct regulations and legislations in place is all well and good, but physical measures are essential to convincing you that you can trust your documents with this specific company. Typical security measures that you should expect to be in place include manned security, active alarms, monitored CCTV systems and health and safety precautions.
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Are all of my business requirements met?
In order to receive the best service possible, your business requirements should be met and the company in question should go above and beyond to provide the very best service that they can. These requirements should include being flexible to the way that your business operates, but also any requirements that your business has from working within a specific sector or under any regulatory bodies.
It can also be very useful to enquire whether the service provider will check retention dates of documents, and advise you on the next steps for upcoming retention deadlines.
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Are your services environmentally friendly?
Businesses throughout the UK are more conscious about environmentally friendly services than ever before, particularly as it can have a big impact on the reputation of your business. More of the general public are considering the environment and only give their custom to worthy businesses that operate in an environmentally friendly way.
Providers within this sector will usually have the correct credentials and be fully compliant, but it is still a great idea to question their business stance on the environment and how this is reflected within the services that they provide.
What to look for in a document storage service provider
Here, we take a look at some of the key things that you should be on the lookout for when searching for your own document storage provider:
Unlimited access to files
Storing your files and documentation off site is a great space saver, but there may still be times when you need to access it, and most firms will provide a way to do so. This is something that you should pay close attention to, as you not only want to ensure that you can reach your documentation, but you also need to check whether anyone else can. You should also check that you can access your documents whenever required, and not limited to only a certain amount of time per month.
Find out whether your provider has CCTV in place, and how they check who is permitted to access your files. Take a look at whether there are staff on site at all times and how they will control access.
You also want to ensure that you can find any documentation quickly and easily, so find out more about their archiving system to ensure you will have no difficulties finding the right thing when you need it.
Secure storage options
It is important to make sure that your documents are safely and securely stored, so you should find out more about how they do this. Many providers will offer boxes for you to use that are of a high quality and should be double-walled for extra strength.
They should also be able to provide packing tape and bubble wrap to make sure that everything is fully protected. In addition to this, look for information on the environment that your documents will be stored in to check that the temperature and humidity is controlled and will not damage your paperwork.
The provider should be able to assure you that they have sufficient shelving in place, which can not only help with organisation but can also prolong the lifespan of your boxes. Keeping them up high on metal shelves can prevent things like water damage from spills and floods.
Fire is another great risk to documentation, so your provider should have adequate fire protection in place, such as preventative fire-safe construction, fire protection systems and the ability to suppress fire rather than resorting to the equally damaging water sprinklers.
Insurance
The data that a business holds is one of its most valuable assets, and so you should check that your document storage provider has comprehensive insurance cover. This should give you some peace of mind that your business will be recompensed if a disaster occurs. If you have any particular documentation that is especially valuable, either financially or in its importance to the business, then you should find out whether the provider can increase the insurance cover beyond what they offer as standard.
In the eyes of the law, your data is your responsibility, so it is up to you to ensure that it will be kept securely. That means it is important to do your homework when it comes to researching your document storage provider and ensure that all reasonable measures have been taken to keep your files safe from harm.
Secure document storage by RADS
If you’re looking to organise important documents in your business, get in touch with our professional team who can give you advice on which services will suit your needs best. You can also request a quote to receive more in-depth information for the service you’re interested in using.