From reducing costs and streamlining processes to taking a more environmentally-friendly approach, there are numerous reasons why companies are striving to go paperless as part of their records management strategy. While there may have been an initial goal in making the transition, those that have achieved at least some degree of success have found additional, unexpected benefits. For example, a company may have implemented a paperless initiative with the goal of reducing costs but found they also dramatically improved in the area of compliance. The most daunting challenge that an organization faces in the quest to create a paperless working environment is determining how to get started. This special report provides you with better insight into how to launch a paperless initiative and helps you anticipate and overcome some of the common hurdles standing in your way.
This special report from Archive Systems will show you how to:
- Get started down the path to a paperless work environment
- Define the success of a paperless initiative
- Avoid pitfalls that can spell disaster for your project
- Overcome the challenges of implementing change
Choose between in-house systems and on-demand solutions
Click here to view the special report.
Discover how to go green with your records management services. View the latest video blog from Andy Koval, Executive Vice President of Archive Systems.
It doesn't matter what store you walk into these days, you're bound to come across a 'back to school' sale. Parents are taking their kids to buy supplies, such as notebooks, pens, and erasers. The younger kids are buying folders decked out with pictures of their favorite super heroes while older kids are deciding between Team Edward or Team Jacob. They will be prepared for the first day of school. On the other hand, there are those who are still pretending there are several weeks left of summer and will be scrambling to find the items they need after school starts. These varying degrees of preparedness provide a good lesson for records managers too.
There are some records managers that are like those students who refuse to believe summer is coming to an end. They pack up boxes for storage, believing that no one will need to access the information. They only need to hold it for a certain time period and then it's off to the shredder. But then one day, someone may request a file and the records manager is left scrambling trying to figure out how to find the information. It's going to cost a lot to pull all the boxes to uncover that lost file. If only they indexed everything prior to shipping the box off to storage!
If you're using business records storage and records management services, it's best to act like those kids who come to school on the first day with their notebooks out, pen in hand, ready to begin. Do you have another records management analogy? Feel free to share on our blog.
Craig Abramson
Online Marketing Manager
Archive Systems, Inc.
Changing the Way the World Manages Documents
My wife and family were out of town and I was tasked with re-grouting the shower walls in our dream home. (Yes, even dream homes leak!) I am a relatively handy guy and didn’t think it was a big deal. Could I scrape out the old grout? Sure. Could I re-grout the walls? Sure. Bob Villa has taught me well. I was very prepared, or so I thought. By the end of the day I was covered in grout from head to toe and the shower floor had more grout than the walls; I realized I didn’t have training for such a task.
As records management professionals, often the people that do some of the work don’t have the training for it. We understand the policies, classifications, procedures and reasons for doing certain things a certain way because that is our primary function. When someone can’t find a file they are looking for, it is often because they miscategorized it to begin with. Then the blame is on our shoulders because we can’t find what they are looking for. What’s the solution? Often it’s training. So train them and you won’t have a mess to clean up, like my shower.
Got another records management analogy? Feel free to share it with us by commenting on this blog.
Randall Sanders
Product Manager
Archive Systems, Inc.
Changing the way the world manages documents
What's new in records management? How can you cut costs on your business records storage? What tips will help you improve your company's record retention policy? Find out by watching our new records management video blog with Andy Koval, Archive Systems' Executive Vice President.
In these new 2 to 3 minute clips, Andy will share the tips, tricks, hints and more to ensure that you are getting the most out of your records management provider.
In this first clip, Andy discusses how to cut the costs of your records management services.
In high school it seemed very important to be labeled; especially with a ‘cool’ label. Jocks, cheerleaders, geeks, nerds, etc… labels were part of everyday life so why aren’t labels part of your records? In science class I learned that all living things are labeled with 9 different labels of taxonomy. (Life, Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species in case you were wondering…) Labels help to identify your records so they can be located again for either retrieval or destruction.
Are 9 labels too much for your records? Probably; but what is the right amount? With the help of your records management company you should be able to figure that out. There should be enough labels to accurately locate your information quickly but not too many that it becomes an administrative burden to maintain. Labels should be clear, concise and transferable to your successor without cryptic notes for deciphering them. As for me, I grew out of my high school labels and I am enjoying my latest one, dad.
Randall Sanders
Product Manager
Archive Systems, Inc.
Fairfield, NJ (August 11, 2010) - Archive Systems, a leading provider of document and records management services, today announced that one of the company’s Franklin, NJ locations is now utilizing solar power. The solar panels are estimated to generate 300,000 kWh annually, enabling Archive Systems to go off of the electric power grid and produce clean energy.
The project, funded by Franklin Realty Group, LLC, enhances Archive Systems' Go Green Initiative. Since 2008, this initiative has saved over five million pounds of fiber. Archive Systems also recently selected a facility that was awarded the LEED® Gold Certification when expanding its document and records management business into Portland, Oregon.
"As we continue our mission to change the way the world manages documents, we also have to focus on our environmental impact. We are very excited that we are able to build on the success of our Go Green Initiative by taking advantage of a solar energy system to reduce our carbon footprint," said Gordon Rapkin, CEO of Archive Systems.
According to Lou Koval, managing partner of Franklin Realty Group, "Energy efficiencies are always part of the planning that goes into all the properties we develop. With solar energy becoming a priority in New Jersey, we felt it was an investment we needed to make. Having a partner like Archive Systems made it an easy choice for us. We are now able to cover all of their energy needs in one of their facilities and hope to be able to add capacity to cover a second facility soon."
The solar energy system is 276kW, consisting of 1,314 solar modules. Franklin Realty contracted NJ Solar Power for the design and installation of the system. By relying on solar energy, the company is estimated to avoid creating over 7,000 tons of carbon dioxide, 35,000 pounds of nitrogen oxides, 57,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide, and 27,000 pounds of mercury.
About Franklin Realty Group, LLC
Franklin Realty Group (FRG) is a New Jersey based company focused on the development and management of commercial properties. After decades in the construction and property management business, Louis Koval formed FRG for the purpose of acquiring, developing and managing properties specific to the records management industry. Throughout its history, FRG has embraced a philosophy of personal involvement and its partners remain highly focused on the strategies of its customers. This vision has led to long lasting relationships with its tenants..
About Archive Systems, Inc.
Archive Systems delivers products and services that enable organizations to manage paper and digital documents. The company provides a bridge to a paperless future by uniting traditional records management services with cloud-based Virtual File Room technology. Records management services range from physical business records storage and secure document shredding to digital document conversion services and on-demand Virtual File Delivery. Archive Systems' flagship document management platform, ASPEN, automates and optimizes complex document-based processes, and manages the flow of work throughout an organization. ASPEN Accounts Payable automation combines AP best practices with ZeroTouch AP imaging and workflow. Additional ASPEN Virtual File Room applications support document centric areas such as human resources, vendor management, and contract and lease management. These technologies, combined with Archive Systems document services, capture, store, route, and archive documents online – improving efficiency and accuracy while lowering costs. Archive Systems is changing the way the world manages documents. For more information, please visit www.archivesystems.com.
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August 18, 2:00PM EDT
Click here to register now!
That what gets measured gets managed, but too often Records Managers don’t have the right metrics to truly understand the effectiveness of their program. As the volume of records grows, and the lines between physical and digital records continue to blur, there are important metrics you must consider. This 45 minute Webinar will take you through the key metrics that you must know if you are responsible for your company’s records management program. We'll review:
- Which key aspects of records management need to be measured
- What metrics can be used most effectively
- How to measure the impact on the bottom line
In a recent records management poll we conducted over 56% of people chose “Fear of change” as the main obstacle in their way to a paperless future. The response that came in 2nd was funding. I found that to be an interesting statement that made me curious to what is behind this fear.
I’ve asked some people here at Archive Systems who deal with clients every day. Here are some of the reasons we see:
- Fear of letting go of paper (paper = comfort)
- Distrust of electronic documents (security, disaster recovery)
- Perception of project being large and costly
- Not knowing where to begin
- Fear of failure
The first three fall into the category “Fear of the Unknown”. These fears exist in the departments that will be impacted by a change in process, and typically not the Records Managers. The goal for the Records Manager is to educate each group to relieve these fears. If the users do not have all the information readily available they will continue to be an obstacle.
The latter two fall into the category “Deer in the Headlights”. Records Managers see the enormous amount of work in front of them and fall into gridlock. This is not an unusual response for anyone who gets overwhelmed with “to dos” – nothing ends up getting done. My two cents here – prioritize and plan. Go for the quick wins first; begin with a department that is accepting and eager for change and work with them as the pilot. From there tackle department after department.
Fear is healthy if it produces careful planning and risk mitigation. It is deadly if it stops progress.
What are your thoughts? Have you experienced other fears? Inquiring minds want to know!
Paul Giardina
Chief Marketing Officer
Archive Systems, Inc.
Changing the Way the World Manages Documents
Did you ever open the refrigerator door and get hit in the face with a smell that you can’t describe? That’s nature’s way of telling you the Chinese food you ate 3 weeks ago is past its retention period. Don’t you wish that your records did the same thing? You retrieve a file from storage, open it and ‘Wham!’ the sour smell of milk hits you in the face. While this would definitely make identifying records past their life much easier, it isn’t practical, plus no one would want to work in the file room.
So how do you stay up-to-date with records to make sure your company isn’t exposed to unnecessary liability and legal discovery? By being diligent. Diligent about creating record retention policies, being diligent about applying the policies to your collection and being diligent about reviewing items in your collection for destruction. Seems like a lot of work, right? If you can’t, won’t or don’t know enough about retention then make sure you have a partner in your records management company. They should give you the tools and knowledge to make appropriate and accurate decisions about the life of your business records storage collection. If they don’t, just pack some Chinese food in with your files.
Randall Sanders
Senior Manager of Client Support
Archive Systems, Inc.
Changing the way the world manages documents