Creating an Effective Document Management Plan for Your Business

Having a records management plan in place for your business provides the opportunity to keep your critical information secure at all times. In a time where identity theft and fraud cases continue to take place, it’s that much more important that your business is taking the right precautions to secure its data. For accounting, regulatory, legal and other particular purposes, many companies are legally mandated to store records for a specific time frame.

In many situations, however, storage space is limited. This makes organizing and storing records much more challenging for everyone involved. A cluttered and messy office creates the perfect environment for records to go missing or worse, be stolen. If and when this occurs, your business could be at substantial risk. Your company has an ethical and legal responsibility to protect confidential data

The great news is that there are several approaches you can take to ensure your information remains secure and safe from internal and external threats.

Let’s look at 4 Aspects of an Effective Document Management Plan:

#1: Record storage

Implementing digital services like cloud storage and document scanning will increase your employee and company efficiency tremendously. As mentioned, it can be difficult to store and locate files in-house at your business when you’re flooded with overflowing cabinets. Professionally storing your records will improve the way you approach document management because you’ll know exactly where all critical information is stored and you will have ongoing access to information. Most notably, your business will cut back on its costs and reduce the number of inefficient, timely job duties.

#2: Retention schedule

Your records have a specific retention period for which they need to be securely stored. Attempting this internally at your place of business will take up considerable time and effort, not to mention space.  Should you be audited without much warning, you could end up facing data breach if it’s discovered documents weren’t accounted for. When it’s time to remove your old records for shredding, finding these files that have reached the end of their life cycle could be much more challenging. Through the use of a retention schedule, you never have to worry about your stored records again.

#3: Document shredding

After your information has served its purpose and does not need to remain on file, make sure its thoroughly shredded. You are accountable for the information in those records and could be found liable if they are breached. Any business (whether large or small!) is legally responsible for securing sensitive information. Whether key privacy national legislation such as HIPAA and FACTA, industry-specific regulations, or municipal laws, there are many regulations guiding proper business practices. Simply tossing sensitive documents into a standard garbage or recycling bin invites trouble, and can be a threatening security risk to your business. Don’t risk being held liable for fraudulent actions or identity theft.

DataSafe supplies secure document shredding services when you’re ready to dispose of your sensitive records safely. We proud to be well-versed in the specific shredding needs of specific industries, including legal, medical, and financial.

#4: Disaster recovery plan

Did you know that if a business experiences the effects of a natural disaster, there is a strong likelihood that it may never recover from the loss? Unless your Oregon business has an effective disaster recovery plan in place to secure you from such a risk, information could be lost if you’re hit by a flood or fire. Of course, nobody wants to picture this scenario occurring, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Make sure your business is ready for anything and prepare a disaster recovery plan for the upcoming year.

Get organized with DataSafe

By implementing this recommended document management plan, you are taking a proactive approach securing your business and staying compliant with federal and state privacy laws. If you are interested in improving or beginning a document management program entirely, DataSafe is your reliable source for every solution. Our services include document scanning, document shredding, technology escrow, and more. Please reach out to our professional team today and call 503-620-3423.