It's Time to Purge your Business Records

Every year after Thanksgiving, businesses all over the world clean out older files and make space for the new year. It's time to set a date for your "Purge Party". One thing I know you will need is Records Storage Boxes. Why pay more for lower quality at the big name stores?

Elmwood Records Center has heavy duty records storage boxes that are made to last. Order your boxes today. Special pricing for volume discounts and delivery are available. Call Matt Glaviano, Elmwood's Records Analyst at 504-826-9090 or email him at mattglaviano@elmwoodrecords.com to place your order now.

Why your Organization needs a Records Management Program

Written by: 
Allen Podraza ECMp, ERMp, SharePoint p

Do you know what records your organization must keep and for how long, to comply with federal and state statutes and regulations? Have you identified and preserved your organization’s vital records ensuring they are available in case of disaster? If you are involved in litigation, do you know where your organization’s electronically stored records are located and how they can be searched and accessed? If your organization completes an IRS Form 990, will you be able to answer “yes” to the question asking whether your organization has a records management program in place?

READ MORE 

Between 70-80% of an organization’s processes are still being managed on paper.

Isn't it time you looked in records management?  No Job is Too Big or Too Small!

Accounts will automatically upgrade to the next business package once the box quantity exceeds the current package limit and the monthly fees and services will apply accordingly. Once an account exceeds the 200 box threshold of the Platinum Package the account will automatically upgrade to the standard account rates.

*Additional fees may apply for extra services required.

** Box sizes (units) are considered as follows:   Size 1 = under 1.2 cubes (1 unit); Size 2 = 1.3 to 2.0 cubes (2 units) (including x-ray boxes) and Size 3 = 2.1 to 3.0 cubes (3 units)

Sensitive Information: How is your business handling it?

Security and data breaches are ever present to companies no matter what the size. A few questions to ask yourself about your business and it's sensitive information.

1. What sensitive data does your business manage and where due you keep/store these records?
2. Is it easy for these records to be duplicated?
3. Are your records encrypted? 
4. What is your privacy policy on sensitive data/records? 
5. Is the privacy policy clearly communicated to employees and reviewed on a regular basis?
6. A's hire A+. If an employee is to has access to sensitive information, what is to prevent them from sharing it?
7. What type of IT services do you need to protect your records? 
8. Are passwords and software updated regularly on all computers? 
9. When an employee leaves what procedures are in place to retrieve records, shut down access to computers and networks? 
10. Shred it don't leave it laying around, what policies has your company put in place to regarding data destruction?

Are your records safe?

This morning a fire broke out inside a power plant in New Orleans resulting in a water main break and flooded streets. Incidents just like this remind us of how important it is to protect our business and personal records.

Advice on dealing with wet and moldy records

Paperless office transition

Many offices would like to go paperless but making the transition isn't so easy and you may need a home for your paper records.  Elmwood Records Center can make the move much easy by providing a place to store your records while also offering scanning, record retrieval and destruction services. Contact our Records Analyst, Matt Glaviano for a complimentary consultation and let us assess your needs as you move to a paperless environment.

Advice on handling wet & moldy records

Hurricanes, Floods and Basement flooding is more and more common. Records kept in unsafe places can turn into a nightmare.

.

Paper records and electronic devices often are among the items damaged by rain or flood water, and organizations must determine whether and how to restore these documents or to securely destroy them. NAID says it recently published two articles describing the disposition of wet records and how to handle moldy records. 

NAID CEO Robert Johnson says, ”In the event wet paper records are old enough to discard, disposing of them in a secure and safe manner is still a struggle. On the other hand, if the records have not reached their legal disposal date, there are still some basic steps that allow organizations to avoid problems due to their loss.”

Link to this Secured Business Destruction Magazine article:

www.sdbmagazine.com/naid-offers-advice-wet-records.aspx

Oh No! The file is missing...

What's the cost of a missing file? Stress, productivity loss, or the loss of confidential information that could result in litigation? We can help you cut out the headache no matter the size of your business. Records management starting packages begin at $29.95 monthly. Click here to learn more.

It's just that easy...

Have you ever visited someone's office and noticed a confidential client file left open on their desk?

Is there one shared printer in your office that employees collect printed materials from sporadically?

Has the receptionist at your doctor's office ever called you to the window and asked you to update your file while another patient's file was sitting on the desk?  These are all examples of data breaches. What can you do to keep them from happening? Let Elmwood Records complete a needs analysis for you and help you eliminate your risk.

Records and real estate

Each four-drawer file cabinet holds an average of 10,000 to 12,000 documents, takes up to 9 square feet of floor space, and costs $1,500 per year. That's a lot of money and real estate! Have you explored the cost savings of sending your records off-site?  

Mitigating Risk

Records management and archival systems help organizations avoid risks to their finances, their employees, their brand and more. Everyday companies have to deal with stolen laptops, missing files, website hackers, and enterprise system security breaches.  Isn't it time your organization started investigating ways to mitigate risk?

www.elmwoodrecords.com

It's Time to Purge your Business Records

Every year after Thanksgiving, businesses all over the world clean out older files and make space for the new year. It's time to set a date for your "Purge Party". One thing I know you will need is Records Storage Boxes,. Why pay more for lower quality at the big name stores.

Elmwood Records Center has heavy duty records storage boxes that are made to last. Order your boxes today. Special pricing for volume discounts and delivery are available. Call Matt Glaviano, Elmwood's Records Analyst at 504-826-9090 or email him at mattglaviano@elmwoodrecords.com to place your order now.

Are your Business Records Safe from Intrusion or Misuse

A data breach is a security incident in which sensitive, protected or confidential information, business records or data media is copied, transmitted, viewed, stolen or used by an individual unauthorized to do so (including a disgruntled employee).

Incidents range from purposeful attack to careless disposal of hard-copy business records or data media storage. Millions of business records including confidential or sensitive personal or corporate information were involved in security breaches in the United States last year alone.

The departure of a trusted staff member with access to sensitive information can become a data breach if the staff member retains access to the data subsequent to termination of the trust relationship.

Isn't it time to protect your valued business records in a “Trusted Environment” where only authorized individuals can access them.

Elmwood Records Management is ready to help.

Deciding when it is Time Send Records Off Site

If there is one thing every lawyer has plenty of, it’s paper: motions, pleadings, contracts, invoices, letters and other documents, either gathering dust in banker’s boxes or filling up file cabinets.

The problem can be especially acute for solos, since solo practitioners typically have finite space for files — both in their offices and on their computers.

The obvious solution is to get rid of some of those documents. But which ones, and when?

Apart from the general rules regarding the safekeeping of client property, the American Bar Association has rules regarding retention of records for attorneys. But such entities do offer guidelines, such as keeping copies of all files for at least 10 years to protect against potential malpractice claims.

It’s not necessary to hang on to records for on site for 10 years. Send them to Elmwood Records Management

Why your Organization needs a Records Management Program

Written by: 
Allen Podraza ECMp, ERMp, SharePoint p

Do you know what records your organization must keep and for how long, to comply with federal and state statutes and regulations? Have you identified and preserved your organization’s vital records ensuring they are available in case of disaster? If you are involved in litigation, do you know where your organization’s electronically stored records are located and how they can be searched and accessed? If your organization completes an IRS Form 990, will you be able to answer “yes” to the question asking whether your organization has a records management program in place?

READ MORE 

Advice on Handling Wet, Moldy Records

Hurricanes, Floods and Basement flooding is more and more common. Records kept in unsafe places can turn into a nightmare.


Paper records and electronic devices often are among the items damaged by rain or flood water, and organizations must determine whether and how to restore these documents or to securely destroy them. NAID says it recently published two articles describing the disposition of wet records and how to handle moldy records. 
 NAID CEO Robert Johnson says, ”In the event wet paper records are old enough to discard, disposing of them in a secure and safe manner is still a struggle. On the other hand, if the records have not reached their legal disposal date, there are still some basic steps that allow organizations to avoid problems due to their loss.”

Link to this Secured Business Destruction Magazine article:

www.sdbmagazine.com/naid-offers-advice-wet-records.aspx

Have you ever lost an important file?

In my experience "Lost or missing files" are a very costly event. I have personally documented the $10,000.00 retrieval. What is your Horror story about a lost file and how it affected your business.
Tell us your story.

Records Management v Records Storage

Anyone can store business records. Storage is a commodity that you rent per square foot. When you run out of space then you get more. Simple as that. In our world Records Management is actually less expensive and better than simple storage. ARMA and records management professionals agree that storage is only the tip of the iceberg of record keeping cost. The real cost has to do with how you find a file when you need it. It only becomes only important when you need it and then ... it usually goes from the unimportant sitting in a box in the basement to the Board Room for Litigation or Regulatory Compliance.

If you have a story about how lost and missing files has cost you money, please post it to this blog.

Elmwood Records Center is the Professional Records Management Source

Developing a Records Management Program

Records Management Programs includes Knowing
1. What you have
2. Where the record is
3. How to find the record when you need it
4. When to get rid of it