Document Storage Vs. Digital Storage

Invoices, receipts, and other records are piling up. What is one to do? Records management is the answer. There are two options for dealing with all those important papers. We can either store them off-site, or transfer them to an electronic format. Both are good options, and each is better suited to different applications. In this article, we describe and compare both records management techniques in detail, and outline the benefits of each. Choose the one you feel is right for you.

First, let’s examine traditional paper record storage. Instead of piling up in your office, your records are sent to an off-site storage facility. Such facilities are secure, climate-controlled environments where your records will be both safe and accessible. Off site record storage is a time-tested record management technique. It remains a popular choice among businesses today due to an array of benefits. First, paper documents are retained in their original form. This can be especially important for official documents which may be needed later on for proof or evidence. Second, you can rest assured knowing your documents are kept in a secure, climate-controlled environment. Since your records are kept off-site, they are inaccessible to fraudsters and other prying eyes. When using off-site storage, keep in mind that you do not have immediate access to your records. For this reason, it is important to find a records management firm which offers speedy next day delivery. Some of the better firms even offer emergency “urgent” delivery of your records in just a few hours! Most importantly, understand your access needs, and properly convey them to your document management firm.

In contrast, electronic storage involves transferring your existing paper documents into a digital format. Twenty years ago, this process was done manually. A person would read each document, and type the information into the computer. This used to be an intense and sometimes expensive (albeit worthwhile) process. Fortunately, with advances in modern technology, speeds have increased while costs have dropped dramatically. Today, this process simply involves using an optical scanner to create an image of each document page. Some more advanced programs are even able to read the text from this resulting scanner image. From here, your data can be stored as images on hard disks, written to a text file, or even input directly into your company's database. Digital files take up just a small fraction of the physical space paper does. With today's electronics, we can take the information contained in a truck-load of paper and put it onto a hard-drive that you can hold in your hand. Digital files allow for your records to be more accessible and flexible. With the right mix of technology and proper records management, you will have immediate access to all your records, whenever and wherever you want!

Contact Corporate Storage Services for all your document storage, records management, certified shredding and scanning services.