4 Benefits of Document Scanning & Imaging Services

7/22/2022

4 Benefits of Document Scanning & Imaging Services

The number of workers who do their job remotely has drastically increased over the last several years, and it’s a trend that doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. With remote workers becoming more common, businesses must be mindful about adapting their practices to accommodate these employees better.

One way you can shift to remote work is through online record storage. Scanning and imaging all your documentation can feel like an overwhelming task, but the benefits outweigh the upfront commitment. Here are four benefits of using document scanning and imaging services for your business.

Quicker Retrieval for Important Documents

If your documents are scanned and available online, they are easy to find with a quick search on your computer. Forget about locating the right file cabinet, sifting through folders, and then shuffling papers to find the right document. Once documents are scanned and available online, they are easier to search through.

When your documents are available online, you can perform a keyword search from your desk to instantly bring up the file you need. This gives you more time to spend on the other essential aspects of your business. Having your documents scanned and available online is a big time saver for companies whose workforce relies on home offices or has limited office space.

Access from Anywhere, Anytime

A physical piece of paper can only exist in one location, but a scanned document is available to you anywhere and anytime. Today's business world no longer revolves around routine 9 to 5 days with everyone working in the same location. With today's more flexible work schedules, there is an increased need to access information around the clock. Many employees also work from a home office or on the road.

When your documents are scanned, you can still retrieve information online no matter where you are located. This is especially crucial for the many businesses whose workers are unable to exchange or make copies in a traditional office setting.

Customize and Edit Your Documents As Needed

Paper documents need to stay in pristine condition, and if multiple people use them, you can't make personal notes. But with an imaged file, you can add notes to a document and insert reminders or flags before you print. Scanning allows you to retain the original version of the file but also have an additional copy that is custom to your specific needs.

Create Backups for Critical Documents

If you’ve ever accidentally lost or damaged an important document, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, lost and damaged documents are an all too common workplace occurrence, so having all your essential documents securely backed up is a crucial layer of protection. R4 Services prioritizes the safety of your company’s information, and all of our document management is fully HIPPA compliant.

Scanning & Imaging Services with R4

The way of doing business continues to change, and having a solution like R4’s document scanning and imaging services is just one way to ensure that you’re prepared for the new work landscape and future changes to come.

For more information, contact us at 773-843-3915 or orders@r4services.com.

Other R4 Services Solutions include:
Document Management
Shredding Services
Destruction Services
Hard Drive Destruction
Electronics Recycling
Vault Services
Indexing
Disaster Recovery
Web Access

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How to Develop Medical Records Retention Policies

6/27/2022

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If you are in the healthcare industry, records are a fundamental part of your business. Documenting a patient's medical history is vital, and you may have information dating back decades. Building a records retention policy can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Here are a few tips on how to develop effective medical record retention policies.

Know Your Legal Obligations

First, start with understanding the regulations for your industry, which vary by state. These regulations define how long you need to retain patient records. For example, the rules define if there are different requirements for minor and adult patients, the requirements for a medical doctor versus a hospital, and how long to retain documents after a patient's death. Use resources such as HealthIT.gov to learn about your state's specific requirements.

Define Active and Inactive Files

Next, you should set a standard to define which files are considered active vs. inactive. The active files will be those you regularly use, such as with patients who make routine visits. For those patients who have not sought treatment in several years, you may label their files as inactive. These files will require less frequent access. The American Health Information Management Association has recommendations to help you make this determination.

Determine Location

Once you have determined which files you need to access frequently, develop an organization system to keep these active files handy. An alphabetical organization system of file cabinets for these active files is simple to implement. But your inactive files will require more work. Consider if you want to scan and index these files or store them offsite. Investigate the assistance of a documentation management firm like R4 Services that can consult with you and determine the most efficient solution for your needs.

Develop a Destruction Plan

Once an inactive file has passed its requirements for access, you don't need to continue to hang onto it. Instead, develop a plan to review your inactive files routinely, and flag those that no longer need to be retained. Determine a method for destroying electronic and paper files to ensure the private information is secure and you adhere to HIPAA standards.

Train Your Staff on Proper Retention Procedures

Lastly, properly training your staff on retention procedures is essential to your policy’s success. Ensure that your retention policy is adequately covered in your employee handbook and whenever you onboard new employees. Additionally, consider running periodic training sessions to keep your staff updated on best practices and make them aware of any changes to your retention policy.

Healthcare Records Management Solutions with R4 Services

Developing a comprehensive records retention policy isn’t just about keeping you and your staff better organized; it’s also necessary to stay compliant with the law. At R4 Services, we’ll work with your healthcare organization to help you meet compliance requirements and optimize your records management process. Contact us today to get started.

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3 Steps to Create an Information Security Plan

5/27/2022

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It seems as though every week, we hear about new security breaches. Whether it be an email server, a restaurant, or a larger institution, no one is safe from hackers until it’s too late. No matter the industry or the number of employees within the firm, increasing security is necessary for all businesses. Whether you are planning for future protection or are implementing a plan because of a breach, security and efficiency go hand-in-hand when protecting your business. Below are three ways to create an information security plan and ensure that your business runs efficiently.

1. Use Strong Passwords

The first step in protecting your information is creating strong passwords that are changed often and unique to each platform. Having the same password for every device and login makes you susceptible to hackers because they can access any account they choose once they have your password.

Don't share your passwords with anyone or leave notes around the office with passwords written on them. Doing so only makes it easier for your passwords to fall into the wrong hands. Instead, consider investing in password management software for both business and personal use. Password managers will securely store your passwords and help you create unique and strong passwords that you won’t have to worry about remembering yourself.

2. Protect Sensitive Data with Vault Storage

All businesses have paper. No matter how environmentally friendly organizations try to become, some documents must always be accessible. Storing documents either onsite or offsite should be secure, and only those authorized should have access to them. Protecting classified information, whether it is having a filing cabinet or a document cage, will protect your business and ensure documents are up-to-date and in order.

R4 Service’s document management and vault storage offerings can help protect your business’s critical data and sensitive information. Our state-of-the-art storage facilities have centrally monitored security and surveillance systems to give you peace of mind knowing your important documents, computers, hard drives, and other data are in safe hands.

3. Destroy Old Documents

One of the simplest ways to protect from a breach is to destroy any documents that are not needed. Having an onsite shred location guarantees information will not fall into the wrong hands and is an easy way to implement a recycling program in your office!

If you have large shredding jobs or just need some additional assistance, R4’s shredding services can help. Our shred trucks service the greater Chicagoland area and are equipped to handle any job, big or small, right from your parking lot. Our facility also offers shredding and hard drive destruction services so you can quickly and safely dispose of old sensitive data.

R4 Serivces Is Here to Help Improve Your Business’s Security

Every company should take steps to strengthen its information security. By taking the necessary steps to avoid security breaches, you will decrease the risk of identity theft and hacks and improve your workplace's efficiency.

Ready to strengthen your business’s security? Contact R4 Services today.

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What Documents to Shred at Home and Work

4/28/2022

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“One day I may need this.” We have all had that thought cross our minds as we sift through bank statements, letters, and other important documentation deciding what should stay and what should go. But what is worth saving and what is better off in the shredder? The answer largely depends on the type of document and the amount of time that’s passed since the document was issued. Check out our tips for work and home to keep you organized and safe from identity theft.

Shredding Documents at Home

Tax audits and receipts, home sale, purchase, lease, or improvement documentation should be shredded after 6-7 years. Pay stubs, bank statements, medical bills, and records can be shredded after one year. Everything else, go ahead and shred. To keep your identity safe and secure, shred anything with your name, phone number, address on it, social security number, or banking information on it.

Shredding Documents at Work

It’s important for the safety of your business and your employees that you shred employee application forms, ID badges, and records when they leave the business, financial information, branded, damaged or faulty goods, as well as supplier records or information. Some paperwork is best kept for a few years before shredding such as budgets and purchase orders. Use your best judgment.

What Documents Should You Save?

Any physical copies of anything related to state or federal matters, including certifications, licenses, or deeds should be saved indefinitely. These are important forms of identification that are typically only valid in their original form and can be a lengthy process to replace.

Keeping any proof of warranty for the duration you own the warranted product is essential to ensure you receive proper service if the product breaks or malfunctions. A good rule of thumb is to keep anything that would be a hassle to replace causing you to sit on the phone with customer service for hours or go to a government office.

The same rules apply to work documents as personal documents. If the document is going to be hard to replace, keep it in a safe spot. There are a few extra documents you want to keep an eye out for like union agreements, procedure records, training manuals, bylaws, insurance records, accident reports, claims, legal and important correspondence, copyrights and trademarks, articles or incorporation, and actuarial reports.

Contact R4 for Additional Document Management and Shredding Services!

If you need any additional help with document management or shredding your old documents, contact us today! We can store your company’s important documents and provide you access to them whenever you need via the internet. We can also deliver your documents directly to your office or send them via fax, scan, and email. If you have documents you want to permanently dispose of, our convenient shred trucks serve the greater Chicagoland area and will drive right to your business.

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4 Ways Cloud Document Management Can Help Your Business

3/18/2022

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We all know what it feels like to not have access to the information you need when you need it. When you need certain documents at a specific time, you should have instant access to them. If your business still relies primarily on physical documents, you likely won’t have access to all your documents whenever you need them. That’s why it’s important to invest in a cloud document management system that provides complete records management quickly and efficiently via the web. Let’s take a closer look at what a cloud document management system is and how it can help your business.

What is a Cloud Document Management System?

A cloud document management (CDM) system is a web-based service that stores and manages all your important documents and information. To put it simply, CDM allows you to store files and company documents and access them at any time from anywhere in the world.

Having that kind of accessibility is a significant benefit to any business, but let’s look at four other specific ways CDM can help your business.

Cloud Document Management Saves Your Business Money

If your business is still heavily reliant on physical documentation and storage, you’re likely incurring several regular expenses that could be greatly reduced by switching to CDM. On-premise storage like cabinets and desks can be costly and take up a lot of space in your office. Additionally, printers, copiers, and fax machines can be significant investments, especially when considering the cost of inks, toners, and paper needed to operate each device.

By using a CDM system, your business can substantially cut back on such costs. Things like filing cabinets, printers, and copy machines can all have pricey upfront costs that need to be paid in full regardless of how much they’re being used in addition to the cost of regular maintenance and supply needs. With a CDM system, you’ll be charged a flat monthly or annual rate that you can easily upscale or downscale as your company’s needs change.

Cloud Document Management Makes Collaboration Easier

As already mentioned, CDM allows you to access your files and documents at any time from anywhere. Moreover, everyone in your organization will also have access to company documents as well. This is particularly important as more people have started working remotely. A CDM system ensures that every employee has access to the documents they need whether they work in the office or work remotely.

A CDM system also makes collaborating on projects much easier than using physical documents. A CDM allows team members to simultaneously work on projects together regardless of where they are. This is especially useful if your team is working on a proposal or a report that requires insights from multiple team members or if you ever need to make revisions to a coworker’s project.

Cloud Document Management is Secure

We all know the saying “accidents happen” and businesses are prone to any number of accidents happening in the workplace. Important documents can get lost or damaged with no way to recover them. Office spaces are susceptible to damage from natural disasters and fires and water damage can ruin any on-site documents. This can be especially devastating if your business doesn’t have a disaster recovery plan in place.

By storing your documents in the cloud, you can rest easy knowing that your important information is protected and immune from any natural disasters. Cloud storage offers multiple layers of security and comes with backup and recovery options to give you extra peace of mind.

Cloud Document Management Reduces Clutter

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of CDM is that it doesn’t take up any space in your office. Anyone that’s worked in an office before knows how quickly files and documents can start piling up around them. With CDM, cluttered workspaces can be a thing of the past as all of your documents are stored in the cloud and can be easily accessed within seconds.

Looking to cut down on clutter at your office? Check out our document shredding services! We can send a shred truck to your business to help you get rid of outdated documents and free up space in your office.

Cloud Document Management with R4 Services

No matter what industry you’re in, CDM can help you in all the ways discussed and more. R4 Service’s web access software can enhance the management of your organization's records stored offsite. For a complete demonstration, contact an R4 representative today!

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The Top 3 Reasons Your Business Needs Document Control Systems This Tax Season

2/11/2022

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Accountant with calculator preparing tax documents.

As tax season ramps up, your business will have an additional task to manage. Along with taxes come many challenges, but successful filing is crucial to your business’ success and compliance. To assist with handling the many complexities of tax season, many businesses turn to a document management service to assist with tax preparation.

A document management service might be initially used to assist your accounting department, but you’ll quickly see how its benefits are felt throughout your organization. Here, we’ll explore the top three reasons why a document management service is an absolute must for your business this tax season.

What is Document Control?

Document control is the practice of protecting your business’ documents and data, and maintaining standard operating procedures for filing, storing, accessing, distributing, and destroying them.

Document control is extremely similar to practices such as a document retention policy or document management services. Overall, document control standards and systems can save your business time and money while improving security and accessibility.

Let’s start with how document control can improve your business’ storage procedures.

Efficiency in Organization and Storage

As a document management system is implemented in your business, one of the most noticeable benefits that you’ll see each day is the improved organization and storage of documents. With all documents, financial statements, and audits being scanned into a document management system, it makes their retrieval exponentially easier, and much less time-consuming.

This means less time is wasted sifting through documents and files, and more time and attention can be devoted to accurately preparing your taxes.

A Document Management System Improves Security

In addition, scanning your relevant tax and company documents into a document management system allows for simplified access. Now you can easily control which employees have access to sensitive financial documents, and they’re always available, meaning remote accounting teams can function seamlessly during tax preparation.

While accessibility is easily improved through a document management system, your documents become much more safe and secure too. A document management system makes it easier to limit access and grant permissions than it is with physical documents.

Digital storage provides physical protection as well. Having tax forms and financial statements digitally preserved means you can count on them being there, even if your business’ physical location is damaged in a flood, fire, or other disaster.

Document Control Saves Your Business Money

Employing a document management service or beginning a document retention policy can save your business money. We’re talking lots of money too: the average data breach cost over $4 million in 2021.

There’s a lot at stake. Fortunately, document control processes like a document management service or a document retention policy can protect you against breaches, and losses in other areas too.

Document control systems reduce the time wasted sorting through, organizing, and reorganizing files, and increase productivity. Your accounting department will thank you for this every tax season.
Document control choices your business makes, such as implementing a document retention policy or using a document management service, increase security which mitigates risk of those costly data breaches, plus lost and stolen documents.
Using a document management service can ensure you maintain regulatory compliance, destroy documents that pose a liability, and retain documents for tax and legal purposes.

Finally, document controls provide peace of mind. Having confidence your financial and tax documents are accounted for and protected mitigates stress and keeps your business running smoothly.

R4 Services Can Help Your Business with Document Control

Efficiency and consistent organization are critical to the success of any accounting department. This tax season, take control of your documents by using a document management service. The ability to constantly retrieve and store files without being bogged down allows your accounting team and business to run at an efficient pace.

R4 Services is dedicated to handling all your business’ document management needs. We offer vault, scanning, indexing, document management, and destruction services that can help your business get through this tax season with ease.

To learn more about how R4 Services can help your business become more efficient, contact us today.

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Document Retention and Destruction in the New Year

1/14/2022

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A new year means resolutions for you—and your business. Just as you might be resolving to eat better, exercise more, and save more money, you might be making similar goals for the health of your business too: saving time and money, enhancing your profitability, and improving your compliance.

But where do you start with goals like these? Well, document retention is actually a smart, simple place to begin. Document retention and destruction can improve your company’s efficiency, profitability, and regulatory compliance. Ready to learn how?

What is Document Retention?

Basically, document retention, or a document retention policy, is a standard operating procedure that helps your business process, retrieve, secure, and destroy the documents that help your business run.

A document retention policy can help your business achieve many beneficial goals:

Regulatory compliance: Depending on your industry, some documents must be retained for specific amounts of time. Destroying or otherwise being unable to locate these documents if necessary could lead to your business facing fines or other issues.
Increased efficiency: A document retention policy makes it easier for you and your employees to locate documents when necessary. This means less time is wasted sorting, and more time is spent doing the work that drives your business forward.
Legal safeguards: A well-designed document retention policy can protect your business in case a customer or contractor disputes the services you rendered them, or if they fail to meet their obligations to you.

A document retention policy may seem like it’s too small an action to drive results, but a good one can be like a strong foundation, and can have a profound impact on your business.

Document destruction is an important part of a document retention policy

An important part of document retention actually has nothing to do with retaining documents at all. Document destruction is crucial to your document retention policies success, and in mitigating the legal risks your business could face.

So, to begin the year on the right foot, start by purging any documents that no longer serve a purpose and your business is no longer required to keep. As you purge old documents, make sure to pay attention to the following:

Which documents do you use the most? Consider how you might process, store, and organize these documents or files to maximize efficiency.
Which documents are you legally required to keep? If you destroy documents that are requested in a legal case, you could be liable for having destroyed them. Pay attention to which documents your business is contractually or legally required to maintain.
Which documents are liabilities? Similarly, if you’ve held on to documents longer than necessary, you could risk being held liable if they fall into the wrong hands. By promptly destroying documents that are no longer needed, nor serve any purpose, you keep your business safe from unnecessary litigation.

R4 Services Can Help Protect Your Business

Document destruction is an important part of any business’ document retention policy; it protects you from needless litigation, liability, keeps you in compliance with your industry’s regulations, and makes your business more efficient and profitable.

Lost or stolen data costs businesses over $48 billion each year. Don’t contribute to that number. With R4 Services document shredding services, we can help you destroy outdated, sensitive materials, on your site or remotely.

Don’t wait. Protect your business today. To learn more about how R4 Services can benefit your business, contact us today.

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How to Develop a Document Retention Policy

12/17/2021

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Rows of filing cabinet drawers with documents inside.

What is a Document Retention Policy?

A document retention policy is a series of standard operating procedures that guide your business' handling, storage, and destruction of documents. So, how does a document retention policy (DRP) help your business? Well there are three main ways it helps your business, which range from operational benefits to legal safety.

A document retention policy provides your business with increased profitability and efficiency, safeguards for litigation, and helps your business maintain regulatory compliance. Let's take a close look at how a document retention policy provides each of these benefits.

Solutions for ALL Businesses

4 Benefits of Document Scanning & Imaging Services

Quicker Retrieval for Important Documents

Access from Anywhere, Anytime

Customize and Edit Your Documents As Needed

Create Backups for Critical Documents

Scanning & Imaging Services with R4

Know Your Legal Obligations

Define Active and Inactive Files

Determine Location

Develop a Destruction Plan

Train Your Staff on Proper Retention Procedures

Healthcare Records Management Solutions with R4 Services

1. Use Strong Passwords

2. Protect Sensitive Data with Vault Storage

3. Destroy Old Documents

R4 Serivces Is Here to Help Improve Your Business’s Security

Shredding Documents at Home

Shredding Documents at Work

What Documents Should You Save?

Contact R4 for Additional Document Management and Shredding Services!

What is a Cloud Document Management System?

Cloud Document Management Saves Your Business Money

Cloud Document Management Makes Collaboration Easier

Cloud Document Management is Secure

Cloud Document Management Reduces Clutter

Cloud Document Management with R4 Services

What is Document Control?

Efficiency in Organization and Storage

A Document Management System Improves Security

Document Control Saves Your Business Money

R4 Services Can Help Your Business with Document Control

What is Document Retention?

Document destruction is an important part of a document retention policy

R4 Services Can Help Protect Your Business

What is a Document Retention Policy?

A Document Retention Policy Can Increase Profitability and Efficiency