To fully reap the benefits of this valuable data, you must be able to access it at a moment's notice. So while retaining records is vital, it is most important that they can be accessed at any time.
Perhaps you are facing a client renewal, and shortly before a meeting, the customer indicates they are not certain they want to continue doing business with you. The last thing you want to spend time doing is sifting through old paper files or reading old email strings. When you can access this information through a simple web request, you can spend more of your time reviewing this data and making a decision about how you can better serve your customer moving forward.
Another scenario where quick access to records will save you time and money is facing a compliance audit. Audits can be stressful by nature, but accessing the required information does not need to be one of those stress points. When you have a solid records management system in place, and your files are organized, archived, scanned, and indexed, you can rest assured that you can provide the information required for an audit quickly and efficiently.
Data retention is a must to any successful business, and accessing records at a moment's notice can save you time and energy, allowing you to focus on the important business decision at hand. The information about the past just may be the key to the future.