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How Investing in Shredding Services Can Ensure Your Confidential Information is Properly Disposed

11/28/2016

You have stacks of paperwork in your office that have been sitting there for months, years or even decades. Most of those documents are out of date or no longer needed. So why not just throw them out? Keep in mind that many of these documents could contain confidential information about your company or your clients. Identity theft is a real threat. Shredding your confidential information can ensure that it’s properly disposed and will help you avoid the threat of identity theft.

Depending on where you live, taking items from the trash could be legal. In states or cities where this is legal, once an item or document is left for trash, ownership of those items are lost. By shredding your important information, you can rest assured that identity thieves are unable to expose you to risks such as fraud, identity theft, harmful publicity, litigation or penalties.

It’s also a wise decision to destroy media that you no longer use, such as tapes of all sizes, disks, CDs, videotapes, cartridges, x-rays, hard drives, monitors and film.

Depending on your industry, document destruction could be (and likely is) the law. You are legally obligated to destroy documents that contain any personal information of your clients.
Additionally, you’re helping the environment by shredding. Your shredded paper can be recycled in several different ways, contributing to a global cause to improve the environment.

It's no secret that more and more information is being generated today. Whether this information be on paper, tape, or other media, properly managing it is critical to control costs, ensure efficiency and maintain compliance and confidentiality. R4 Services assists clients with the effective, secure and confidential management of their paper and non-paper destruction requirements. Visit our Shredding Services page to learn more!

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The Power of Preparation: Having Your Records Management in Place for a Merger or Acquisition

11/18/2016

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Mergers and acquisitions are a cornerstone to business. Depending on the size of your business and the industry you work in, it’s likely your organization has considered a merger or acquisition, or you’ve been inquired about one.

While M&As can be an efficient solution, there’s a lot that goes into the process. One challenge you may face is the handling of records management. The need to streamline your systems between the two entities is crucial to a successful M&A. What do you need to prepare for when going through a merger or acquisition? Let’s start with having proper records management in place:

How do we make sure we have our records management in place before a M&A?
Let’s start with your core business system. Where does your workflow get processed? Are you primarily paper-based or digital? Ideally, both companies in a M&A situation operate on the same records management system, the same business system and execute the same records management procedures. There obviously isn’t a way to know how your future M&A partner is currently managing the records, but if you stay on top of industry best-practices, you’ll stay ahead of the curve.

So what can we do now to prepare?

Make sure your files are stored in boxes, labeled and can be easily accessed.
Which means you need your files to be indexed (scannable and searchable).
Your records should be easily migrated, if and when you have to move them.
Ensure you have top security on your records.

Why records management is crucial, especially during a M&A:
When two companies come together, one of the first steps taken is the merging of business systems. Do you feel comfortable with your current organization and management of your documents? If and when a M&A occurs, are you prepared to create a unified records management system? Having the right strategy in place can make the possibility of a merger far less disconcerting, and will benefit both companies involved.

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Accessing Records at Any Time: Why Data Retention is a Must

11/11/2016

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Your records, whether archived or active, are a valuable aspect of your business. Even though your records document activity that happened in the past, they can help you make decisions going forward. A review of past events can help you determine if you should follow the same course or move in a different direction in the future. Records also contain vital information about your customer base, so you can know them inside and out, and therefore serve them better.

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.

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Safety & Serenity: 2 Reasons to Clear Your Crowded Desk and Achieve Organization Through Business Records Management

11/4/2016

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Records management not only helps your overall business, but it can also make an impact on a personal level, right down to your individual desk. Clearing a crowded workspace by implementing a records management plan can provide you with both safety and serenity.

Safety
When your documents are piled up on your desk or strewn about your office, you are opening yourself to several vulnerabilities. First, there is the risk of theft. Valuable records in the wrong hands can lead to identity theft, and you can be accountable for any loss of your client's information or finances.

And it's not just outside visitors you have to worry about, but yourself as well. Documents that are left lying around are more prone to be shuffled about, placed into a wrong folder, or accidentally thrown away.

You likely spend plenty of time and money investing in a backup plan for data on your network. Just because information is on paper instead of in an electronic form doesn't make it any less valuable. So, it's important to remember that when your records are properly organized or stored offsite, you are protecting yet another important business asset.

Serenity
Research proves that a cluttered office can lead to a cluttered mind. When you are working with stacks of papers towering over you, it can create a sense of claustrophobia and disarray, and that's not the best conditions to work in.

But when your records are properly organized and stored at an offsite location, you can walk into your office each morning and be greeted by a clean desk. This can decrease irritability, increase patience, and improve focus.

You can also achieve peace of mind by knowing that your records are still available to you at a moment's notice. This combination of clear focus and worry-free state of mind can help you gain more energy, open you up to more creativity, and create a calming atmosphere for you and your team to do your best work.

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Solutions for ALL Businesses

How Investing in Shredding Services Can Ensure Your Confidential Information is Properly Disposed

The Power of Preparation: Having Your Records Management in Place for a Merger or Acquisition

Accessing Records at Any Time: Why Data Retention is a Must

Safety & Serenity: 2 Reasons to Clear Your Crowded Desk and Achieve Organization Through Business Records Management

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