If there is one common denominator with all businesses, it must be paper. Without it, business couldn’t be carried out, and even though we are firmly in the digital age, a majority of data is still stored in documents. Every department from marketing to maintenance relies on a continual supply of memos, reports and inventories, and as time goes by, more storage space is required. Eventually these old documents are shifted to other areas, but sooner or later, every business needs to look into the many options available for secure document storage.
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Document Scanning
This is an ideal solution, and it involves a team of technicians who systematically scan the documents and save the data onto an external drive. Once this has been done, you can safely shred all your old documents, as you have a digital copy, which would also be backed up automatically, which ensures your data can never be lost. The space you can reclaim once there is no need for the many filing cabinets will be a welcome bonus, and with the right software and archiving, bringing up a specific document has never been easier. No more thumbing through alphabetical folders, which wastes valuable time, and with large companies, locating a document might involve a trip to another building, but with an online system, you can retrieve any document from your workstation. If your business is located in the UK, MISL are the ideal people to talk to, as they specialise in document management solutions for a range of industries.
Cloud Solutions
This is the ideal set up, as all your data is stored on an online server, and that means any authorised people can access it from any location. A salesperson, for example, could access his customer database by logging in with his smartphone, while on his way to see a customer, and any service personnel can have instant access to blueprints and diagrams. The beauty of cloud storage is that you do not need specific software to access the data, all you need is a device that can connect to the Internet and a web browser, and by entering your username and password, you can access any data from any location, and at any time.
Secure Document Destruction
Once all the valuable document data has been digitalised, there is no longer a need for the paper copy, and of course, with sensitive information, these documents must be securely destroyed. There are document management companies that offer secure document destruction, and would use a range of methods including shredding and incineration.
Data Entry
This service is available, and many companies do not want to burden their staff with this work, which can be done by the document management company, who would also create back-up copies. If you are switching to digital storage, your staff might need some initial training on how to correctly key in data, and with the right software and cloud storage, your critical data is easily accessible and totally secure.
The benefits of digitalising all your documents make it a worthwhile switch, and the extra space you can reclaim will be most welcome. This service, and many others, are available from document management companies, and a simple online search will point you in the right direction.