While digital transformation is on the cards for many businesses in 2018, paper still holds value in the modern business world as an important medium for recording vital operational information.
Paperless offices have a significant role in businesses of the future, however it’s rare that an office can ever be completely paper-free. Paper may no longer be king, but it does still have its place in the office.
If you are going to use paper to record key business information, you need to ensure that it is stored correctly to stand the test of time. As the prevalence of digital record keeping grows, the knowledge of how to correctly store paper records is receding. Here are a few considerations to keep in mind when storing paper.
Paper Quality
Paper degrades over time. There’s an urge to use recycled paper when printing, and while this is great for the environment, it may not last as long as good quality, acid-free paper. The lifespan of your paper is an important consideration for documents that you may need to rely upon in the future, such as legal or procedural documents.
Archival Boxes
Office space isn’t cheap. Most offices simply don’t have the space for designated filing cabinets. Resist the urge to keep files that aren’t in active use in desk drawers or spare cupboards. Not only does this make files hard to find when needed, it can also be viewed as a data security risk if the files contain sensitive information. Furthermore, paper can get damaged when stored incorrectly. Using high quality archive boxes and sending offsite sooner allows Businesses to manage information more effectively.
An advantage of using Compu-Stor as your offsite information partner is our online management system, CIMS. CIMS gives our Customers the flexibility to control the movement of their records in a secure, efficient and transparent way. Furthermore, our Scan OnDemand solutions allow access to your records faster and more efficiently.
Environmental Conditions
The environmental conditions that your paper records are kept in affect the lifespan of the paper. There are several environmental factors that can speed up the degrading process of paper, including;
- Light: Light can fade ink, as well as damaging the physical fibers of the paper itself. Storing your paper records in high quality archive boxes, as described above, will protect your documents from light damage.
- Air Quality: While archive boxes offer some protection, air quality, including temperature and humidity, can still be a risk to your paper documents.
- Photocopiers: The humble office photocopier may not seem like a threat to your paper’s lifespan, however they release chemicals that can hang in the air and cause long term damage to paper records.
- Bins: Storing your important paper documents in the same area as bins is ill-advised. Rubbish may encourage rodents who may, in turn, chew away on your boxes.
Storing paper doesn’t have to be complicated, but it is worth investing a little time to consider the protection of the lifeblood of your organisation: information.
It may be possible to free up a designated room for your files, or keep the above storage advice in mind. If this is not the case, then you may find that a third-party storage facility, like Compu-Stor, is the way forward. Compu-Stor have cost effective solutions to suit all types of Businesses in your mission to protect and manage your information.
