Small businesses make a significant contribution to the Australian economy, accounting for slightly less than one-half of private sector industry employment. The construction, professional, scientific and technical services industry sub-sectors each account for around 16 per cent, and the rental, hiring and real estate services sub-sector contributed over 15 per cent[1]. However, most of these businesses would not think records management was important for their business.
Starting a business can be a challenge; the day to day struggle of building a business with the right systems and processes while simultaneously trying to grow your existing customers and attract new clientele. Office records management can often be an afterthought. However, records management is an integral part of good business operations, and it’s something every start up business will have to tackle as it grows into a small business and beyond.
While your business is small, the issue of storage – both electronic and paper – isn’t really an issue. You may have a Google Drive, Dropbox, hard drive, or even a few filing cabinets out the back. But as your business grows, you will likely outgrow this system.
Regulation and compliance in Records Management
With regulatory compliance on records keeping in Australia, the sheer amount of records and information you need to retain can be staggering. Currently, there are around 80 Acts at both the State and Federal level which regulate document retention and destruction.
The efficient and comprehensive keeping of your business information is paramount to any business, large or small, to ensure you’re fulfilling the obligations in your appropriate business sector.
Security of information
The security of your business and customer information is paramount. It is your job to keep this information secure, and your customers need to be able to rely on this. Confidential information – whether in a cloud-based system or at your office – is subject to breach.
Records Management should give you access at your fingertips
Small businesses also need to consider how they can secure their information for retrieval, as access to the right data at your fingertips can save you hours of searching. This is why having a comprehensive document management and retrieval system in place from the beginning is paramount.
In fact, research and surveys have shown that thirty percent of the workday is spent searching for files. That’s one and a half days a week or 78 workdays every year spent looking for paper around the office!
If boxes have been stored with no system in mind, and little to no cataloguing or indexing, locating the right document can be a frustrating and time-consuming exercise, and a waste valuable staff resource.
Easy document retrieval
Partnering with a professional, reliable and comprehensive information and document management service such as Compu-Stor from the start sets you up right from the very beginning. Documents and records are stored with the right systems in place for time critical access while meeting all compliance around document storage, retention and destruction.
All Compu-Stor customers have access to our easy to use, unique online Complete Information Records Management System (CIMS). CIMS allows customers ultimate control of all records from any device – PC, tablet or smartphone, without the need for additional resources, software or infrastructure.
Customers can view and edit storage details, create work orders, generate reports and view individual accounts and charges all at the click of a mouse or the swipe of a finger.
Benefits of CIMS include:
- Self-managed online program to arrange addition, removal, delivery or destruction of items
- Home page dashboard to see a snapshot summary of all holdings
- See details of all lodged items within specific categories
- Online help section
- Multiple user access
- Flexibility and scalability
Best practice Records Management privacy and disposal
As much as the keeping of business information in line with obligations is important for privacy and meeting state and federal government legislation, destroying it also requires the same commitment to compliance adherence. Compu-Stor provide efficient and secure document destruction services that satisfy every compliance need to ensure sensitivity and integrity of information privacy.
Compu-Stor are a team of experts across in all matters of records management and can add-value to your inhouse team. Contact us today on 1300 559 778.
[1] http://www.treasury.gov.au/~/media/Treasury/Publications%20and%20Media/Publications/2012/Australian%20Small%20Business%20-%20Key%20Statistics%20and%20Analysis/downloads/PDF/AustralianSmallBusinessKeyStatisticsAndAnalysis.ashx
