4 Tips for Managing Your Inactive Files

Every company has a wide range of business records, including inactive files. Skyrocketing office space costs and privacy concerns can make managing them a challenge. In this blog, we offer several tips to help you stay on top of your inactive files.

1. Implement a Records Retention Policy

A records retention schedule indicates how long to keep inactive files and when to destroy them. Review your record retention policy to make sure it’s up to date with state and federal regulations. A qualified records management company can create and support a records retention schedule for your organization.

2. Organize and Index

Organization is the key to making sure you can quickly find your information. If you don’t know what inactive files you have and don’t have the time and resources to organize your documents, seek the help of a records management provider. Trained professionals implement an indexing solution that categorizes your files into classes and series based on your organization’s functional needs. With your approval, they assign retention timeframes and final disposition dates to each record.

3. Purge Expired Files

Besides increasing your liability exposure, inactive files take up valuable office space. A professional shredding and destruction service helps you securely purge expired any unwanted records. Background-screened shredding technicians collect your documents in secure collection containers. Based on your preference, they shred your documents on-site in a mobile document destruction vehicle or transport them to a controlled-access shredding plant for secure destruction. After they complete your purge project, your shredding provider issues a Certificate of Destruction.

4. Go Offsite

Offsite records storage frees up valuable office space while protecting your privacy. A records storage provider barcodes your active files and stores them on high-density racking systems in a records center. Each file is bar-coded and tracked within a sophisticated inventory management system. A secure web portal allows you to search for and access your files around the clock. You can have your inactive files hand-delivered to your office or sent electronically to your device with your records storage provider’s Scan on Demand solution.

Use these tips to manage your inactive files and archival business records.

Records Management Center provides businesses throughout Augusta, Evans, Thomson, Martinez, GA, Aiken, SC, and the Central Savannah River Area with professional shredding and destruction solutions.