Gilmore Blog https://www.gilmoreservices.com/blog

There are many reasons businesses seek out professional records management services. Whether your company is growing, your office space is becoming cluttered or you need assistance staying compliant with laws and regulations, a qualified records management company can help customize a plan of action for managing your business’s information.

To find out if your business is ready to outsource document storage services, pay attention to these five signs it’s time for professional records management.

The idea of having a “paperless” office is a trending topic among many business owners. As records management companies secure documents, share information, and control access, it’s easy to see why so many businesses are attempting to ditch paper and embrace technology.  

Document storage and management can be challenging to carry out in any industry. When it comes to healthcare, information management is particularly complex. Because strict guidelines associated with laws like HIPAA carry high penalties for violations and noncompliance (in some cases over 1 million dollars in fines), document management systems must balance between being secure and accessible at the same time.

Technology is advancing at a faster rate than ever before, making it challenging for businesses to keep up. With the paperless office trend on the rise, many industries are weighing their options. Though going paperless has a nice ring to it, it’s important to find out if it is right for your business. Some companies will digitize only a portion of their entire paper documents. How can you decide which documents are essential in digital form? Document scanning can mean cost savings, faster turnaround for retrieval, better quality and help with compliance. Here are four types of documents that need to be scanned today. 

When a medical practice closes or a physician retires, one of the most important things to address is patient medical records. We recently covered the first steps to take when facing a medical practice closure, like the importance of safeguarding confidential information. After taking inventory of medical records and contacting a document storage company, take these next steps to carry out a medical practice closure to protect patient files and stay in line with regulations.

The idea of a paperless office is alluring. A solution that cuts down on clutter, streamlines information and reduces waste is a dream for many businesses.

If your organization is like many others, paper has had an important role so far. Making the switch to a mostly paperless office can be a big transition that can take time.

Businesses seek out document scanning services for different reasons. For businesses that are required to retain documents for a certain time period, must quickly retrieve information or want to consolidate and organize their office, digitally scanning information is a common document storage tool.

Depending on your industry and particular need, there are two primary scanning options for your important records.

Data breaches have become more sophisticated and damaging as technology advances. This year, we’ve seen big name organizations like Target, Neiman Marcus, and Home Depot face issues with data breaches.

Though every state can be affected, Florida ranks number one in identity theft cases. In an attempt to combat the issue, Florida recently tightened its data breach law to protect personal information of patients and consumers.

Passed in July, the new law increases security accountability for all organizations, with a focus on healthcare. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, the healthcare industry alone accounted for 43.8% of all breaches in 2013. Here are some ways to find out what the new Florida data breach law means for your business.  

Records management has traditionally been important to organizations needing to keep records organized and secure throughout their life cycle. Many people associate records management with storing, archiving, tracking or destroying records. Today, records management companies are ever-evolving as they adapt to new technological trends. Now, records management companies are going beyond creating retention schedules by adding privacy and security policies in addition to overseeing traditional records operations.

The role of records management is extremely important to businesses. Ultimately, companies are built on paperwork like contracts, certifications, tax information and employment records.

For businesses looking to safeguard and organize their information, many seek out a professional records management company. For comprehensive care over the lifespan of your documents, records management companies should offer several different tools to organize, store and destroy business documents.

Whether or not to have an in-office shredder or use a professional shredding company is one many businesses have faced. On one hand, it’s convenient to have a document shredder right in the office. On the other hand, personal shredding machines shred a few pieces of paper at a time, must be managed properly by your internal team and lack the speed and efficiency of a commercial shredder. For a real look at what is best for your office, here are four common misconceptions about professional document shredding to consider.

Moving from a house to a condo can be a major change. The square footage, yard space and privacy are all qualities of living in a home that many of us are accustomed to.

Medical practices house some of the most important information that exists. Patient medical records and important business documents are necessary components of a medical practice.

Family physicians, dentists and psychiatrists all must follow guidelines and laws to remain compliant with confidential records at their medical practice.

With all of this information at stake, what happens when a medical practice closes? Whether a doctor is retiring, the office is moving to a new location or the practice is closing, practice managers and physicians must take important steps to make sure they are properly handling documents and records. Here are the first steps to take to prepare important records for a medical practice closure.

We all know moving can be a stressful, and even an emotional process. As adults, we learn to manage this stress and know we are moving for a purpose whether it be for a new job, a better location or a new home. Every move is different, but the affect it has on our lives and routines is always significant.

When you add children to the mix, a move becomes even more involved. If we feel pressure during a move, then we can be sure children are feeling anxious as well.

For children, a move can be exciting, scary or sad. To ease tension and calm nerves, try these tips to help children cope with a household move.

Disasters often don’t give warning. Flash flooding, fires, tornados or a pipe bursting in your building can happen suddenly. Even traceable weather events like hurricanes can intensify within hours and turn into a more serious threat.

Whatever the situation, damage to your business from weather or another cause can leave important records wet, burned or stained. Though important documents and records might appear damaged beyond repair, with the proper equipment and staff, wet or burned records can often be recovered.

Below is a guest blog by Mark Rocco VP of Document Recovery and Government Contracts, of BMS CAT. This is the fourth blog in a series of posts this month about preparing business documents for hurricane season and other natural disasters.

Below is a guest blog by Heather Shimala, Document Recovery Account Manager for BMS CAT. This is the third blog in a series of posts this month about preparing business documents for hurricane season and other natural disasters.

Below is a guest blog by Lindsay Childs, Assistant Vice President of Marketing at BMS CAT. This is the second blog in a series of posts this month about preparing your documents for hurricane season and other natural disasters.

Moving is often associated with planning, packing and physical labor. As a Florida Wheaton Agent and residential moving company, we will make sure your belongings are handled with care during your moving process. Although you might be prepared logistically, it’s important to consider the emotional toll a move can take. Young or old, long-term resident or not, moving can be emotional. Here are 5 tools to emotionally prepare for your move:

For the past 44 years, April 22 has represented an important day for our environment. Earth Day, beginning in 1970, has since become an annual date centered on all aspects of protecting, improving or preserving the Earth. From small efforts like planting a garden or recycling paper to big movements like large-scale education and awareness, Earth Day gives everyone an opportunity to consider ways to do their part. Along with always recycling the paper we shred, Gilmore Services is going a step further again this year and taking on Earth Day, Island Style.

The decision to move is rarely one made lightly. A large portion of our lives is spent at home, which makes moving such an important life event. In fact, its often reported that moving is one of life's most stressful events.

While searching for residential moving companies, it’s important to find a reputable business that can keep your belongings safe throughout the entire process.

To make the decision easier, here are a few tips to help you find the right moving company for your next residential move in the Pensacola area, and beyond.

National Association for Information Destruction CEO Bob Johnson calls attention to an unprecedented data breach settlement in his latest blog post. Johnson explains why last month’s historic settlement could mark an important point in time in the secure destruction industry. 

The end of tax season marks the end of collecting and reporting the previous year’s financial statements and is often a breath of fresh air for business owners and the average working American. Filing taxes and accounting for your finances can be time-consuming, so mid-April represents moving forward for the year. Once the returns are processing, many people struggle to determine what to do with all of the paper documents accumulated over the course of a year and beyond. Take a look at which documents to shred and purge after tax season.

A major section of the legal industry relies on the ability to readily reference information. Cases, rulings, industry literature, files and other archives are all essential to law firms.

Because law firms have such a strong tie to accessing information, hard copy and digital documents are essential to their functionality. Firms must be able to access sensitive, lengthy files quickly in an organized way.

Moving to a new home is all about planning and preparation. Like most things, it’s much easier to enter a new situation with a game plan. Once you’ve set the date of your move, and looked into residential moving companies, the rest is left for you to prepare for the big day.

One way to streamline your moving process is to make sure your house is in the right condition for movers. Not sure if you are fully ready for your move? Take a look at these five things you need to do before professional movers pack your home:

If you haven’t heard by now, Elton John is coming to the Pensacola Bay Center this weekend. As a professional document storage and management company, we were floored to learn that the Rocket Man has sold over 300 million records. So we put our own Records Man Tom Biggs to the test to calculate how many storage boxes that would take. 

Have you noticed that your office is slowly becoming more cluttered with boxes or stacks of documents? As your business grows, a filing cabinet is often not enough to contain all of your important records. Rather than stacking boxes aside in your office where they could be misplaced or damaged, it might be time to reduce the clutter and consider offsite document storage.

Depending on the industry, every business must be aware of its strengths and the ways it can best serve its customers. At Gilmore Services, we stay in-tune with the records management industry to offer our customers more than document storage and shredding. Because we began as a residential moving company almost 60 years ago, our experience in the details of moving has carried over as an asset to our other departments.

Managing records is one way a business owner or office manager keeps information secure, an office organized, and the company compliant with laws and regulations. Such an important part of running a business shouldn’t be overlooked, and a records management company can make sure your essential information is secure and organized.

So, do your documents need to be digitally scanned or physically stored? The choice depends on your business needs.