Your Survival Guide to Document Storage Compliance in 2018

Whether your files are in unorganized disarray — crammed into the storage closet for “safekeeping” —  or you actually face the threat of legal penalties, there’s no better time than now to do some document housekeeping. The new year is around the corner, so why not make document storage and compliance your company’s 2018 resolution?

Document storage is full of financial and organizational hazards to maneuver around. But, don’t worry. We have compiled a comprehensive, document storage compliance survival guide to help you navigate the maze of corporate document retention scheduling and avoid costly legal fines along the way.

Importance of document compliance

Let’s start with the basics: lapsing on document lifecycles can result in costly litigation.  Whether due to unorganized filling or mere carelessness, keeping documents for too long or not long enough leads to fines that could have been avoided in the first place.

Contrary to popular belief, state and federal document compliance is not in place solely to cash in on corporate negligence. In fact, regulatory guidelines such as HIPAA and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act exist to prevent fraud and represent consumer interest. In effect, adhering to document lifecycles is important not only to avoid fines, but also to protect sensitive client and company information.

No one wants to face non-compliance fees entering the new year, but due-diligence can fall through the cracks in light of more pressing priorities. This is where document management services can help.

How to improve compliance through retention scheduling

Records retention scheduling makes compliance easy. Document management professionals will create and maintain an accurate retention schedule for documents such as:

• Vital business records (contracts, employee documents, etc)
• Email and general correspondence
• Tax information
• Health care reports
• Financial statements

You will be automatically notified when it’s time for records to be destroyed, and when that time comes, document destruction services will take care of the rest. No stress, no effort, and, best of all, no non-compliance fees.

Offsite document storage

As companies grow, record storage becomes a greater concern, and without professional offsite document storage you run the risk of losing records or lapsing on compliance. Offsite records storage offers companies the same professional Sarbanes-Oxley compliance as retention scheduling, but also protects documents from theft, natural disaster, and mere neglect.

When you leave document storage to the professionals you can rest assured records are handled with professional care. Off-site document storage offers the following:

• Secure Transportation in GPS monitored vehicles
• Barcode Scanning for tracking purposes and easy management
• Climate Controlled storage available for proper temperature and humidity levels
• Immediate generator backup in the case of a power outage
• Reinforced Concrete Media Vault for special handling of sensitive electronic and digital files
• 24/7 Video Surveillance monitored by a trained team of data protection professionals
• Lifecycle Management of all your important documents

In fact, professionally storing up to 100 boxes of records costs about as much as a daily cup of coffee, so avoiding non-compliance fees and ensuring document security is easy and affordable.

Gilmore Services is a trusted partner in document management, and an industry leader in terms of commitment and service. Contact Gilmore Services to learn how document services streamlines record compliance through professional document retention scheduling and off-site storage.