Records management can be complex, especially for large businesses or organisations with multiple departments and functions. From tracking documents to managing active and inactive records, the process can quickly become overwhelming, but we’re here to simplify it for you.
Records management applies to both documents and records, which are either active (the record is used and updated often) or inactive (the record is stored for historical data). No matter the file, a successful business needs them to be accessible, organised, and secure. That’s where a records management system comes in.
- What is records management?
- Why is records management important?
- Benefits of records management
- Records management best practices
If you are looking to introduce a records management system, using document management software from Shredall SDS Group is the smart solution. This intuitive software gives you complete oversight of your documents, enabling secure storage, easy retrieval, and full compliance with data regulations. Get in touch to find out more.
What is records management?
So, what is records management? Records management is the process of managing paper or digital documentation regarding business activity from the moment of its creation to the moment of its disposal.
It involves the efficient creation, classification, storage, retrieval, and eventual disposal or preservation of records throughout their entire lifecycle. This ensures that information is organised, accessible, secure, and compliant with legal, regulatory, and operational requirements, from the moment a record is created to its final disposition.
In today’s world, good records management is rarely achieved without a dedicated document management system in place. Such systems support the process by automating routine tasks, tracking and organising files, and providing an integrated platform that enables teams to collaborate efficiently while maintaining consistency and control over records throughout their lifecycle.
Learn more about what a record management system is and the benefits it can offer in our guide.
Why is records management important?
Efficient records management has many benefits for your company. It ensures that important information is stored correctly and is easily accessible, increasing the efficiency and productivity of your teams. Since all activity is monitored and tracked, it also enhances security and accountability between teams and departments.
Additionally, an efficient records management process ensures that unneeded records are disposed of in a way that adheres to company and legal guidelines, such as the GDPR and data protection regulations.
Integrating document storage with secure document shredding helps businesses free up valuable office space. By digitising documents through document scanning, securely storing inactive files, and destroying redundant paperwork, you can reduce costs, eliminate inefficiencies, and maintain compliance.
The 5 benefits of records management
1. Control over record life cycles
Effective record management control can record entire document life cycles, with businesses being promptly notified when documents are no longer required to be stored in the system so that they can be properly disposed of immediately. This means a reduction in disorganisation and the decreased likelihood of data breaches.
2. Better regulatory compliance
As previously mentioned, a record management system allows in-house businesses to have better regulatory compliance by minimising the liabilities that come with improper document disposal, saving the company from damaging fines or penalties.
Organisations need to have a strong records management system to make sure they adhere to the professional standards set by the GDPR and the UK’s Data Protection Act. By controlling who can access, edit, or delete sensitive information in documents, a records management software limits the risk of falling short of these professional standards.
3. Faster processes
As well as helping with professional compliance, documents and records being more organised increases the efficiency of processes. With employees being able to access the documents they need quicker and easier, they can confidently focus on higher-value tasks rather than admin, allowing the business to grow faster and efficiency to increase.
4. Lowering costs & maximising ROI
Managing paper-based records and storing confidential documents can be costly in both time and money, as well as requiring physical storage space. However, digital records management means less money spent on admin roles, a reduction in storage costs, and increased efficiency of processes, which then leads to higher ROI and increased team morale.
Learn more about how your business can go paperless and the benefits it can have in our guide.
5. Informing decisions
With a records management software, there is a central location for records that is shared by all relevant employees. This means that, since everything is integrated, informed decisions can be made faster, and the company can have increased transparency between internal teams.
Records management best practices
Automate your processes
When it comes to automation, implementing a document management system simplifies the management of records by integrating all documents into a single platform, which increases efficiency while improving consistency and precision.
A records management system can also help with scheduling, ensuring records are properly disposed of, and lowering costs by saving on storage space and minimising manual work.
Create a records retention schedule
A records retention schedule, in line with a document retention policy, is an efficient way of managing the lifecycle of your documents. Your schedule should include how long each record should be retained before it’s disposed of and how it should be disposed of when no longer needed.
Whilst creating a records retention schedule seems simple in theory, there are several factors you need to consider that may affect your schedule, including:
- Any regulations that need to be adhered to
- Any agreements with third parties
- Current and future business needs and goals.
- Any legal requirements
Your records retention schedule should also state who is responsible for each document retained for easy communication and transparency. This could be organised through a formal meeting, to avoid any confusion, or could be assigned on the system.
Implement a records management solution
A records management system is all about convenience. Therefore, it should be easily configurable and simple to use; otherwise, the purpose is flawed. We recommend implementing it first in departments where document retention requirements are already established. If retention requirements are not established in any department, we recommend working with a single department to define content types and the associated retention schedule.
Protect your digital documents
To keep your confidential data secure, it is important to protect who can gain access to sensitive records through password protection. Having an electronic filing system, such as a records management system, can increase the security of your sensitive documents while accessing any activity involved with them, allowing transparency within your organisation and decreasing the likelihood of a data breach.
Similarly, standardising the labelling for all company files will improve efficiency and security within your organisation, as it will be clear to see document locations and if they have been moved. It is also important to check different devices, such as USB drives, laptops, or smartphones, for copies of sensitive documents that require destruction, to ensure there are no remnants of the file.
Outsource your records management with Shredall SDS Group
Records management is a necessary part of any successful business that wants to have efficient procedures, secure documents, and a transparent team ethic. With our records management system, you and your clients get the peace of mind that your sensitive files are organised, secure, tracked, and easily accessible, making everyone’s life safer and easier.
Contact our team today to discuss your record management system needs with our experts.
