Is your firm considering taking on a large destruction project for your offsite storage? If so, here are vital questions you need to ask yourself before taking the next step.
Do you:
— Have the time to project manage this undertaking?
— Know a realistic percentage of records that are eligible for destruction
— Understand the costs involved and potential ROI?
— Know how long the project will take?
— Know how much time the firm will need to be involved in the review process?
— Have established process and project rates in place for review, exceptions handling, re-boxing, destruction orders, service provider SLAs, etc.?
— Know the various physical locations the service provider is storing your information assets that will require firm staff to visit for review during the process?
— Have the firm staff available to:
- Generate lists for service provider “flip the lid” review.
- Visit warehouses when required, and within a set timeframe to avoid additional fees, to review identified exceptions?
- Train your service provider on the firm’s required process when reviewing boxes to verify retention status and disposition action
— Have required reporting mechanism in place to receive service provider re-boxing data in order to update firm’s records management system (i.e. data needed, frequency, format)?
— Have required reporting in place to review progress and to ensure projected timelines will be met?
— How often and in what format will invoicing take place?
— Know how much a project of this undertaking should cost and how to get it back on track when issues are encountered?
If not, or if you are having a difficult time getting your arms wrapped around this undertaking, Mattern can help you. Mattern will assist your firm oversee your destruction project with any or all of the following:
— Establishing processes for the destruction project
— Customizing and soliciting a Request for Quote process with your current provider
— Negotiate pricing, processes, and required SLAs and reporting
— Oversee/Project manage on an ongoing basis
