Introduction
As FileVault Records Storage, we’ve been operating North Carolina’s premium offsite records management facility for more than twenty (20) years, and we’ve had thousands of conversations about why corporations store records offsite versus onsite. In this post, we share the top differences between offsite storage vs offsite records management.
Main topics:
- There are a range of service other than ‘offsite storage’ in Charlotte.
- Why offsite storage doesn’t need to care about your records as much as a records management company.
- Why pricing for offsite storage alone is MUCH higher than full-service records management.
Offsite storage vs records management
Offsite records storage involves relocating vital files and documents from vulnerable workplace storage rooms to secure offsite facilities. This service provides benefits such as cost savings, space reallocation, enhanced security, and compliance with privacy laws [3].
The main goal of offsite storage is to protect information from theft, security breaches, and natural disasters[3]. Offsite storage facilities typically offer 24/7 surveillance, strict security protocols, and disaster recovery solutions [2][3]; however, as we’ll discuss below, while the security might be superior to what you offer onsite, it isn’t necessarily better than what a full-service records management firm can offer.
Offsite Records Management
On the other hand, offsite records management goes beyond storage and involves the secure offsite storage of records while keeping them accessible when needed. Records management may include cataloging, categorizing, and quick retrieval of both physical and digital records[5]. It may include scanning files and secure destruction or shredding of records. It may involve special projects for purposes of coding records or simply relocating records from ‘point A’ to ‘point B’ in Charlotte.
Records management also encompasses compliance management, ensuring that records are stored and disposed of in compliance with relevant regulations [5]. Also, offsite records management firm employees are specialists in records – the confidentiality, the handling, and the overall security. Such firms have standard operating procedures specific to records – None of these services or features are offered in pure storage firms such a ‘ministorage’ providers, who may have furniture, garbage, clothing, or even offices in their spaces.
Offsite Records Centers (The biggest difference of offsite storage vs records management)
Security of Mini-Storage Locations versus Commercial
Mini-storage locations are not as secure as one might think: Because of the generally low security – the public routinely has access – there are endless stories of crimes and misdemeanors at records are stored offsite in ministorage.
Importance of a Dedicated Account Manager
A typical offsite mini-storage facility in Charlotte will not provide personnel dedicated to your specific records. Having a dedicated account manager is important to a professional firm which stores its records offsite because the account manager understands unique needs, as well as which client employees can place orders for refiles, reports, and supplies [1]. This ensures that the offsite records storage is well-managed and that the firm has control over who can access and manage their records.
Pricing
Offsite records storage operations like mini-storage are not optimized for high-density storage, which means you end up paying more per box of records. This is ironic because such offsite storage doesn’t even provide a fraction of the value-added services that full-service records management offers (see above). In mini-storage, the ceilings are very low, and you have to leave a lot of aisle space for the cartons. In records management facilities the boxes are piled high and neat, allowing for very quick location and retrieval, but
also keeping the cost per box very low.
In conclusion, offsite records management offers various benefits to firms, including cost savings, space reallocation, enhanced security, compliance with privacy laws, and efficient records management. In general, it is also much more inexpensive on a per-unit basis than offsite storage.
Citations:
[1] https://www.armstrongarchives.com/onsite-vs-offsite-data-storage/
[2] https://www.accesscorp.com/blog/5-reasons-to-store-records-offsite-today/
[3] https://www.blue-pencil.ca/what-is-offsite-records-storage/
[4] https://www.recordnations.com/articles/businesses-need-offsite-records-storage/
[5] https://www.accesscorp.com/blog/records-management-vs-document-storage/