Setting Up a Document Management Plan

When you first start a business, you might not realize the number of documents you’ll produce in a given day, much less over the course of months or years.  While some of these documents will have to be maintained in hard copy for a set amount of time, plenty of other paper can be disposed of so that it doesn’t clutter your office and take up needed space.

Of course, you have to be careful what you do with documents.  If you simply throw them in the trash, they could create risks for internal or external theft, and if they contain sensitive information, they could lead to catastrophes like data breach or identity theft that threaten your business and your customers.

This is why you need a document management plan.  Your South Dakota business has an obligation to protect sensitive data and comply with consumer privacy laws, and the right policies and procedures will ensure that you behave responsibly and in keeping with applicable laws.  Here are a few steps to get your document management plan in order.

Document Retention

The first thing you need to consider with a document management plan is which documents you need to retain and for how long.  These days, many companies are attempting to go paperless in a bid to behave in an environmentally responsible manner.  With the convenience of server and cloud storage options, this has become an attractive proposition.

That said, there are still certain documents you’ll want to retain in hard copy format, such as tax documents, contracts, and so on.  In addition, it may take some time to transition to a paperless office, and you might have years of records that have to be digitized prior to destruction.

Either way, your document management plan starts with understanding which documents you need to retain, how long you will retain them, and how you will keep documents secure, whether they’re destined to be filed or slated for destruction.

In-House Document Security

There are a couple of important policies you may want to adopt as part of your document management plan.  For starters, you should consider a clean desk policy that requires employees to secure documents when they’re not at their desks, or at the end of each work day, for example.  When documents containing sensitive data are left out, they not only create clutter, but opportunity for theft by employees who wouldn’t otherwise have access to that data.

As for document destruction, you have to be equally careful.  This is why you should implement a shred-all policy that requires all documents to be shredded, rather than simply trashed or recycled.  When you partner with a reliable shredding partner, you’ll also receive locking bins for your office that ensure any documents dropped inside cannot be retrieved or seen by prying eyes.

Secure Destruction and Recycling

If you outsource to a mobile shredding service as part of your document management plan, you’ll enjoy secure and convenient destruction and recycling, with technicians visiting your location on a schedule to retrieve and destroy documents while you watch, before transporting remains to a secure facility for recycling.

If you’re looking for a certified ITAD service provider to help you implement your document management plan, contact the trusted professionals at SEAM today at 605-274-7326 (SEAM) or online to request a quote.