5 Strategies for Effective Office Records Management

With the right office records management solution, businesses can be better equipped to process the high volume of documents that drive workplace inefficiencies

Document management is a daily reality for every business, whether you work remotely or in an office. Unfortunately, it can also drive some of the most common workplace inefficiencies, as the anyone who’s ever recreated missing documents from scratch can attest. The good news is businesses can address these challenges by rethinking their approach to office records management, especially as digital solutions become more common.

Read our guide to business information management systems to find the practices, tools, and software you need to keep your business’ essential info accessible.

What is office records management?

Office records management is the practice of creating and implementing policies to manage information and documents within an office environment. In short, it can help an organization determine how records are created, classified, stored, tracked, and eventually destroyed. By designing these practices around employee objectives and customer needs, organizations can:

• Secure private data while making it more accessible to authorized parties.
• Improve employee productivity and efficiency.
• Reduce the cost of physical storage solutions.
• Increase the volume of available office space.

While detailed records can help employees organize and manage their data, they often also play a much more significant role for modern enterprises. Office records management is a vital component of governance, risk management, and compliance activities since it reflects the institutional memory of an organization. In addition, records management is critical for some industries since there may be applicable laws and regulations governing such management and security of recordkeeping, such as how licensed medical practitioners and covered entities are required to follow HIPAA guidelines.

In a digital age, businesses face a new challenge: implementing filing and records management practices that address the immense volume of daily physical and electronic documents they create. Thankfully, with the correct best practices, any office can implement records policies that can help entire teams achieve their business objectives. Some helpful best practices include the following:

1: Create a formal records policy

For a data and records management solution to succeed, one aspect includes that all employees should understand its function and their responsibilities. While these record formats can be standard within a given field, their differences are immense across industries, especially when accounting for those transitioning to digital tools.

Since document use cases can vary, the most effective approach is usually to craft records and data management policies for each stage of a document’s life cycle. Such a focus lets managers train all of their employees on the exact procedures for:

• Record creation: Determining when an office manager creates or receives a record.
• Document access and usage: Establishing which individuals can access or modify information.
• Record maintenance: Laying out storage techniques, usage tracking, and schedules for review.
• Deletion and disposal: Determining whether a record should be archived or reviewed.
• Document archiving: Transferring records into long-term archives that may require specialized storage solutions.

2: Pay attention to applicable state, local and federal regulations

Given the sheer volume of data every employee generates, it’s tempting to save every associated record so you can search for pertinent details later. Unfortunately, that’s both inefficient and may potentially cause certain compliance issues. Many industries have different standards for the types of information they store and how they use it — for example,healthcare regulations such as HIPAA also codify which types of protected health information (PHI) data must be kept out of sight from unauthorized parties, amongst other requirements set forth in the HIPAA privacy and security rules.

Businesses must comply with state, local, and federal regulations to the letter or potentially face legal consequences. When shopping for third-party solutions, consider whether customer records management services and platforms are compliant with any applicable standards or legal requirements. If you are building your own solution, businesses should take the time to research the details and consult with a licensed legal professional to help ensure your policies are above-board and in compliance with any applicable laws.

3: Choose the right records management tools

Today’s record management tools often encompass physical and digital spaces, especially with the rise of remote workplaces. Businesses should seek options that reflect their business goals and data objectives. For example, an office accommodating off-site employees may need cloud storage options that grant remote access to authorized users. Here are a few details to keep in mind:

• Physical storage: Businesses that must maintain physical records are usually the first to realize the limits of available storage space. Filing cabinets and on-site archives will need to be large enough to store and protect documents for the maximum timeframe that such records need to be maintained.
• Digital storage: Digital records can be efficient and cost-effective, but the format has unique challenges. Businesses that store all records on-site may need an internal server, which may require a dedicated technician. Meanwhile, information on a cloud network must generally comply with the privacy regulations of any country that houses a host server, in addition to any other applicable privacy laws.
• Document scanners: Many businesses use a hybrid records management model for storing physical and digital records. In these cases, investing in high-speed document scanners that turn records into digital files is often a good idea. Some modern scanners even include auto-indexing features to ensure information is still accessible with standard search fields.
• Records management software: A growing number of records management software platforms can help offices implement effective policies more quickly. Try to find a solution with expertise in your industry to help ensure it complies with all applicable regulations.

4: Track your records management KPIs

Implementing a records management system is an excellent first step, but managers should also ensure it’s being used correctly. To do so, first determine which key performance indicators will prove it’s having an impact. For example, are employees spending the same time on manual data entry? Are managers processing and resolving more records since adopting these policies?

By tracking metrics that are tied to specific performance goals or objectives, it’s far easier to determine whether your records management tools are addressing each pain point. Measurement can also highlight unexpected recordkeeping policy gaps that an organization can handle moving forward. For example, an office manager can modify the policy if employees lose track of document versions because they email them as attachments instead of accessing a central record.

5: Streamline your digital transformation with high-speed document scanners

For modern offices, document scanners can be crucial to an effective records management strategy. We take great pride in having spent the last 50+ years researching, designing, and developing some of the most advanced and powerful electronics in the world, including our professional grade fi and SP series of scanners.

Built to purpose for the most demanding document handling jobs, fi and SP scanners are capable of processing tens of thousands of pages per day at the highest levels of accuracy. Their intuitive integration capabilities with all existing work suites minimize time-to-value for businesses looking to invest in tools that will pay dividends for years to come. Click here to learn more or shop the rest of our production scanner line.

Note: Information and external links are provided for your convenience and for educational purposes only, and shall not be construed, or relied upon, as legal advice. PFU America, Inc. makes no representations about the contents, features, or specifications on such third-party sites, software, and/or offerings (collectively “Third-Party Offerings”) and shall not be responsible for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of such Third-Party Offerings. Please consult with a licensed attorney regarding your specific situation as regulations may be subject to change.