5 steps for managing an offsite storage vendor consolidation.

• Author: Fleming, Julie

For organizations using multiple offsite records storage vendors, consolidating records under one vendor can create economies of scale and improve operations--if they are properly prepared to make the move.

Although the world has reportedly "gone digital," organizations continue to struggle with managing large volumes of paper records. Using separate offsite storage solutions by geographically dispersed locations is quite common. Often, though, these locations have few controls to enable compliance with records management requirements.

Following the steps below for consolidating records from multiple locations under one vendor can enhance records management processes, providing a good solution for this challenge.

Editor's note: Because selecting a new vendor is too complex to cover in this space, this article points readers looking for guidance on that step to Guideline for Evaluating Offsite Records Storage Facilities, available at www.arma.org /bookstore.

Step 1: Gather Information

The first step in organizing a vendor consolidation project--before selecting a new vendor--is to create a database or spreadsheet to track the locations, volumes, and types of the organization's records, as well as the account numbers and contact information for each storage location. This information will be critical to developing a request for proposal (RFP) for vendor selection.

Identifying Storage Locations

Frequently, the accounting department can generate a list of vendors to whom storage fees are being paid to provide a starting point for a database.

However, it is possible that records are also being stored in internal onsite storage rooms, employee homes, and self-storage facilities. Payments to these locations may not have been coded as "records storage" in the accounting system, so identifying them will likely require additional investigation.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

Determining Transition Requirements

Each business unit will have unique requirements for transitioning its records to a new vendor, so begin by surveying each one to gather the following basic information:

* Name of business unit

* Address

* Authorized users and contact information

* Names of users requiring destruction authority

* A list of services needed (e.g., storage, shredding, on-demand imaging)

* Whether box-level or individual file listings are needed

* Whether online box submission be required or if paper transmittals will be allowed

* Who will perform the data entry (internal personnel or the vendor)

Requesting Record Inventories

Provide a template for business units to use so data submitted from all locations can be merged into a uniform list. Determine the metadata to be captured, and use these fields to create the template. The template might include data fields as shown in Figure 1.

Some business units may not have an inventory and/or may not be tracking all required information. In self-storage type situations, only an estimate of the number of boxes may be available. For these locations, an inventory will be needed prior to sending the boxes to the new vendor.

Alternatively, the new vendor may be able to perform an inventory (for an additional charge) when it picks up the boxes.

Conducting Box Reviews

If a box review needs to occur, the following questions Hill need to be answered prior to scheduling the review:

* Who Hill conduct the review?

*...