From RFP to selection: guidance for outsourcing RIM functions.

• Author: Bergeson, Dave
• Position: Records and information management - Request for proposal

When outsourcing RIM functions, it is imperative to develop an RFP that clearly conveys your specific needs, prioritize your selection criteria, and get to know potential providers by touring their facilities and asking the right questions. This article provides guidance for ensuring a successful outcome.

Thousands of businesses have chosen to outsource portions of their records and information management (RIM) program needs--for good reason because, in many cases, it makes good business and financial sense to do so.

With the proliferation of high-profile data breaches today, though, a top concern among all organizations and customers is keeping their information safe--and this is an even greater concern for organizations whose information moves outside their immediate control. This makes it imperative for organizations that decide to take this approach to make the most knowledgeable decision possible when selecting a RIM company as a valued business partner.

There is no single, "right" way to select a RIM services company to meet your specific needs, but there is an informed way to proceed.

Review Industry Resources

Fortunately, there are industry resources to guide you through the selection process.

Both ARMA International and PRISM International offer comprehensive guidance for selecting a service provider in publications available for download from their respective websites: ARMA's Guidelines for Evaluating Offsite Records Storage Facilities at www.arma.org/bookstore and PRISM's Demand the Best: A guide to help select an offsite information management company under its "Buy from a Member" section at www.prismintl.org.

After reviewing this guidance, begin your search by consulting listings of professional RIM services companies in the Records and Information Management Buyer's Guide at www.arma.org/buyersguide and in the "Buy from a Member" section of PRISM's website. You will find a wide variety of companies that offer all or many of the services indicated in the sidebar "RIM Services That Might Be Outsourced."

Prioritize Selection Factors

Selecting the right company begins with submitting an RFP that clearly conveys your specific needs and then getting to know potential providers by touring their facilities and asking the right questions.

To help you get organized, Allan Podraza, director of records management and archives at the American Medical Association in Chicago, suggests that you weigh and prioritize the factors for selecting a RIM services provider that are of most concern to your organization, choosing among personnel, the physical facility, vaults, fire and security systems, storage capabilities, policies and procedures, technology, delivery vehicles and procedures, invoicing, retention scheduling capabilities, disaster planning, and insurance.

Then, devise three or four pointed questions for each aspect. For example, if you need to know more about a company profile, ask about the company's mission and vision, how long it has been in business, what differentiates it from its competitors, and proof of its financial stability, among other questions.

Podraza provides lists of potential questions in his...