WHICH INDUSTRIES NEED SECURE DOCUMENT STORAGE THE MOST?

The GDPR regulations have been time consuming, but every business understands that there’s very good reason for enforcing them. In order to be considered credible and trustworthy, customers and businesses need to know and ensure that any data they process is done so respectfully and responsibly, in compliance with data protection laws.Sadly, the proof isn’t in the pudding. It’s in paper documents. Even today, in the digital age, electronic files aren’t always trusted as much as physical files. Indeed, there are numerous financial and legal situations where in order to be considered valid proof, documents must be presented in paper form. Electronic copies rarely constitute sufficient proof in legal contexts.Even the tidiest and most organised amongst us find piles of paper difficult to work with, especially when you’re trying to track down an insignificant receipt from 2003. As well as this, when it comes to confidential and sensitive information, serious security measures are required. Such measures often take up time, money and space. What’s a business to do?Enter: secure and efficient document storage providers…These providers – with Flexible Storage being one of the most trusted storage firms in London – specialise in and take care of the above problems for you. No matter what industry you work in, no matter the nature of your business, no matter your particular role within a company may be, it’s likely that you will gain access to personal information at some point. Maybe, just maybe, secure document storage is just the kind of service you need. Here are seven industries that, due to the type of data involved in their operation, need services like ours the most.

LEGAL

Contracts and other classified legal documentation are the bread and butter of organisations dealing in legal matters. To be considered valid documentation, hard copies of house deeds, birth certificates, signed contracts, and wills are required. Those working in legal firms will likely be reading this while having flashbacks of bustling filing cabinets and endless papercuts.In order to win cases for defendants or advise and protect clients, lawyers need to pay close attention to these documents. The authority and respect given to the justice system and legal firms would be in serious jeopardy if they’re found non-compliant with data protection and human rights laws. While they are in their possession, they’d be wise to keep these documents secure and well-managed whilst never dealing with individuals and organisations without the same standards of security. If evidence is not legally sourced, it won’t be accepted in court.

INSURANCE

In order to evaluate ‘risk and exposure’, insurance brokers are momentarily privy to a lot of personal information and confidential documentation. Who you are, where you live, what you do (and how often), how much you earn – the list of sensitive details goes on. Most people are not comfortable disclosing such information to people they’ve just met (or perhaps never met!). Indeed, they only do so when confident that their personal data is respected and secured.Once policies are written and paid for, legal and regulatory requirements come into play when a claim is raised. This is when the big wigs will refer back to these trusty documents – if anyone is able to track them down, that is… Flexible Storage offer long-term secure document storage, alongside management systems that make individual files locatable in an instant.

FINANCE

To provide a valuable service, financial advisors need data, and lots of it. They need to know about client assets, current economic climate and legal legislation. Think mortgages, loan applications, budgets and bank statements. All of which are private and personal. Information like this usually needs to be retained for defined periods, making it necessary for financial firms to devise a secure storage solution.Storing documents in a company office is one option, but not one without its drawbacks. Outsourcing your document storage will not just give you peace of mind – its also cost-effective, super-efficient, and ultra-secure. If you work in finance and you’ve found yourself involuntarily nodding your head while reading this, read more about our external storage options here.

ACCOUNTANCY

The accounting industry revolves around financial records (or accounts). Today, it is one of the leading business sectors globally and considered the ‘language of business’ by some. Accounting firms deal with bank statements, credit ratings, loan applications, interest rates and more general personal client data for security purposes. If any numbers don’t add up or queries are raised during financial audits, the company accounts team will have a lot to answer for.If you have a good accountant, they’ll be paying close attention to when and where you spend your money. Whilst dealing with this information you’d like it to be respected and secured by both your account and the auditors, right? As businesses, banks make money via the interest gained from the loans they provide. And as businesses, it’s not in their best interest to lend to individuals or organisations unlikely to be able to pay back the full loan. Before granting a loan, underwriters carry out detailed credit analyses of prospective borrowers. This process is partially reliant on a secure document storage and management system being in place.

HEALTHCARE

Medical records are extensive and, unlike most industry records, they can make the difference between life and death. Medical professionals need reliable access to patient records and patients need to know their records won’t remain in the hands of go-betweens like receptionists and pharmacists. In cases of legal action and insurance claims, the ability to produce doctor’s notes, as well as individual and organisational licensing certification, is essential. As such, external document storage is a secure and efficient solution in medical industries.

CONSTRUCTION

Blueprints, plans, legal documentation, permits, invoices, and payroll. In order to gain planning permission, workers in this industry will also need approval from local authorities and property owners. Where disputes arise, it is necessary to refer to documents like house deeds, signed contracts and wills. All of these are specialised documents that are only valid when created by professionals. Although the first two could be recreated, this would be expensive as a result of the time and expertise required. Buildings and sites change over time, as do the people who own them. If deeds, permits, invoices and plans are lost, people won’t know who is responsible for what and what was agreed when.

DOES YOUR COMPANY NEED SECURE DOCUMENT STORAGE?

All of these industries need secure data storage services due to the amount of confidential records they generate. Due to limited resources, facilities and experience, most in-house archives are prone to security risks (from both a privacy and physical safety point of view) and management issues. They’re better stored off-site, in a designated space where they’re guaranteed to be secure and tracked. At Flexible Storage, ‘security’ amounts to fireproof and water resistant document storage. It means thick steel units with high security hardened steel locks. And because your team doesn’t have the time or headspace to navigate around all of these each time they need the files, our trained and vetted staff will do this for you!Whether your company requires high or low security document storage of a single archive box or tens of thousands of archive units, ourdocument storage servicesallow you to focus on your business in a clutter free efficient office. For help on how to choose the right document storage for your business,get in touch.