How Do I Purge my Records Stored at Augusta Data Storage?
WHY PURGE MY RECORDS?
There are typically two reasons that our customers call to schedule a record purge.
If their business is closing or relocating, they are likely looking to do a large scale, on-site purge project at their location to securely destroy any outdated records that they will not be relocating or records they no longer need.
Or, more commonly, we work with customers who, for compliance and information security reasons, require annual purge shredding of specific sets of records. Typically these purges are of records that are over a certain age and are no longer needed for reference in their archived storage.
Customers store these records either at their location, in an archive storage area, or have outsourced the storage of lesser-used records to Augusta Data Storage. If their records are stored in our facility, here is a quick look at how the purge process happens and how we determine the correct records for destruction.
PLACING YOUR RECORDS IN STORAGE
When you choose to outsource your record storage, there is a level of planning and inventory control that is required to ensure that the records are safe and easily located, if needed.
When we bring records into our facility, we complete what is known as the “inventory control sheet.” This form details the contents of each box, includes a list of barcoding for storage and location tracking, and includes a destruction date.
That’s right – before the records are even stored in our facility, we are already working with you to identify when the appropriate destruction date is, based on your internal policies or the compliance standards in your industry.
Once the form is completed, all of the information is uploaded into our inventory control software. This is the same software we use to locate your records in our facility and check them in and out if you request them for delivery.
PREPARING YOUR RECORDS FOR PURGE DESTRUCTION
When our tracking system detects that your destruction date is getting close, we contact you to ensure that you are ready to proceed with the destruction on the pre-determined date. This gives you an opportunity to ensure that there are no active files, or information you might still need access to, within the destruction list.
Once you approve the files for destruction, your records are pulled from our warehouse facility and are shredded in our on-site shred plant. The paper is then baled and recycled.
CONTINUITY OF SERVICE
A great benefit of using Augusta Data Storage, is that we are able to provide a full records management process for you, under one roof. From storage and records retrieval, to purging and secure destruction, the entire process is managed internally, by our team.
There are no third-party vendors handling your information and you can rest assured that your documents remain entirely secure in our facility, from initial storage all the way through destruction. This helps you limit the chain of custody of your sensitive information, meaning less people are touching, sorting, and accessing your records throughout their lifetime.
If you are interested in learning more about our secure document storage or destruction services, contact us today to learn more about how we can help you protect your valuable information.