Get Down to Business with a Spring Cleaning Event
As Daylight Saving Time begins and tax season comes to the close, there’s not a better way to get rid of excess clutter in your office. Here are several ways to get to business with a spring cleaning event for your company.
Start With a Document Inventory
Before you can start a spring cleaning project, it’s important to know what you have. Prepare for your spring cleaning event by making an inventory of the documents your business utilizes and how long they need to be retained. If you’re unsure of document retention guidelines, consult with your attorney or financial consultant for expert guidance. After you’ve determined your how long records should be stored and when they need to be destroyed, enter the retention schedules into a spreadsheet. Depending on the size of your organization, each department may have its own retention spreadsheet.
Designate Storage and Disposal Resources
A records retention inventory is the roadmap that gives your spring cleaning project direction, but you need the right resources to make it effective. You’ll find that you have a combination of duplicate files, permanent records and active documents, so make sure you have a designated resource for each record. During spring cleaning, your staff should have a clear idea of what to do with each type of record.
For example, to protect them from disaster, permanent records and other important documents vital to the continuity of your business should be archived offsite in a secure location. Use a secure storage facility that protects them from fires, floods, natural disasters and unauthorized access. The facility should also guarantee a secure chain of custody when picking up and delivering documents.
If you use a professional shredding and destruction service, your provider can deliver collection containers to your office several days in advance of your spring cleaning project for secure disposal, in advance, of unwanted files. When the containers are filled, your provider picks them up and destroys them using a National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) AAA Certified document shredding process.
Don’t Forget to Have Fun
Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be all work. Use the occasion as an opportunity to offer a break from the traditional workday and foster collaboration between staff. After all, tidying up your office takes teamwork. Allow your staff to wear jeans during spring cleaning; a “casual Friday” is the perfect day for your project. Order food for a kickoff breakfast or lunch, and consider taking before and after photos to document your team’s progress. You can even offer prizes for the “most–transformed” departments or work areas. Use your imagination to double the effectiveness of your spring cleaning project!
A spring cleaning event helps your business reduce office clutter and protect the privacy of its information, so start planning one today!
Richards & Richards offers records storage and document shredding solutions for businesses throughout Nashville. For more information, please contact us by phone or complete the form on this page.
