6 Ways to Cut Your Document Shredding Costs
It may seem like a no-brainer to think that shredding your own documents by using an inexpensive office shredder is a great way to reduce your document shredding costs, but there’s a better way that might not be so obvious. Consider all the factors required to set up your document shredding system:
1. Forget the “Cheap” Equipment
There is a vast array of shredders available, and many of them are very affordable—affordable to purchase, that is. But to maintain a shredding machine requires additional attention and cost. When using a paper shredder on a regular basis in an office environment, you will need to replace it regularly. Using a professional document shredding service eliminates equipment issues completely. There is no up-front purchase cost, repair cost or replacement cost.
2. Calculate Staffing Costs
As long as neckties, necklaces, bracelets, scarves, and long hair don’t get caught, anyone can operate an office shredder. But do you want to pay your skilled staff to feed paper into a shredder, clear jams, and empty the receptacles? Why spend hours shredding documents when a shredding company with industrial shredders can destroy them in minutes? A shredding service will also supply locked containers that are emptied on a pre-planned schedule. Your staff will be grateful, you won’t need a shredder, your staff budget will stay on track, and no one will have to risk a serious wardrobe malfunction.
3. Sidestep Human Error
It’s a common misconception that, to avoid excessive errors, decisions should be made by a human being. The truth is that human involvement can dramatically increase the rate of error.
When employees must decide whether to shred or just recycle a document, mistakes are inevitable. Not only can sensitive documents end up in a dumpster or blowing around at a recycling plant, but documents also can be lost. A missing document creates the risk of a data breach which can result in lost time, legal action, massive costs, and the loss of customer confidence.
Implementing a “shred-it-all” mentality will help avoid decision-based human error. Better yet, work with a NAID AAA Certified shredding service that can protect your documents within a chain of custody from the time they are inserted into locked containers until they are destroyed and a Certificate of Destruction is sent to you.
4. Ditch Ineffective Shredders
Paper shredding makes destroying documents with sensitive information quick and easy. Many shredders create strips that are still readable. In 1979, strips of shredded paper from the American embassy in Iran were pieced together by revolutionaries showing that with enough determination, information can be discovered. A criminal that wants something bad enough will do whatever is necessary to get it. The shredding process must ensure that documents cannot be pieced together again. A reputable shredding service is capable of preventing your documents from being reassembled.
5. Assure Compliance
Regular document shredding seems like a reasonable goal. Secure and compliant shredding for the security of the company and clients requires knowledge and training. Investing in the services of a professional shredding company is, in the long run, a cost-saving decision and could simultaneously save your company from legal issues while maintaining your customer’s confidence.
6. Rethink the DIY Mentality
In document shredding, the “do-it-yourself-is-cheaper” strategy is a myth based on incorrect assumptions. Working with a professional and secure shredding company is the best cost-cutting decision you could make. It will ensure that your company is compliant and avoids unnecessary errors, fines, and a ruined reputation
Richards & Richards is a NAID AAA Certified shredding service in Nashville, Tennessee. We offer one-time, scheduled, walk-in and drop-off shredding services to fit your needs. Give us a call at 615-242-9600 or complete the form on this page to discuss how you can cut your shredding costs.
