Supporting a local law firm with transforming their archiving practices.
A well-established local law firm got in touch with Archive-Vault to see how we could help them manage their stored documents more efficiently. When we first spoke they were storing over 1,000 boxes of confidential documentation in a leased room across the city from their offices. Unfortunately they didn’t have the facilities to store the documentation on site and, although this solution enabled them to free up space in their office, it was certainly not without its own obstacles and challenges.
The Challenge
Archive-Vault visited the offsite building with the Practice Manager and quickly identified a number of challenges.
Limited shelving meant the majority of the boxes were stacked on top of one another on the floor with no support. This resulted in potentially compromised boxes and risked damaging the files within. It also meant that staff had to physically move each box to find the file they needed.
Disorganisation was another challenge that had a detrimental impact on those using the documentation. Without labelled locations they were unable to track files, so knowing whether documents were in their boxes or still sitting on a desk back at the office was tricky. This could result in staff travelling to the storage area without needing to, therefore wasting valuable time.
Inconvenient file retrievals also negatively impacted staff as accessing files was time consuming. Staff had to travel across the city to retrieve an urgent file and, once they arrived, then had the added issue of searching through piles of heavy boxes to find the right one. This resulted in both an inconvenient and time-consuming process for staff.
Returning files fell to the facilities team who had numerous responsibilities and priorities. This often led to loose files being stacked up either at the firm’s office or at the building where documentation was being stored. Not returning files to the correct boxes in a timely manner created a confusing system for staff to search through.
Having no safety measures in place was the biggest concern for them as the storage room was in a shared building, with no way of controlling who entered the building. The door to their room was always locked but this was the only measure in place to protect their files.
The Solution
Archive-Vault’s purpose-built warehouses use state-of-the-art barcode technology to ensure each item in storage has a full audit trail and trackable movement history. There is no risk of items being taken out of storage and misplaced as our technology means you always know where files are
We understood from the Practice Manager that the files needed to be accessed regularly and retrieved quickly. We collected all 1,000+ boxes in one day and each was given a unique barcode. Upon arrival, the boxes underwent quality checks to ensure they were not compromised or damaged, reboxing any that did not meet our high standard. Each box was then indexed to the law firm’s criteria, matching the description on the outside of the box. Finally, we scanned each box to a designated location on our racking to ensure quick and easy retrievals when required.
Our client portal enables the user to manage and view the boxes they have in storage at their convenience. They can also request deliveries and collections at a time to suit them, order new boxes, and download full inventory reports at the click of a button.
Storing boxes offsite with Archive-Vault has eliminated the wasted time and resources required to manage the documents stored using their previous system. Furthermore, the client no longer needs to worry about the whereabouts of their documentation as all files that are returned to store are returned to their correct boxes by the Archive-Vault team quickly and efficiently, with a full audit trail.
The Result
● All boxes are securely stored in our purpose-built warehouse and protected by our high-level security protocols
● Each file is fully trackable through our comprehensive barcode system
● The client now has quick and easy access to items whenever needed
● Files are delivered directly to their office at the most convenient time
● Their full inventory is managed through our online Client Portal
● A full audit trail is created for each document
● The client has reduced overall spend and saved significant amounts of staff time
*Due to the nature of our business, our clients are remained anonymous.
