The challenge
A secondary school in Birmingham came to SDS Document Scanning desperate to free up some space and looking for an affordable way to make their archive more secure and effective. They wanted to preserve the confidentially of staff and pupil records, which included HR and financial data, and keep it safe from potential loss through theft, arson, vandalism or natural disaster such as flooding.
The state of their filing system was compounded by the lack of a retention policy, meaning that student and staff records were being stored for much longer than necessary. This took up more space and made finding the right document a difficult task.
The solution
We scanned all existing documents and made the digital files available on our online portal, giving the school the security they needed and freeing up valuable space in the building. Simple search options let them retrieve files and seconds, and strict online security measures reduce the risk of a data breach.
We also proposed an ongoing service so that the school could keep on top of their documentation. Each document they supply is now scanned onto the online portal. We also use our sister company, Shredall, to securely destroy and recycle any unwanted documents, helping to boost the school’s environmental credentials too.
The result
The school staff have found a secure solution that gives quick and easy access to files whenever they need. They’ve also benefitted from the newly freed-up space, turning one area into a staff room and another into an extra classroom.
The school’s office manager said: “Shredall SDS Group provided us with many options to digitise, store and confidentially destroy our rooms full of archive storage. Document never get misplaced like they used to, and rooms that were full of archive boxes are now put to much better use.”
“SDS Data Scanning have provided a reliable, fail-proof disaster recovery plan for student documents and other important archives. I was worried the cost would be out of our comfort zone but, actually, with a business plan put in place the cost was manageable. SDS has given us the ability to convert paper documents to electronic files, making our storage and accessibility much more manageable, convenient and cost effective.”
Education Director of Services, Birmingham secondary school
If you're interested in Shredall SDS Group's document scanning and shredding services, get in touch with us today or get a quick quote with the form below. If you're based in Birmingham, you can also contact our Birmingham office directly.
