Managing School Records Effectively

We are proud to announce that Archive-Vault has achieved ISO 9001:2015 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certifications. Awarded by an independent UKAS-accredited certification body in March 2024, these qualifications demonstrate our ongoing commitment to maintaining robust information security and delivering an outstanding service to our clients. As organisations across all sectors become increasingly concerned about data security, we made the proactive decision to pursue these two certificates towards the end of 2023. By meeting the rigorous standards of the certificates and satisfying third-party auditors, we ensure we continue to keep client documents safe and continually improve as a business. "With Archive-Vault experiencing rapid growth, we recognised the need for well-defined and standardised processes across the organisation," says Operations Manager Emily Pitcher. "We worked closely with a UKAS-approved body to assess the business and operational requirements before being audited and achieving certification. “ISO 9001 and 27001 solidify our existing practices and form a strong foundation for future expansion. It was a challenging process, but we’re delighted to have secured both standards." 

Secure collection and storage, bespoke archive indexing and fast retrievals to support liquidation cases Insolvency Practitioners, with offices in East Anglia and across the UK, regularly take on cases where the archive needs to be collected from businesses going into liquidation. The documents then need to be organised with easy retrieval a priority, whilst ensuring the safety and security of the files and compliance with data protection regulations. This is time intensive work, making outsourcing to a trusted service provider a viable option. This particular company was looking for a long-term storage partner to work with them to streamline the archiving case management and chose Archive-Vault. The lack of physical space in their offices to store the archive boxes was also a deciding factor as was the lack of staff available to co-ordinate this sector. We’ve now provided support on over 150 cases and continue to do so. As an established Archive-Vault client, they know they can rely on us to get the job completed to a high standard and handled with sensitivity each and every time. We provide a Total Document Management Service for the Insolvency Practitioners.

Archive-Vault is delighted to be part of three local events over the next couple of months. Each event is a great way of meeting new people and spreading the word on how we can support new businesses and current clients streamline their document management systems. We have shared the links below if you or your business would like to get involved in any of the upcoming events.

One of the biggest reasons businesses decide to use offsite storage is to make more room available in their premises. Freeing up space is a huge factor but have you considered the other benefits of storing your documents with a professional Records Management company? If you use a professional storage provider like Archive-Vault, you will not only free up space but you can take advantage of a range of services that will have a positive impact on the way you work. You will also get peace of mind knowing that things are being done the right way. From improving staff safety to enhanced data protection and greater office efficiency, there are many reasons to use offsite storage for your documents. Whether you’re responsible for Records Management in a law firm, NHS Trust or construction company, read on to discover ten benefits that will make a clear difference for your organisation.

Would your business benefit from carrying out a back scanning project? Are you exploring the back scanning option as a step in the right direction to going ‘paper light’? This blog focuses on the who, what, when, why, where, and how of back scanning to help you make an informed decision.

Need to improve your records management? Take a look at our top tips to find out how to enhance the organisation, retention and storage of your data.

Many businesses and organisations have mountains of documents that need to be archived in a user-friendly way. The thought of digitising these can seem overwhelming but it’s well worth the effort. Whether you do your scanning in-house or outsource, there are huge benefits to digitising your documents from ease of access to freeing up much needed office space. Document scanning is the ideal solution for businesses that need to access files on a regular basis where the digital copy is sufficient. If you’re responsible for records management, are you considering whether to continue to do your scanning in-house or if outsourcing might be a good option? We’ve compiled a guide looking at scanning in-house versus outsourcing, read on to find out more.

GDPR may not be fresh news anymore, but there is still confusion over what it covers. Read on to uncover the meaning of GDPR and how GDPR compliance affects your record keeping. 

Off-shore company consolidates and streamlines storage of documents and large items. When an international off-shore company closed a UK site, the headquarters co-ordinated the closure, inheriting the archives and organisation of storage for their large items in the warehouse. Archive-Vault’s records management expertise and storage solutions supported the client and streamlined a complex situation. When sites have individual archiving processes, inheriting another archive is never easy, but the pressure is really on when that site is due for imminent closure. This was exactly the case with our client in the off-shore industry. When one of their sites closed, the UK headquarters inherited its archive. Some of this was already stored at our facilities in Norfolk, but there remained a huge amount of documents that needed to be archived. A warehouse filled with bulky items, including equipment, also needed to be emptied and alternative storage found for its contents. The Operations and Logistics Manager met with Archive-Vault to help execute a plan of action to empty the site within the deadline. THE CHALLENGE Taking control of another archive is not a straightforward business, but this project was particularly challenging due to the tight timeframe. The archive would also need to be reviewed and organised after the move. This was a significant job, so our client contacted us for advice and support. We organised a site visit and identified the following key issues: Bulky items - The site had a warehouse that was filled with bulky items, such as invaluable equipment for the industry. With the site now closing down, these items needed to be securely transported and stored elsewhere. Lack of knowledge - With individual sites using separate archiving processes, headquarters were unsure what information had already been sent for offsite storage. This created a sizable information gap, and increased the probability of files being lost, duplicated or unnecessarily stored. It also meant that finding important documents could be a time-consuming process. Imminent deadline - With the closure date fast approaching, we knew we had to act quickly and efficiently to remove all items from the site by the deadline. The items were not referenced, we had to identify the weight and dimensions of each item in order to accurately arrange the transportation. THE SOLUTION Once we had identified the key priorities, we dispatched vehicles to collect the large items and safely transport them back to Archive-Vault. When the deliveries arrived, we gave each item its own unique barcode and reference. We also took a photo of each item so that it could be easily located and viewed on our online Client Portal . Creating a new archiving system was the next priority. To begin the process, the client determined what information they would like to use as a reference. Once the reference fields were decided, they were rolled out across all of the archive, including the items already in store. The client also established retention periods for the types of documents they were looking through, this meant that a destruction date could be added to each document. To complete the project, our client made regular appointments with us to review their archive boxes and large items, so having the new archiving system in place meant the reviewing process would be a lot more streamline. The client now has access to our Online Portal, which allows them to view and manage their entire inventory anywhere, anytime. Our clients can make requests and download destruction reports too, which gives them full control of their off-site storage. THE RESULTS By the end of the project, our client had successfully removed all items off-site, ahead of their deadline and before the site officially closed. All items have been safely transported to Archive-Vault, and each now has a unique barcode and reference. The review of the older archiving is underway, leaving our client with a detailed inventory and retention dates on each item. The client is now staying data compliant, saving staff time and reducing overall costs. Want to discuss your secure storage and records management needs? If you would like to find out more about our secure storage solutions for your organisation, you can get in touch with us by calling 01603 720722 or emailing info@archive-vault.co.uk. Due to the nature of our business, our clients must remain anonymous.