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Upcoming Events
Sep 04, 2023
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.
Lunch on the Green – Thursday 21st September
Hosted by Clapham and Collinge at their Norwich office in support of Break Charity, this great event gives you the opportunity to meet new and existing faces, enjoy delicious food and drink, live music and all whilst raising money for a great cause.
We have exhibited the last few years and have always come away feeling positive, happy and ready for the next one! The first year we had ‘spin the wheel’ which gave everyone a chance to win a prize depending on what colour they landed on whilst making a donation to Break – we still hear people talking about it now!
Last year we had ‘Beat the Buzzer’ which was so much fun, who knew how hard it would be not to touch the metal wire!
We always try and come up with something a bit different for our stand idea each year, we’ve got a quacking idea this year and can’t wait to share it with you all! Click here to find out more about the event.
The Grand Norwich Duck Race, Ribs of Beef – Sunday 24th September
Another fantastic event hosted by Break Charity to support the amazing work they do. This is the first time we’ve been involved in the duck race and wish we’d have done it sooner! All the team at Archive-Vault have been fully invested in the campaign for our sponsored duck and it’s been really fun to all work together to create DJ Duck.
We came up with the idea of DJ Duck as DJ’s traditionally use records when performing their sets at various events. We used ‘Records’ as a play on words as we manage paper records everyday whether we’re delivering and collecting from clients or scanning them for digitisation.
Being DJ inspired, we’ve promoted him by going on a ‘Live Records Tour’ celebrating key landmarks in Norwich – keep an eye on our social media to see where he’s going!
DJ Duck’s finale will of course be at The Grand Norwich Duck Race at the Ribs of Beef on Sunday 24th September, we just hope he survives the race (and winning it would be even better!). Click here to find out more about The Grand Norwich Duck Race.
The B2B Exhibition, Norfolk Showground – Thursday 12th October
Norfolk Chambers of Commerce are hosting their 25th B2B event at the Norfolk Showground on Thursday 12th October. This is one of the largest local networking events and it’s always great to be involved. Archive-Vault have supported this event since it was at Carrow Road with various stand ideas.
We have a great game for this year, so please visit our stand ‘1M’ to have a go! All will be revealed in the coming weeks.
To exhibit or purchase tickets, the Norfolk Chambers of Commerce link is here.
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.
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.
As 2022 comes to an end, join us as we look back on a busy year of new projects, new colleagues and new equipment. January: Scanning gets bigger and better Scanning documents and keeping them safe in a secure online system, where they can be accessed by authorised personnel at any time or place, is becoming a key part of many businesses’ document retention policies. With increasing demand for the scanning of large documents, we decided to invest in a large format scanner . This allows us to scan items up to A0 size, which is perfect for Ordnance Surveys, architectural drawings and medical scans. February: The team grows! We had a great start to the year, so we hired an administrator to support the team. In February, Yasmine joined our ranks and she’s made a huge difference to our business by becoming responsible for managing day-to-day client requests and queries. Yasmine settled in quickly and has sharpened her skills over the months: “On my first day, the team made me feel welcome. I have developed my communication and organisation skills while working here and I have also gained greater confidence along the way.” March: Going green We already had solar panels on the roof, motion-sensor LED lighting and an air source heat pump, but we wanted to up our sustainability game a little more. We therefore purchased a new electric van and had a charger installed in our warehouse, which is powered by our own solar energy. To help the van blend in with the rest of our fleet, we asked CIM Signs & Graphics to wrap it in Archive-Vault branding. The result is fantastic, and it was great to support another local business in the process. April: Springing into storage April saw us taking on a new storage project for an Oxfordshire solicitor. We boxed up more than 10,000 wills and deeds before transporting them back to our fireproof storage facilities in Norfolk. Each document was carefully indexed on our system and a regular schedule of file deliveries set up. We also gave our new clients all the training they needed on our online Client Portal, which enables them to view and manage their inventory online. “It was great to complete this project for our new client,” said our Operations Director, Emily. “It’s always rewarding when you leave a client with some new-found space to use! They have each document indexed on our system so they can see exactly what’s in storage. The delivery schedule has also been working really well, and we have ensured that the client has what they need, when they need it, whether it’s the physical copy or a digital one.” May: All mapped out Our investment in the new large format scanner certainly helped when a new client needed their A2-A0 survey maps digitised. We carried out the scanning in scheduled stages as it was a large project. Each map was carefully prepped before being scanned and quality checked. They’re now stored on an encrypted hard drive, ready for the client to continue with a wider digitisation project. June: Levi joins the team As soon as we met Levi Dowding, we knew he was the perfect fit for our Operations Operative role. Levi proved us right and it feels like he’s been working with us for years: “I’ve found working at Archive-Vault very rewarding! It’s a very friendly place to work and well-organised. I’m looking forward to expanding my own skills and knowledge.”
In any business, document retention can be a challenge. Knowing which documents to keep and for how long can be particularly difficult as there are various time frames for different types of record. As there are legal requirements for document retention in the UK, overcoming these challenges and staying on top of the amount of data and number of documents being produced is a must. A document retention policy can help you to do this. But what should it include? Each department within a company is required to keep different records over varying periods of time. This means that companies need to have several document retention policies that relate to specific departments. In the UK, you need to remember that HMRC (HM Revenues & Customs) will penalise companies that don’t retain relevant records for the specific required time. Below, we have examined some of the records you may need to keep. This list is not exhaustive, so make sure you refer to the government guidance about developing your own document retention policy. Accounting document retention policy As a general rule of thumb, tax returns, financial statements and accounting records should be retained for a minimum of six years. This six-year period should start from the end of the last company financial year that the record relates to. However, this timescale could vary depending on the type of tax that is paid and the industry your business is in. Your accounting document retention policy should also take into account that some records may need to be kept for longer than six years. This will be the case if: You have purchased something that will last more than six years, such as machinery. The record contains a transaction that covers more than one of your accounting periods. A Company Tax Return was submitted late. HMRC starts a compliance check into your Company Tax Return. HR document retention periods in the UK HR documents can contain a huge variety of data, from the number of hours worked by employees to their absence records and pay. Your HR document archiving may also include accident books, furlough records and payroll. In general, HR records (except salary and pay details) are kept for a minimum of three years. However, because payroll, for instance, needs to be kept for at least six years, you may want to make it a general policy for all of your HR records. If you are unsure, it’s best to consult the government guidance. Company record retention General company documentation can include contracts and business agreements, which need to be kept for a minimum of six years. You will also need to keep your physical business insurance documents and any relevant certificates for at least seven years after the policy has finished. If you are a limited company, you will also need to retain other important company records. These include: Details of your directors, company secretaries and shareholders. The records of votes and resolutions by shareholders. Records of promises made by your company to repay loans. Records of promises for payments your company makes should something go wrong and the company is at fault. Transaction records if someone buys a share in the company. Any loans or mortgages that are secured against your company assets. Your register of ‘people with significant control’. GDPR data retention Since the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation in May 2018, it has become even more imperative to maintain a document archive of items such as accident logs and maternity and paternity records. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the GDPR regulator, provides guidance as to what records need to be retained in order to comply with GDPR. These include: Application and recruitment records – six to 12 months. Accident records – three years. Maternity and paternity records – three years. Parental leave records – five years (from birth/adoption) or 18 years (if child receives disability allowance). Pension benefits – 12 years, from end of payable benefits. Redundancy records – six years. Sickness absence records – three months minimum but could be up to six years from end of employment. Personnel/training records – six years, from end of employment. In truth, these records should already be retained by businesses under the Data Protection Act, but the introduction of GDPR has re-highlighted what needs to be kept. The GDPR also goes further in terms of HR documentation. HR departments are now required to state why information is being retained, and for how long, for every category of personnel data. A suitable filing system Today, many of these records can be stored digitally. However, there are some documents, such as those with a notary seal or an original signature, which need to be retained as physical copies. Check with your accountant or lawyer if you are unsure. The amount of data a business collects can be huge and can often appear overwhelming. Making sure that all documents and records are categorised into the right file and then catalogued and stored correctly is essential to reducing risk. Filing in an organised way allows for easy identification and retrieval of documents, be it for HMRC or your accountants, to restore a client’s information, or to identify data that is due to be destroyed. Establishing a document retention policy for each department will enable your business to monitor and analyse your document archive, thereby reducing administration, legal risks and costs as well as ensuring compliance with regulatory bodies. Using a records storage facility Many businesses partner with a dedicated records storage facility, such as Archive-Vault, for professional support. We will quickly get to grips with the nature of your business and will be able to assist in the categorisation and management of your document archive. We will also keep the records protected throughout their retention lifecycle until they are due to be destroyed. At Archive-Vault, we understand the importance of business document retention, helping businesses to not only meet their legal and regulatory obligations, but also securely organise, categorise, store and retrieve information at the right time, for the right people, in the right place. We specialise in making the process of document archiving simple, seamless and stress free. If you would like to talk to us about your document retention needs, please get in touch. You can call us on 01603 720722 or email info@archive-vault.co.uk .
