RM outsourcing: what to look for in the team assigned to your records
There is a plethora of benefits to records management outsourcing.
In another blog post we looked at the business benefits delivered by outsourcing the management of your active file rooms. These included, cost savings, increased revenue, and process efficiencies. Here we’ll take a look at the most important things to look for when choosing a team to manage your records.
The right people make all the difference
In these and other RM outsourcing arrangements, one of the most important elements of the deal is the people involved. With the right provider, you’ll be getting only the most knowledgeable and experienced professionals working on your records.
If you are exploring an outsourced arrangement, it’s critical that you ask a lot of questions about who will be working on your records.
Here are the top three things you should be looking for in the team that will be managing your records:
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- Familiarity with Records Management
The people that will be handling your valuable information should be familiar with records management best practices, including experience with records tracking and the application of classification and retention systems. Records management should be the workers’ sole focus and expertise. With outsourcing, you should be able to rest easy knowing that an expert is managing your records rather than an internal resource doing it as a secondary or tertiary task.
- Deep Knowledge of Your Business
Every outsourcing provider should start by developing an understanding of your situation and then create an individualized plan with the appropriate services, technologies and strategic recommendations. All workers should have a deep understanding of your business so that they can help you to realize the efficiencies and cost savings you are looking for – which frees you to concentrate on your bottom line.
- File and Document Knowledge Specific to Your Industry
The outsourcing staff should also have file- and document-level knowledge appropriate to your industry. Every industry and line of business has a particular file structure, and when your provider is familiar with that, it becomes easier for them to quickly access the right information and preserve file integrity.
It is important to put your records management partner to the test if you have questions about their expertise with your records. One indicator of their ability to meet these staffing requirements is whether or not they can promise to respond directly to your staff members and provide content-level information from any file. This shows whether the front-line workers have the know-how to be working on your records.
Next Steps
