How TAB Helped Pengrowth Corporation Become a Leaner Business
Nothing tests the limits of your records management like rapid growth. Pengrowth Corporation, a top North American energy trust company, faced that challenge after expanding significantly for over three years before merging, acquiring a billion dollar asset, and doubling its employee base in a year.
It was time to develop a new records management strategy.
1.0 Together with TAB
On the basis of their existing relationship, Pengrowth decided to partner with TAB to develop a road map for a new records management strategy.
Over a period of three months, the TAB team created a comprehensive road map, ensuring that every aspect of the program—from compliance and risk management to access and storage footprints—was as strong as possible.
While there were many records management priorities identified during this process, in light of the fact that Pengrowth would be moving to a new corporate headquarters, it was decided that implementing the TAB SMART program company wide would be a good start.
2.0 Why TAB SMART
The TAB SMART (Streamline. Manage. Access. Retain. Toss.) program was designed to help organizations reduce the amount of material they retain.
3.0 How TAB SMART works
The program involves taking employees through a process of reviewing their record and non-record material, determining what is not essential. This way, non-essential materials, both paper and electronic, can be eliminated reducing storage costs and streamlining information access and retrieval time.
The TAB SMART program follows 6 steps:
- Step 1 Develop a schedule
TAB team and client managers coordinate groups of about 25 employees per day, blocking off 1 to 2 hours per session. - Step 2 Coordinate logistics
TAB ensures appropriate vendors and equipment are on site. - Step 3 Orientation
TAB presents a 45-minute session that includes incentivizing employees. - Step 4 Facilitate TAB Smart process
Employees return to their areas where secured bins are set out to take records, stationary and other material for shredding. - Step 5 Oversee removal of purged products: storage and shredding
Shredding goes to the vendor; remaining material is recycled; records to be stored are sent to appropriate areas. - Step 6 Report statistics and make recommendations
Regular TAB reports detail what’s been stored and shredded.
4.0 Reporting and communication
TAB kept Pengrowth apprised of progress through regular reports detailing what had been captured, what was shredded and so on.
The Pengrowth team came up with the excellent idea of putting plans, expectations and progress reports into their weekly newsletter, so that every team member was always up to date.
5.0 Wins and unexpected finds
The TAB SMART project at Pengrowth was a total success, with TAB and Pengrowth bringing their strengths together to complete the project on time and on budget.
- A total 6,500 cubic feet of paper was removed, 50% of that shredded, with 2,500 cubic feet being garbage, like published material
- 495 cubic feet of inactive records were transferred to lower cost storage
- 385 cubic feet of excess stationery were recycled
- 18 cubic feet of cds and dvds were destroyed
- 82 pieces of surface furniture (bookcases, cabinets, etc.) were removed saving $61,500 through re-use
The level of support and participation from Pengrowth was singular, particularly from the leadership team and facilities group, not to mention the enthusiastic involvement of every one of the Pengrowth team members.
Next Steps
- Download the entire Pengrowth case study for more details on this project.
- Explore ways to optimize your storage space and reduce costs.
- Talk to a TAB representative about how we can help your organization get rid of unnecessary records material.