Do you want to reduce the growing burden of your physical records? Do you wanna optimize them in such a way that ultimately reduces your overall document management costs and helps you to revive your organizational workspace? Well, the solutions to these problems lie in the following steps.
 
Over the course of last two decades, most of the professionals, involved in managing records and documents in various national and multinational companies in India must have lost a lot of their sleep with this particular issue of physical record management. After all, storing and managing paper-based physical records have never been a five-finger exercise and the challenges are unfortunately getting harder every day. 

Record Optimization-Challenges Ahead.

• The volume of physical records increases day by day.
• Over the time, it replaces your valuable workspace.
• It can further turn your office into a chaotic work-station.
• Requires huge file storage sites or physical storages.
• Physical records are vulnerable to fire & moisture.
• Needs skilled professionals & regular maintenance.
• Can be easily lost, stolen, misplaces and mishandled. 
• Accelerate your overall Records management cost.
• Record mismanagement can destabilize your office budget.  
• You can’t instantly retrieve any particular documents.
• Lower operational efficiency and degraded productivity.

Multi-Pronged Document management solutions:

In order to optimize your physical records, You have to constantly work on several fronts which are listed below. In this case, you must focus on creating a functional records classification,  smart labelling and advance document management system which together will help you to identify, relocate and retrieve your records in a due time, thus maximizing your work efficiency and operational output. 

1- Classify Your Documents First:
Record classification is the cornerstone of any effective document management policy, a process that segregates your physical documents into several categories, especially based on the business activities and purpose they support. 

2- Smart Filling, Labelling & Indexing:
Once the records are classified into several categories, it’s time to file them up in a proper order. A smart record filling and indexing method This may include the following steps:
 

• Start to re-evaluate your existing file, records & documents.
• Just segregate the necessary and unnecessary files.
• Implement systematic record filling and labelling methods.
• Use appropriate colour codings, headings & subheadings.
• You can also use RFID based Barcode indexing systems.

However, filling, labelling an indexing is also an important step as it not only helps you to identify the location of any of the particular document but also prevent cluttering, jumbling or misplacement of records. This further decreases your overall record management cost.

3- Sustainable Boxing:
Once your records are labelled and indexed in a particular order, put them in a plastic coated reusable boxes. Remember that, your storage boxes must be made up of heat and moisture proof material. Also, don’t forget to spray some standard pests control chemicals within and around your storage facilities. Proper boxing and storing will help you to retain your documents for a long span of time. On the contrary, unorganized physical document storage will only worsen your wound by costing an unbelievable amount of money, just time after time.

4- Destroy Unnecessary Data & Records:
Paper shredding or document destruction is an essential part of any smartly designed document management strategy. Once the unnecessary files and documents are identified, just destroy them permanently. This will surely reduce half of your burden and leaves extra space in your office.

5- Hire a Record Management Professional:
Record optimization is a lengthy and time-consuming process. Now, even though labelling, filling, indexing and boxing can be done with a low budget,  you will still need some skilled record and document management professional i.e the manpower to perform these actions on a regular basis. 

6- Partner with the Best Record Management Company:
 Believe me or not,  A Self-developed document archiving storages will always cost you a bit higher. Whereas steps like labelling, filling, boxing and indexing may not cost you that much, But the regular maintenance of storage infrastructures and as well as the gradually increasing volume of paperwork, files and documents would definitely affect your budget. And we all know how costly is it to purchase or rent a new storage space in an urban India. 

Under such circumstances, it would be wise to outsource this burden to a trustworthy record management company which can provide effective physical record storage solutions in a cost-effective manner. Doing this will save a lot of time, energy and resources.