On Nov 13, 2008, at 12:00 AM, RECMGMT-L automatic digest system wrote:

Snips from:

> From: Andy von Busse <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: November 12, 2008 12:33:17 PM EST
> Subject: Re: Off-Site Storage Provider Reboxing Files
>
>
> You no doubt are aware of the discussion on the NFPA fire- 
> protection issue that was discussed in the past few years, and the  
> concerns that many in the industry had not only of the costs, but  
> that the recommendations that were being put forward were possibly  
> harmful rather than helpful in the case of record storage. Again,  
> my method of storing should minimize any potential fire problems.

I would like to hear your explanation about your comment "but that  
the recommendations that were being put forward were possibly harmful  
rather than helpful in the case of record storage."

Could you explain yourself?  I would love to hear the Fire Science  
behind this statement?  After spending six years in meetings on this  
topic I would like to hear this new idea about how compartmentation  
could be "possibly" harmful?

SNIP From: Pilar McAdam <[log in to unmask]>

> When a new billable charge appears on an invoice, and it's
> not something covered by my existing contract nor was it negotiated, I
> am going to be unhappy.

I have to agree with Pilar on this.  As a vendor, I would love to  
just send out invoices to clients and have them pay them.  Maybe I  
could drive a forklift through their vault and then tell them they  
need to buy new vault panels. And then just bill them.

But wait my clients are pretty smart and they would say "You damaged  
the material you have to pay for the replacement."  See that's the  
problem of selling to smart people.

If a vendor goes to a four on four arrangement and it damages the  
boxes, then this damage is contingent on a decision made by the  
storage company to maximize their space.  But they should take into  
account that they need to build into their model providing the  
existing clients new boxes that are strong enough to stand this new  
configuration.  They can't just willy nilly charge you for new boxes.

The whole reason in having a contract is that a vendor can't just  
start padding the bill.

You know what is embarrassing for a records manager?  When audit  
comes back and looks at your budget and finds out you are way over  
budget on storage because you failed to read your bills and you have  
paid for things for months that you should not have paid for.  Then  
management tells you to switch vendors and then you have to tell them  
you signed a contract with a hostage fee so you can't  
move......EVER!  Then the embarrassing stuff happens............

Records managers forget that a big part of records management is  
managing the budget and keeping costs under control.  You can do that  
by maintaining a rigid retention schedule and shred like crazy to  
keep your box count down, review your invoices like you do your  
credit card statement looking for improper charges and build a data  
map so when the "notice of impending litigation" comes, you look like  
a genius.

And as my good friend Forrest would say "and that's all I've got to  
say about that.!

Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
[log in to unmask]
(610)  756-4440    Fax (610)  756-4134
WWW.FIRELOCK.COM


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