Gee, Peter.  Wasn't try to shoot you...just make point.

Actually, we do not depend completely on the vendor.  We analyze the
patterns that the vendor provides and look for corrective action on both
sides.  We also take a sample of cases selected at random from the ones
that were reported as 100% compliant and audit the tickets or contact
the stores for their copy of the ticket.

We have a great relationship with our current vendor.  One of the things
that our audits uncovered, though, was the need for the shred industry
to embrace the fact that part of compliance monitoring aspect was to
accept that they were also now in the trucking business and needed to
address that aspect of the service as they did their courier service.
On time and at the right location ready to execute to the service level
required by the customer.  The other thing that it uncovered was the
need for new automation to address performance/compliance metrics.

The data required for compliance monitoring is not currently automated
by any of the large players in this industry in a way that makes sense
to my industry, so the compilation of large amounts of data is a
challenge for anyone who takes on large national accounts where there is
a great deal of dynamic change.  All of my stores are shredded at least
quarterly (required by our merchant banks) and some more often than
that.  That means handling tens of thousands of visits where, at any
time, a mistake can happen.  So, I want my vendor to correct the problem
before it becomes a problem for me and then use the data to improve
their performance rate.  I use their data to also measure the
effectiveness of training in the field (which Iron Mountain would like
to know is taking place so that their drivers have smoother execution in
the field).

I certainly hope that the new laws will drive automation in a way that
is useful to both the vendor and the customers who need to measure
vendor performance.

-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Peter Kurilecz
Sent: Friday, December 19, 2008 10:20 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Records Disposal/Shredding Services

On Fri, Dec 19, 2008 at 10:56 AM, Angie Fares
<[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> Peter...
>
> With more than 7,500 stores, how would anyone have the time to 
> manually tick each store off, abstract the data from the service 
> ticket, and file a receipt?  We do have feedback from the stores for 
> exceptions, but I expect the vendor to figure out when they 
> underperform...preferably BEFORE I have to find out.


okay Angie don't shoot the messenger. do exception reporting. each store
knows when they are supposed to be serviced by the vendor. I assume that
they are on a regular schedule. Automate the function. Why depend
totally on the vendor to report their underperformance. If you want to
make sure that your process is working you need to be collecting and
analysing the data.

you have 7,500 stores nationwide, the vendor services how many other
customers? Ten times, 100 times, a thousand times what you have? Yes I
agree that the vendor should be more timely, but don't be totally
dependent. Are you saying that all 7500 stores are being serviced on the
same day. Say only 10% are not serviced you are talking about 750
stores. If they shredding is spread out over 5 days you are talking
about say 150 per day.  but what if the problem is occurring in just one
region. you can focus on that.
think of a like a manufacturing process. you want to identify the
variation/anomaly as soon as possible  so that you can rectify the
problem.
you don't want to wait for your customers to complain or to find your
company's name emblazoned on the front page of the local ODT paper or on
the evening broadcast news.

who said it had to be manually processed?


> Records disposal is no longer a garbage pickup service.  It is a 
> compliance monitoring function.


who said it wasn't a compliance monitoring function? Are you willing to
go up on the witness stand or before a press conference and say "well we
depended upon our vendor to report to us? That is their job?" sorry the
press is going to jump on the customer for the failings of the vendor.
Just look at the headlines when data tapes are lost. They don't say "Big
Box Storage Company Loses Tapes with !00K Names"  Nope! the headline
reads "Bank Loses Tapes"

When you do business in every single state and U.S. territory, you
> generally have a few states looking over your shoulder.  You've got to

> know how well your third party is doing in order to prove that you 
> yourself are in compliance.


I totally agree that you have to prove you are in compliance and that
means being proactive in gathering the data, auditing the vendor,
auditing your stores for compliance with procedures etc, etc, etc.


--
Peter Kurilecz CRM CA
[log in to unmask]
Richmond, Va

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