Snips from Nolene:

> I've actually found out both ways. I've requested a box that the  
> vendor
> couldn't find, and upon closing one of their facilities, they sent a
> list of boxes that were in the database but not on the shelf. Their
> letter indicated that they had done a thorough search (they delineated
> exactly the steps they had taken) and those boxes would be removed  
> from
> the database.

> The bottom line is that I don't trust that the vendor absolutely keeps
> track of our boxes, so I insist that our users keep a detailed  
> tracking
> log of everything that comes and goes.
>
>
> Nolene Sherman | Director of Records Management | Standard Pacific  
> Homes
> | 949-727-9360 | FAX 949-789-3379 | [log in to unmask]


A rather large client, recently moved 100,000 items from one vendor  
to another due to dissatisfaction with service, lost records ,etc.   
The vendor receiving the items required the Owner/Client to witness  
the delivery of all items and check them off the database listed only  
as bar codes.

Less than 65% of the items they were being billed for were there.   
This was not just ineptitude, it was fraudulent billing.  It took  
months to determine that items removed from storage permanently were  
not credited and items destructed were also not removed from the  
billing. (This is especially dangerous as these items could turn up  
in discovery after you have stated they were properly destroyed per  
schedule.)

A huge credit was issued and the newly hired responsible manager  
became a legend.

As Trudy said, you should have an inventory list of what you are  
being billed for.  If the volume increases in a phantom manner, it is  
your responsibility to fix this each month, each year.  How could you  
allow yourself to be billed for items that did not exist.  This same  
event happened to a larger scale with a media storage account so IT  
guys are also too busy to check inventories.

But the real risk is boxes that cannot be found that exist (phantom  
or otherwise). If your Data and Records Map is in error, you have a  
potential hazard that your management is not even aware of.

I would hazard a guess that any time there is an acquisition and your  
boxes move, that a huge potential for error occurs.  I can name five  
Fortune 500 companies, without even thinking, that had their tapes  
moved, from a vendor with a FIRELOCK Vault, into climate controlled  
rooms after acquisition and they never even knew their tapes were  
moved.  Worse their disaster recovery plan stated that their offsite  
media was vaulted in a Class 125 Vault. If that plan is delivered to  
a court it could be considered perjury.  RM's need to know what is  
happening with their records and I find few that actually do.

For all the conferences and all the Chapter meetings with speakers, a  
huge hole exists between reality and what executive management thinks  
is happening with records.  Granted a great deal of this occurs when  
the Purchasing Agent inserts themselves into the records management  
program.  But some audit, some examples of improper care might win  
management over to your side.

Shouldn't you know if your entire archive of tapes or boxes is going  
to move 30 miles, all at one time, creating a situation of risk  
exposure? Shouldn't you know that this is occurring?  If your  
existing vendor is acquired, guess what?  You are going for a ride.  
Not immediately but soon. At that moment in time, (notice of  
acquisition) you should perform an exact inventory.  Otherwise, the  
loss is just blamed on the previous vendor.  You are made to look  
like a fool.

How many records managers have done that?  How many of you have a  
clause in your contract that says your records and media collection  
cannot make a mass migration without your supervision?  You would not  
allow your in-house records center to move without your supervision?  
Would you?

I am not criticizing the offsite industry although it may seem that  
way.  I could name 100 offsite storage companies who are better than  
90% of the records managers out there. (In fairness, several of the  
offsite storage companies are ex-ARMA CRMs or have hired one to guide  
them.  The same is true for offsite media vaulting.  It is many times  
an IT Manager that learned the hard way the perils of poor management.)

If a company does not audit their offsite holdings once a year and  
perform random checks of boxes and tapes, then you are at fault.  If  
you find an error in the first batch of items then expand the audit.

If you are a new records manager at a corporation, this is a great  
way to show your worth. But in reality less than 2% of companies even  
check the work of their offsite storage contractor.

Are you part of the 98% or the 2%.

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


List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance
To unsubscribe from this list, click the below link. If not already present, place UNSUBSCRIBE RECMGMT-L or UNSUB RECMGMT-L in the body of the message.
mailto:[log in to unmask]