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
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