June 2023 Blog – Selecting A Document Storage Vendor
Storing digital and paper documents is often considered a chore rather than a critical process that must be carefully considered and monitored.
The initial phase of any storage process is choosing when, where, and how the data is stored. We use the word data because even the most minor receipt can become important in subsequent events. Proper storage can mean significant savings in time and money down the line.
Businesses have varying needs for storing their digital and paper documents. If your business deals with confidential information, it is essential to select your document storage vendor carefully.

When looking for storage of paper and/or digital storage for your business documents, here are some questions you should ask the document storage providers under consideration before making any commitments.
How long has the provider been in business? Best to choose a records storage company that has been a longtime member of the records management industry and understands the importance of protecting and managing information assets. Also, research reviews, Better Business Bureau ratings, etc.
- What is the provider’s knowledge and experience of storing records in your business’s line of business?
Each industry encourages a different record-keeping compliance process. Only when the provider has shown it has handled similar clients will you be comfortable that the vendor can adequately support your company’s needs.
- How are your business’s documents protected?
Look for a provider who makes protecting your business’s valuable records a priority, one who can explain in detail the physical or technical protections they have in place to protect our documents from being accessed by competitors, hackers, and other criminals with ill intent.
The storage facility should have the following:
- High-level, 24/7 monitored security and surveillance systems
- Secured entry doors with locks and security codes
- Motion and intrusion detection sensors
- Environmental control
- Emergency retrieval protocols
- State-of-the-art fire detection and mitigations systems
- Note: A dry system doesn’t send water into the pipes until an alarm is triggered.
- Protection against sudden floods
- Evaluate if the vendor has adequate security measures to protect the records against physical, artificial, and natural disasters.
Even if your business’s files are locked up tight, does the provider do background checks on its employees? Does it require them to sign confidentiality agreements, take fingerprints, or use biometric scanning?
Finally, ask the provider if they have an industry-recognized certificate, such as PRISM Privacy+, proving they have the most advanced security and physical safety procedures.
Further, consider whether a screened and uniformed courier should deliver your business records in a GPS-tracked and alarmed vehicle. An electronic receipt should be provided with every delivery.
- How does the provider take inventory of your business’s files and index them?
Some record storage providers will inventory and index your business’s boxes before storing them to provide an accurate offsite storage inventory when asked.
- How does your business get its records offsite?
Another important question will be understanding how records are safely transported from your business to the storage facility.
- Understand the frequency of transport and how secure this transportation system is.
- How are records packaged, loaded, monitored for tampering on the way, etc.?
- What kind of checklists and reports does the provider produce from the point of pick up to delivery?
- How is access requested, and how long does it take for documents to be delivered?
Requesting documents and files from your document storage provider should be easy. Understand the different options between asking for document locations or requesting receipt of your documents. Check if the provider offers:
- Next-day delivery
- Same-day delivery
- Two-hour retrieval and delivery
- Scan on Demand digital delivery
Ask about the vendor’s information tagging and search functions.
- Can you find the information you need quickly?
- What if you can’t find something—what kind of help do they offer?
Further, we may want some people at your business to view our storage documents, but not everyone.
- Does the vendor have a way to enforce your business’s governance and security policy?
- Do they validate records requests?
- How does the provider train their workers to handle requests for files?
- Where is the document storage facility located?
It is essential to understand where your business’s records will be stored. The longer the distance from the provider facility, the higher the accessorial charges of each record retrieval and delivery will be.
If the provider has scan-on-demand services, then locations do not matter, and it can offer your business significant cost savings over many years.
- What are Your Certifications and Insurance Coverages?
It is vital to get independent verification that the document storage service your business sells. Find out about the provider’s certifications (such as NAID) and insurance coverage (such as Downstream Data Coverage).
- What value-added services does the provider offer?
Some records storage providers can assist your business with additional services like media storage, document scanning, and shredding. Having one provider for our entire records management function is often easier.
If the provider offers imaging services, you also want to ask how they secure online documents.
- Are they using cloud storage?
- Who can access documents?
- What firewalls and security measures are in place?
- How is the providers’ security checked?
It’s no use protecting business documents from spies and wannabe thieves if the storage provider’s staff are going to interfere with them directly. Ask if the provider should have gone through DBS checking, been security vetted to BS7858, and signed the Official Secrets Act!
- Will the provider come and collect business documents?
The collection isn’t strictly essential, but will the provider come over to your business, get everything boxed up – even bring the boxes and tidy up after themselves?
- How does the pricing work?
Ask about the provider’s pricing:
- Is it per box or file, or based on the dedicated storage space your business wants to contract?
- What are other factors that can influence the pricing?
As time passes, records keep getting generated in volumes, and your storage cost can climb multifold. Evaluate how the pricing works incrementally. Understand their contract terms so that your business will not be surprised at a future time.
- What about compliance regulations?
There are many laws governing the retention periods for various types of documents. Ask how the provider keeps track of all of them.
Also, query:
- Can your business access this information with the press of a button?
- How does the provider handle document destruction? Documents must be destroyed after a certain period and in a certain way. Someone must do it and provide documentation.
- Will they send your business alerts when it’s time to destroy documents and verify they have done so?
- What industry associations does the provider belong to?
Your business can gain insight into a prospective document storage vendor by verifying industry memberships. The following affiliations confirm your provider’s commitment to industry best practices and standards:
- PRISM International (Professional Records & Information Services Management)
- NAID (National Association for Information Destruction)
- AIIM (Association for Information and Image Management)
- NRC (National Records Centers)
- ARMA International (Association of Records Managers and Administrators)
- NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency)
- DPA (Data Protection Agency)
In summary, if/when we’re looking for a trusted and reliable document storage company, asking these questions and verifying the answers will help your business choose a document storage provider that offers dependable service, unparalleled security, and personalized support.
It is best to put out a detailed RFP asking these questions, then speak with two or more providers to compare and contrast their offerings and how they meet your business’s needs. Please only settle for a vendor once you find one who answers your firm’s questions and meets your business’s needs.
Above, we have provided a long list of do’s and don’ts.
Consider the consequences if your files are breached or stolen. The time and money you spend today to give you security may never be necessary. It will be priceless if something untoward happens in the future.