Intelligent Storage Reduction

Project Challenge
The organisation was moving into a new building within 6 months. A policy decision, made 18 months previously, was to reduce document storage to significantly less than that in the current building.

The introduction of Electronic Document Records Management software had had little effect on maintaining, or even reducing, the quantity of paper ‘on the floor’. There were concerns that business units would not actively work to reduce their paper.  Nevertheless, accommodation decisions had been made which made it imperative that paper holdings were extensively reduced before the move and that efficient document retention policies were continued after the move.

Manage Your Information was asked to assist to

• Reduce the amount of paper documents to be transferred to the new building
• Assist staff to maintain efficient document retention practices after the move
• Ensure compliance to the strong recordkeeping legislative regime, within which this organisation operated, was maintained during the reduction project

Results
By the time the project finished:

• 95% of business units had actively reduced their paper holdings
• Document storage in new working areas were reduced by the total of 384 metres of shelving
• New building floor area released for alternative use equated to $109,255 in construction costs

Significant additional and ongoing benefits also occurred because the project:

• Development of greater confidence in keeping less paper
• Commitment to ensuring holdings do not return to previous levels was established
• Issues discouraging the use of the EDRMS were identified & positive measures put in place to address these, resulting in increased staff confidence in, and use of, the system
• Inspired some business units to commence follow-on projects to convert paper collections to electronic format to reduce storage requirements and to increase shared access to information
• Improvements in work processes identified and implemented (this was particularly noted by senior managers at the time)
• Set a high benchmark for attracting significant levels of participation in future internal projects

The client was very happy with the project, indicating in final review that “expectations had well and truly been exceeded.”

Benefits

• Long term, more effective use of working area floor space
• Effective culture change which empowers staff
• Initiated improved document and records management at the desktop
• Effective resolution of potential conflict around storage in new premises