File Culling/ Breaking
While the term is normally used in relation to horticulture, in this context it is the process of thinning out files and removing redundant information. In many cases old files contain original documents and then a lot of information which may have been necessary to keep for a number of years which is no longer important.
This allows businesses to reduce their storage requirements dramatically and still maintain their original documents and while every business is different; on projects to date we have achieved an average reduction of 70%
This process allows you to maintain your original documents, reduce your costs and follows best practice. While some business resort to creating a digital copy it is important to look at best practice. Both the financial sector and the pharmaceutical sector recognise that a scan or a micro fiche is not necessarily a legal record and have reverted back to maintaining original documents.
From experience, government bodies know they have to work harder to prove there side of any dispute so it is important that in record retention they error on the side of caution. Destroying all documents and relying on a digital copy is not best practice.
In relation to cost, it is quite similar to that incurred creating a digital image. There is however a need for a member of your staff to be involved in the initial set up and available for queries which will arise for the duration of the project.
