If you own or run a business, you’ve likely managed information at some point or another – you probably do it every single day without realising.
However, it’s something that has become increasingly complex as businesses now have to deal with information in a wide variety of formats.
While information use to be largely in the form of papers and files, these days it could be anything from a brief internal email to a 100-page PDF containing new legislation or even a 140-character Tweet.
With so many different types of information available, it’s hard for individuals to manage. Now, your business likely needs technology to provide the storage and management tools required to make the most of the information.
However, information management isn’t just designed to help extract value, but also to protect. An increased level of information means that there is greater information risk.
One false move that results in confidential information being disclosed could ruin your business reputation and result in financial penalties.
While all this can be somewhat overwhelming for individuals, with a suitable information management plan, this information can be incredibly valuable and protect you against information risk.
If you haven’t considered how to use the information you have, here is a bit more about the information management services a professional company could provide.
Records management and storage
Most organisations are required to keep numerous documents, whether as a record for the company or as a legal requirement. If you were to keep all these files on-site, you might need a rather large office. However, with offsite storage, you can be sure that your documents are archived securely but are still accessible.
Scanning and digitising
While it’s important that your business embraces technology and turn your paper documents into electronic files, converting everything is often a waste of time.
Instead, get your important documents scanned so that you can access them at a moment’s notice. Any other files can often be digitised on demand.
Secure shredding
Strict data protection laws mean that you need to ensure you’re not giving away confidential information. It’s not just paper records that need to be destroyed, but also DVDs and CDs that might contain sensitive data.
Backup and recovery
What would happen to your business if the server went down or all the data was lost? Most would go into meltdown and descend into chaos within minutes.
Protect yourself by ensuring that all your data is backed up and can be recovered.
Article by Vishal
Vishal Gaikar is a professional blogger from Pune, India. If you like this post, you can follow him on Twitter.
