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Understanding document management systems and its functions While cloud storage is a method of storing information, the function of a document management system (DMS) is to deliver efficient and time sensitive access to information, allowing for files of any type to be stored and easily retrieved. Just like a filing cabinet can’t answer phones, cloud storage can’t truly manage your documents. Document management system integration A Document Management System is built to seamlessly integrate data capture, document storage, editing, workflow, and retention in a single platform. Electronic appro...

2018 marks 40 years since British-American information scientist Frederick Wilfrid Lancaster famously envisioned a “paperless society” in 1978. While the notion of a “paperless office” has been bandied about in business circles for most of the last decade, in 2018 a 100 per cent paperless office simply remains unachievable for many Australian businesses in certain industries.  Relinquishing paper and embracing digital alternatives enables businesses to streamline processes, reduce their impact on the environment, and cut costs. Generally speaking, Australian businesses are becoming less r...

Department of Justice NSW appoints Compu-Stor as their preferred supplier for records management services At Compu-Stor, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of evolving business trends and expanding our service offerings to meet changing customer needs as well as technological innovation. We provide tailored solutions to suit each industry and each customer’s requirements. “Compu-Stor is delighted to be awarded such a high profile and important Partnership with the Department. With over 30 years in business we pride ourselves on relationships that are in line with our vision. The Depa...

Providing information management services to the insolvency industry since 1987, Compu-Stor understand the amount of resources that can be taken up during the onboarding of new clients. It can be an all-consuming process that utilises valuable time and internal resources. So why not outsource to the experts? Compu-Stor has developed end-to-end information management solutions to support insolvency professionals in servicing their clients. Partner with Compu-Stor and we’ll help ease the burden of onboarding. How? From packaging and cataloguing to offsite records storage, digitization and destru...

New demands on how businesses are required to document, manage, and access records and sensitive business information is placing new pressure on the skills needed by professional records managers to deliver on their businesses information management needs. This includes ensuring the right level of compliance and confidentiality as well as ensuring information can be easily accessed by the right person when required. Long gone are the days of information management being a bullet point on a long job description, hidden beneath a range of administration duties that all take precedence over recor...

How internal processes and good records management can play a critical role in lifting the professional reputation of the insolvency industry. Any professional who appears to be making a living out of others’ distress will sooner or later have to confront the possibility of image issues. Simply put, it comes with the territory. It’s no coincidence that lawyers, journalists and used car salespeople are frequently cited as the most unpopular of all professions. Insolvency professionals collectively comprise an industry that exists because being unable to pay debts is a constant concern that hang...

Small businesses make a significant contribution to the Australian economy, accounting for slightly less than one-half of private sector industry employment. The construction, professional, scientific and technical services industry sub-sectors each account for around 16 per cent, and the rental, hiring and real estate services sub-sector contributed over 15 per cent [1] . However, most of these businesses would not think records management was important for their business. Starting a business can be a challenge; the day to day struggle of building a business with the right systems and process...

One of the main concerns with offsite document storage is the retrieval of records when they are needed in a time critical manner. Compu-Stor have the room to store your records and the systems to make sure that you can identify and locate your documents quickly and easily. All Compu-Stor customers have access to our easy to use, unique online records management system, CIMS. Our Complete Information Management System (CIMS) allows customers ultimate control of all their records from any device – PC, tablet or smartphone, without the need for additional resources,...

Access to accurate records for operational and strategic reasons is important for businesses, as professional, accountable and reliable records management can enhance your overall productivity, efficiency and security. A strategic approach to information management can prove a valuable tool for your business. Information management is a business-critical function. To stand out in today’s competitive business environment, businesses need to constantly be on the lookout efficiency and cost improvements. Information Management vs Document Storage Document storage is a general term for the holding...

The simple process of document imaging, or document scanning , combined with effective document storage and management can enormously lift office productivity by providing staff with access to business-critical information at their fingertips with the ability to locate important information in seconds. Document scanning to convert paper-based information to electronically stored and managed images has a wide range of benefits for all businesses, including increasing productivity by reducing the time looking for files or documents and minimising the costs associated with hard copy storage, dist...

The new digital ecosystem presents a wide range of complex security and privacy challenges. For a document and records management strategy to work, it needs to provide flexible, user-friendly ways to store and access records and data. A US report into The Challenges in Managing Records in the 21st Century[1] back in 2004 concluded that, “although computers were once thought to be ushering in the age of the “paperless office,” we are experiencing exponential growth and replication of records. Moreover, the management of records no longer falls strictly to a record management unit or an administ...

At Compu-Stor, technical innovation is our passion. We are continually driving change from within to develop new service offerings and products to better our customers’ needs, and this includes delivering a new, exciting and engaging website.   We have enjoyed taking our brand and transitioning it into a highly functional website that is easy to navigate, from browsing our many services to logging directly into CIMS and placing an order for your storage needs. We have over 100 blog articles covering a range of industry topics such as online cyber security, customer confidentiality as well...

It has been revealed that the Commonwealth Bank lost the personal banking statements of almost 20 million customers, making it one of the largest financial services privacy breaches ever to occur in Australia.[1] The statements, containing customers’ names, addresses, account numbers and transaction details from 2000 to 2016, were stored on two magnetic tapes which were supposed to be destroyed by a sub-contractor last year after the decommissioning of a data centre. Privacy and confidentiality are more important than ever before. The secure disposal of your sensitive business information and ...

  While many new hospitals such as Sydney's Macquarie University Hospital aim for 100% paperless record keeping, [1] for other hospitals access to this technology is unobtainable, so paper-based record keeping is still the norm due to the complex nature of retention schedules.   In a recent article on Royal Adelaide Hospital, [2] Health Information Management Association President Jennifer Gilder estimates between 300,000 and 400,000 records would have been created in a 2 year period. Compu-Stor understands the need for proper security and protocols, and when required, destruction of...

Compu-Stor is pleased to announce that we are now on the ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Panel as a preferred supplier for the NSW Government. This panel is a centralised location where government departments can log on to and order equipment and services they need. Through this process, Compu-Stor can now service the government’s needs when it comes to data storage, document storage, imaging and online access to important documents, as well as the destruction of sensitive documents. Compu-Stor is proud to become a preferred supplier to the NSW government and we look forward to...

When the folders are filled, and the storage boxes are overflowing from all the documents you have had to keep for various compliance reasons, the relief you feel when they’re no longer needed can be quite significant. Before you celebrate by finding the nearest recycling bin and start dumping your documents, take a moment to understand what kind of information those documents contain, and if you need to rethink your strategy. There is a good chance that most of these documents contain sensitive corporate information that you may not want others to see or may go against compliance policies if ...

When it comes to the annual, half-yearly or monthly office clean-out, how do you determine what documents you need to keep in the office, and which ones you need to send off to storage? If you have not done so already, you will first need to know which documents you are legally required to retain. It is best to find out what your state requires you to keep and for how long, as that information can differ from state to state. Whilst the various Acts prescribe the types of documents that must be retained and the period of retention, they are generally technology-neutral regarding the method of r...

A digital office is a working environment in which information is stored and organised electronically and is easily retrievable. Document imaging allows users to view a computer-generated image of documents instead of the original paper. While this isn’t necessarily a paperless office, it is one step closer to achieving some of the benefits and efficiencies that can come from a paperless office. However, some people are skeptical about the productivity efficiencies gained by moving to a digital office. Quite often, this skepticism is due to a lack of understanding of the benefits. The top 5 be...

On June 17, 2010, Compu-Stor’s Director, Jeremy Manford took part in the inaugural CEO Vinnies Sleepout. Unsure of what to expect from the night, he raised $2,820. Every year since he has taken part, now knowing to expect a night of cold uncomfortableness and very little sleep, getting an appreciation of what homeless people in Australia experience each night. Each year he had doubled, tripled, quadrupled the amount raised for the charity. Over the years, Jeremy has raised over $45,000 to provide support programs, beds and hot meals for homeless people through the good works of St Vincent de P...

While digital transformation is on the cards for many businesses in 2018, paper still holds value in the modern business world as an important medium for recording vital operational information. Paperless offices have a significant role in businesses of the future, however it’s rare that an office can ever be completely paper-free. Paper may no longer be king, but it does still have its place in the office. If you are going to use paper to record key business information, you need to ensure that it is stored correctly to stand the test of time. As the prevalence of digital record keeping grows...