Modern methods for information management

From Paper to Digital Archive: Modern Methods for Information Management

Today, information is the carrier of business activities, the core of every company, but not everyone knows how to manage it, how to store it safely, but also how to destroy it. There is a company for all of them Iron Mountain, specialized in exactly these tasks, but also in much more than that. Benil Misini, Country Manager of this company, spoke for BIZLife about what they provide to companies and how important their support is in the time of general digitization.

• Iron Mountain is an international corporation dealing with information management. Explain to us a little what that means?

Documentation and information management has become one of the basic business functions that is practically necessary for the successful operation of companies, especially in the conditions of the digital revolution. Until a few years ago, while paper as a physical medium was mostly recognized as a carrier of information, we were talking about the management of business documents. Since the world has been digitized, information has become ubiquitous, and knowledge, controlling the flow of information within a business system is a prerequisite for efficiency, effectiveness and profitability. Iron Mountain is a corporation that in more than 50 markets around the world with over 35,000 employees takes care of information as the most important asset of a company. Our work begins with the creation of data, we follow it through the entire life cycle (Information Lifecycle Management ILM) and ends with its extraction, destruction or archiving depending on the needs of the company itself or legal frameworks that regulate each individual category of documentary and archival material. Our company is able to provide support to its partners in the physical and digital segment. The methodology, knowledge, security protocols we apply are a guarantee of a job well done and the satisfaction of our clients.

• Iron Mountain has been in Serbia for 15 years. How was the path of innovation and growth?

Iron Mountain has been present on the Serbian market for 15 years, during which it achieved significant development through the acquisition and integration of three local companies. Since then, the company has continuously recorded organic growth, which is the result of commitment to business standardization and process improvement.

In order to achieve the highest standards, Iron Mountain has implemented numerous ISO standards and conducted training for employees. Our experts have gone through various internal trainings and relevant seminars, which improved their knowledge and adapted to market requirements and legal regulations.

The company continuously invests in the expansion of physical capacities for storing business documents, as well as in the development of digital solutions. Also, expanding the range of services allows us to respond to increasingly complex market demands.

These steps confirm our commitment to providing superior services and adapting to dynamic changes in the industry, thus cementing our position as a leader in the field of information and documentation management.

• What type of documentation do you archive and how do you store it?

Iron Mountain provides comprehensive archiving solutions, covering all types of documentation, both physical and digital. We currently store more than one million archive boxes, five million binders and 20 million files in our depots, which include data from large corporations, financial institutions, government bodies and small and medium-sized businesses. Our service is necessary for all market segments.

Physical documentation is stored in specialized warehouses designed and equipped exclusively for this purpose. We adhere to strict internal standards that exceed legal norms. Our depots are equipped with modern systems, including sprinkler systems for automatic fire extinguishing and aspiration systems for early smoke detection, in order to minimize the risk of harmful events. Control of temperature, humidity and fire prevention measures are rigorous, with regular exercises that simulate different scenarios in accordance with the Business Continuity Policy (BCP).

In addition, having our own vehicle fleet, we ensure efficient collection and delivery of documentation, thus guaranteeing fast and reliable service for our clients. Although electronic documents are becoming more and more common, paper documentation still plays a key role. We have recognized the significant need for the conversion of paper documents into their electronic versions, thus providing comprehensive solutions that meet even the most demanding market needs.

Iron Mountain is globally recognized as a significant provider of digital solutions. As part of our company, there are several data centers throughout the USA and Europe, the Middle East and Asia. We have been distributing Document Management System solutions (DMS) for a long time, and just this summer we launched a new generation of products based on the SaaS principle and AI algorithms called DXP (Digital Experience Platform). The platform aims to automate and digitize numerous repetitive and manual processes, such as extracting data from various paper forms (bank checks, payment slips, forms, data structured by tables, etc…) The application of our platform is practically unlimited.

• How does Iron Mountain help the development of digitization in Serbia?

In addition to a large number of archival and documentary material conversion projects of all formats from A0 to A5, of state and private institutions, which Iron Mountain has successfully implemented, we can boast that Iron Mountain intensively monitors the development of domestic regulations and the domestic market and helps in the realization of the digitization of Serbia. and GDPR compliance. For this reason, we have developed an electronic archive system called DigiDocs, which also works on the SaaS principle and is in the final phase of certification by the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications, upon completion of which Iron Mountain will acquire the status of a trusted service provider. Our DMS solution is an ideal software package for the digital transformation of any company under extremely favorable financial conditions, without any compromise in performance. The synergy we are able to achieve between physical and digital services significantly differentiates us from the competition. We have established partnerships with significant institutions such as the state data center, PKS and others, which certainly contributes to the further strengthening of our market position.

• How important is secure information storage for companies?

In the modern business environment, information management is a key strategic resource. Document and data security is imperative, and Iron Mountain recognizes this need as the foundation of its business.

Digitization and process transformation require efficient and secure access to data and information. Iron Mountain provides comprehensive solutions for data protection in physical and digital environments. Our systematic approach encompasses all aspects of security, from entry points to day-to-day operations.

Our software solutions reduce the risk of data loss and optimize the flow of information, thus increasing the competitiveness of our clients. As experts in the field of data security, we adapt to the needs of each client, providing solutions that meet the highest security standards and improve business.

• Do companies in Serbia take enough care of security and information management?

The number of companies that are aware of the importance of information management is rapidly increasing. If earlier companies that expressed interest in our services mostly belonged to the corporate segment, ie foreign companies with a long-standing tradition of using services in this area, now the structure of the companies has been significantly expanded. There are also state institutions that understand the need for reliable storage of documentary and archival materials. I would like to point out that the outsourcing of business documentation, in addition to security and easier access to information, brings significantly lower costs, so the economic moment is certainly one of the motivating factors.

• What other services do you offer companies?

I’ve mentioned many times that Iron Mountain provides services throughout the documentation lifecycle. I would especially emphasize our know-how in the field of archival and compliance of company operations with legal regulations. Also, a huge amount of data is “stuck” in paper documents. In its system, Iron Mountain has a modern, functional scanning center with a capacity of several hundred thousand pages per month. With our new AI software, we are able to reliably locate, extract and analyze meta data, which is very important when using electronic documents. We also offer the market the service of reliable destruction of data on electronic media using special technology.

• Today, the Green Agenda is the focus of every business. How important is sustainability to you and what do you do in that field?

Respect for the green agenda is one of the pillars on which our business is based around the world. We try to transfer in Serbia the knowledge we acquire in markets around the world. In addition to our business being optimized through the use of renewable energy, Iron Mountain plans to round off its offer on the Serbian market in the coming period by collecting, transporting, storing and destroying non-hazardous waste and IT waste. Our goal is to provide all the services that companies may need in the field of information management at one address.

Source: BIZLife

Photo: Iron Mountain