Customer information, financial documents, HR forms, proprietary files, medical records – if you wouldn’t want a data thief or the competition to see them, they’ve got to be shredded. Here in Massachusetts, state law actually requires that companies protect the personal information of state residents, so shredding certain documents might actually be a legal necessity.
If a piece of paper is sensitive enough to shred, it has to be destroyed forever. But with both onsite and offsite shredding options in the market, how’s a security-conscious company to choose?
Onsite Shredding: Pros and Cons
If they had to choose between driving 10 miles to a taco stand and visiting a taco truck in the office parking lot, most people would pick the taco truck. Convenience can’t be beat, right? That’s the same philosophy that drives some businesses to use mobile shredding services. Schedule the visit and a shredding truck comes to you. Workers load your sensitive files into the truck’s shredder and they’re destroyed while your company’s representatives watch. Then the truck drives off and takes the shredded paper to a recycling facility.
From your perspective as the customer, onsite shredding is definitely convenient. That’s the primary reason companies choose it. But there are downsides to this option. For one, you’ll pay extra for that convenience: mobile shredding services are generally more expensive than offsite options.
The logistics can be complicated, too. Depending on the size of the job, the noisy mobile shredding process might take an hour or longer. If having a large, loud truck parked outside your building is going to be a problem, onsite shredding isn’t a good option.
If your documents are stored in cardboard boxes, it’s up to you to dispose of them when they’re empty; these trucks typically won’t haul off empty boxes.
And while onsite shredding makes it easy for a company representative to witness the process, it’s not a pleasant task if the weather happens to be inclement on shredding day.
Offsite Shredding: Pros and Cons
When you think offsite shredding, are you picturing loading boxes of documents into the back of your own car and driving them off to some warehouse? In fact, when you choose offsite shredding, the shredding company should arrange secure pick up and transportation of your documents. Even with this service, offsite shredding is generally cheaper than on-site shredding. Saving money is just one of the upsides of choosing this option.
Security is the major concern that company decision makers tend to have about offsite shredding. At least with onsite shredding, they figure, documents are never out of an employee’s view. Sure, handing your sensitive documents off to just anyone with a truck is a bad idea – but using a reputable destruction company eliminates those security what-ifs.
Northeast Data Destruction provides secure, locked 32, 64, and 96 gallon storage containers and transports them in locked alarmed vehicles, so you can be sure that your documents are inaccessible even after they leave your site. Want to have a company representative oversee the shredding process a NAID “AAA” Certified shredding facility? We can arrange it – and because offsite shredding happens indoors and is much more efficient than onsite shredding, the process is quick and comfortable. We’ll provide you with a Certificate of Destruction at the end.
We know you have shredding options. Northeast Data Destruction can meet your needs, whether you have a small one-time job or a recurring need for secure shredding services. Call us today with any questions!