Security
'Under-buying' document shredders doesn't pay off PDF Print E-mail
Written by Kellie Glueck, Director of Global Brand Marketing, GBC, 2008   

In today's world of sophisticated corporate espionage and ongoing stories of digital theft, it's easy to overlook the importance of destroying the old-fashioned, printed hard copy. Kellie Glueck explains why it's imperative to have the right document shredder for your company's needs.

  • Why are a high number of shredders replaced within a short time of their purchase date?
  • What should you look for when you're in the market for a new shredder?

Facilities managers worldwide are often faced with the proper disposal of sensitive company documents or client materials.

Yet, purchase decisions usually made on the basis of price alone can overshadow proper consideration of the consequences from mishandled documents.

Have you considered the impact on your company, reputation and brand should sensitive materials fall into the wrong hands? Moreover, what if your company inadvertently leaked the confidential information of a client?

"I'm not sure it would be as reliable or safe as my first choice," a survey respondent said about the shredder they purchased for their large company. When you need to invest in a document shredder, can you afford not to be sure it will meet your company's needs?

That survey, recently conducted for GBC by independent researchers, revealed that nearly two-thirds of businesses and organisations - a whopping 63 per cent - replace their shredders within three years of the purchase date.

Such a short product lifecycle is clearly an unnecessary waste of office budgets, time and productivity.

One key reason for regretful shredder purchases is that companies often don't properly assess their true needs in advance and consequently buy shredders that perform far below their expectations.

The study found that most respondents 'under-bought' by purchasing lower-capacity, under-powered shredders incapable of handling their document shredding needs.

This then forced them to upgrade later and incur further costs. In other words, many buyers purchased a shredder that created more problems than it solved.

Assess sheet capacity needs


The survey results show that more than one-third of users are unsatisfied with the low sheet capacity of their current shredder.

According to the Institute of Administrative Management (IAM), managers waste 3.5 days a year clearing shredder jams, which means a typical company staff of 75 people waste enough time to occupy one full-time job.

With 60 per cent of users experiencing shredder jams at least once a month, businesses can lose up to £30,000 in efficiency, which could be resolved with a higher sheet capacity.

Protect your organisation


However, low sheet capacity problems pale in comparison to the vulnerabilities of improper security resulting from under-buying a shredder.

As reported in the industry publication OEN Magazine (April 2008), 25 per cent of organisations are at risk of damaging their reputation with identity fraud by not properly protecting their sensitive and confidential information or that of their clients. Can your company afford that kind of cost?

Furthermore, you could face steep fines imposed by the Information Commission (responsible for enforcing the Data Protection Act) when information is not safely protected and the law is broken.

Industry analysts estimate that over 90 per cent of business information is stored on paper, which speaks to the ever-growing potential for data exposure.

More importantly, according to a study by Vanson Bourne, up to 75 per cent of all corporate documents may contain legally sensitive information but less than 10 per cent of users are aware of the associated risks and liabilities.

The stakes are high but can be resolved by proper shredding and disposal of at-risk material.

Your company and your employees need to have a persistent and unyielding awareness of these risks.

The threat of bin raiding and identity theft looms, with 77,500 identity and impersonation fraud cases in 2007 alone, according to the Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (CIFAS), the UK's Fraud Prevention Service.

Your customers entrust their confidential and strategic information to you, and it's your company's responsibility to protect it.

Ninety-nine per cent of respondents to the IAM survey said it was "important" or "extremely important" to keep business, customer records and personnel information confidential.

However, the survey surprisingly revealed that over a third of respondents don't put private material in a secure place when their shredder does not work.

Perhaps most noteworthy, 95 per cent of respondents always shred confidential material when their shredder is in working order, but when a jam occurs, one in four admitted to putting restricted material in an unlocked drawer or even straight in the bin!

A false sense of security in moments like these can devastate you, your company or your client. Also, better adherence to corporate shredding guidelines happens when it is easier for employees to shred - and the sheet capacity that's right for your organisation's needs plays a key factor in making that happen.

Employees can unknowingly commit other risky behaviours. Print providers, for example, need to ensure over-runs and misprints are shredded rather than thrown away to protect customers' confidentiality.

Like everyone, printers can't afford to lose valuable customer information pertaining to business or personal identity theft.

Shredding is the most effective way to destroy documents and protect security but it's also important to identify the security level your company requires for the kind of data you need to safeguard.

For example, corporations should use a micro cut shredder (security level 4) when shredding sensitive archived material, while government organisations demand a super-micro cut shredder (security level 5 or 6).

Shred internally what you can


Outsourcing your shredding needs to third-party providers may seem like a simple solution. However, the research by GBC found that many individuals worry about trusting others to shred sensitive materials.

As a result, many managers derive an emotional satisfaction in seeing documents destroyed first-hand in their own office shredder.

An investment in a shredder with the power, capacity and security you need can pay long-term dividends over the costs of third-party shredders.

What to look for in a new shredder


So what should you look for when you're in the market for a new shredder? In addition to what's already been identified, you need to assess your overall needs. Do you need to shred other material like CDs and paperclips? Is motor strength or noise level a factor?

What's your company's growth plan? Will you need to double your shredder's capacity in, say, the next two years? In the study by GBC, respondents rated simplicity, reliability, high capacity and quietness as the key attributes most important to them.

And with heavy-duty models in particular, the ability to accept staples, paper clips, credit cards and CDs was rated high. The study also found that price was secondary when a shredder met all requirements - a clear indicator that users are coming to understand that a wise investment up-front leads to bigger pay-offs down the road.

Generate additional revenue


If you still find yourself confronted with the cost of the proper shredder for your business, consider turning it into a potential additional revenue stream.

A powerful, full-capacity shredder can help you generate incremental revenue by offering shredding services to your customers - they can even get the satisfaction of watching it first-hand, quelling their fears and knowing their valuable information has been placed in your good hands.

As with any business investment, you must do your homework, and purchasing a shredder that's right for your company is no different. Your costs, reputation, employees' productivity and customers' trust are at stake. The pay-offs, well, pay off.

Kellie Glueck is the Director of Global Brand Marketing for GBC and studies the shredder industry and privacy issues. For over 60 years, the GBC brand has been supplying products that help consumers present, protect, secure, destroy, organise and enhance their printed materials.
 
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